Family Medicine in the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

A Podcast Partnership Between the Besrour Centre and Canadian Family Physician

Using the Besrour Centre’s network of international partners, Dr. Christine Gibson interviews family physicians around the world who are helping to manage this pandemic, finding the common thread of humanity between those on each side of the mask. 

These stories are introduced by Dr. Nick Pimlott, Scientific Editor of Canadian Family Physician.

Dr. Gibson is a family physician in Calgary, Alberta and is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.  Dr. Gibson is an international consultant for family medicine development and capacity building. Dr. Gibson is the Co-Lead of the Narrative Working Group of the Besrour Center at the College of Family Physicians of Canada. As Dr. Gibson writes:

“This is a timely opportunity to learn from our global partners on the front line of the Covid outbreak. Family physicians worldwide are stepping up to help their communities battle this illness as best we can. People are yearning for stories, whether for professional or personal reasons. Stories of hope and of communities in grief, stories of authentic experiences that we can all learn from and through. This is a unique experience in the history of humanity – a pandemic that is truly shared worldwide, revealing our interconnectivity in heroic and tragic ways. Now is the time for collective healing.”

We hope listeners find these stories compelling and healing.

This podcast was recorded on May 1st, 2020.

Dr. Gibson's website: www.christinegibson.net 

Dr. Vincent K. Cubaka is a family physician. For the past fourteen years he practiced as a rural clinician, then served as a lecturer and researcher and head of the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Rwanda (UR). He recently joined Partners in Health Rwanda (PIH-IMB) to hold the position of Director of Research and Training. He trained as a specialist in Family and Community Medicine at UR. He also holds a doctorate in medicine from the University of Aarhus in Denmark. His doctoral work explored patient-provider communication in primary health care in Rwanda.

Read Dr. Gibson's accompanying blog post at https://www.cfp.ca/blog