I'm Praseedha, I'm a family doctor at Women's College Hospital Crossroads Refugee Clinic, with a community practice in HIV primary care! I have the privilege of serving as co-chair of this amazing program alongside Tia, and this remarkable steering committee of women family physician leaders from around the globe whom you're going to meet and know more closely.

Together, we have created this beautiful course to give us a shared space to share our strengths, our challenges, and our learnings as we forge forward with individual leadership and a collective journey!

I'm a single mother to an amazing 9.5 year old daughter. I'm Sri Lankan in origin, and immigrated to Canada from a youth lived in West Africa. My experience of my heritage, migration, family, caring colleagues/ mentors, inclusive community, and the importance of compassion and tenacity all shape my sense of purpose in my personal and professional life.

While the world and our profession struggles with many challenges, I see the solidarity and the opportunity for women leaders in family medicine to shape and elevate our work with renewed joy, as a true gift.

I look forward to hearing from each of you as you share with us a little more about yourself and your hopes for yourself as we embark on this program together! ~ Praseedha

I work at Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital, where I lead holistic care initiatives integrating palliative care, geriatrics, and long-term care, and also serve as academic chair overseeing Family Medicine residency training and undergraduate clinical education.

As part of my teaching role, I’m responsible for courses on leadership, teamwork, and communication skills for medical students, interns, and residents. These experiences have shown me how important it is to nurture compassionate and collaborative leaders in medicine.

I joined the AWE-FM program because I believe true leadership is about empathy, connection, and growth. Working in a cross-cultural, multilingual border community, I hope to learn from global colleagues and bring back new insights to strengthen family medicine education and mentorship in my region.

Outside of work, I’m a mother of 2 young children — a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter — who constantly remind me of patience, empathy, and joy in everyday life.

I’m very excited to learn and grow with you all!

Now I working as a family physician at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Department of Family Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

My work constantly puts me in leadership situations, from running care teams to developing curricula and training, both residents and medical students.These experiences have shown me that while my medical training prepared me to care for patients, it didn’t fully prepare me to be a strong leader. I’ve realized that leadership is a skill that needs to be learned and developed.

What made this realization clearer was when I led a project aimed at helping patients with type 2 diabetes achieve remission through lifestyle changes. We collaborated with the Endocrinology Department to develop a new care pathway that went beyond medication only. It was exciting, but also challenging in many aspects. I had to learn how to communicate across specialties, manage limited resources, and build trust with senior staff who were unsure about this new approach. In the end, it was very rewarding to see patients improve and gain more control of their health.

This experience helped me see both my strengths and the areas I need to grow—especially in project management, communication, and conflict resolution. It made me realize how important formal leadership training is.

And I also do teaching and mentoring medical students and residents. I believe that good leadership helps create a positive and supportive learning environment. I want to help future doctors feel confident, curious, and resilient.

That’s why I am interested in the AWE-FM program. Its focus on leadership in academic family medicine is exactly what I need. I’m excited to learn from experienced mentors and to share experience with globally peers, and I hope to use what I learn to support my team, my students, and our healthcare system in Thailand.

I am Fitriana, I am a family physician and Assistant Professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine Universitas Gadjah Mada indonesia.

What motivates me to join this course is because I am now in my mid career I think, I am the coordinator of family medicine study program in the Uni, and I may expect more leadership role to come.

Realising this situation and also the cultural background of Indonesia, I think I need to develop my capacity and be more brave in facing the political environment :).

While as a lecturer-researcher, often when we sit in the structural position, we forget that our main job is to develop our research and make a great impact in the society/patients. And I want to develop this skills too.

My name is Isadora Marques. I graduated in 2023 and worked as a General Practitioner in a small city in one of the poorest regions of Brazil, my home country. Currently, I continue to serve the same region through telemedicine, as I moved to Canada earlier this year.

I’m pursuing a spot in a Family Medicine residency program, and I believe this course will be a valuable opportunity to not only strengthen my leadership skills but also grow in cultural competence.

Coming from a country that still struggles with gender equality, it’s not very common to see women in leadership positions, but I was lucky to have inspiring mentors who encouraged me to aim for those roles. Despite that, I’ve never had formal leadership training, and when I found myself in that position, I often felt uncertain and lacked confidence.

I’m truly grateful to be part of this group. I know I still have much to learn, and I see this as a wonderful opportunity to grow through everyone’s experiences and perspectives.

I hope this course helps me feel more confident taking on leadership responsibilities in the future and to pass that on to the next generations.

I am Dr.Sarah , a Family physician from Pakistan, with a basic foundation in clinical practice and preventive healthcare. I hold the Membership of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (MCPS) in Family Medicine, earned through years of full-time medical experience. My professional journey includes serving as Women Medical Officer at Fatima Fertilizer Welfare Trust Hospital, as well in a government and private hospital.

To strengthen my academic and practical expertise, I completed the South Punjab Doctors Training Programme ,dow medical college family medicine Programme and participated in the APPNA MERIT Webinars.

I continue to pursue professional growth with a vision to advance Family Medicine leadership and community-based public-health initiatives.

I’m joining this course because I want to strengthen my leadership skills and learn new strategies to lead effectively in family medicine as well as my own family.

I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone and sharing experiences together.

My name is Janelle Knight. Born and raised in the Caribbean island of Barbados where I completed my medical degree at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill in 2020. Only yesterday, I graduated with a PG Diploma in Family Medicine with Distinction from the same university. I continue to pursue residency training in Family Medicine with goals of completing my D.M. Fam. Med. within the next two years and eventually leading my own clinic.

Currently, I work as the chief resident in a polyclinic, a public primary healthcare facility which provides free to low-cost services. Additionally, I provide medical care at one of the geriatric facilities in the rural area of Barbados.

Being the chief resident comes with several responsibilities, from organising schedules, teaching final year medical students, producing research and, of course, representing and mentoring my colleagues, to ensuring the medical services provided are of a quality standard.

I leapt at the opportunity to do this virtual course at the University of Toronto as I am sure it will equip me with the necessary tools as a leader in my community. Truthfully, I am pleased to see a course catering to women in Family Medicine specifically with focus on leadership. Hopefully, not only will I leave with improved leadership skills but be able to pass them on to another woman in FM.

- Sincerely,

Janelle

My name is Brenda Oliveira, and I am a family physician from Brazil currently living in Vancouver, BC.

After moving to Canada, I found myself facing new professional challenges. I am learning about the local health system, forming new connections, and working on advancing my career. At the same time, I am working in the administrative field at BC Cancer and preparing for the Canadian exams.

I am glad to be part of this wonderful group again. I took the Advancing Women’s Excellence in Family Medicine course in 2023 when it first started. It feels like a privilege to be here with so many inspiring women.

I hope we can connect and learn from each other during the next few weeks!

My name is Salilthip Paiboonsithiwong or Fern (my nickname). I am currently a Family physician in Bangkok, Thailand. I also have a role as a teacher for medical student and resident training.

I am excited to joy this AWE_FM course. This tailored program for us - women - to strengthen our leadership skill.

Fern

Outside of work I am a mother of two amazing cheeky boys and I would also love to learn from other women in this course how they balance family, motherhood and work. Fun fact: I lived in Canada for 13 years through most of my formative years, and it is definitely still a place my heart calls home! Looking forward to meeting and learning from all of you!

My name is Eleanor Colledge. I'm a family physician in Toronto, Canada, mother of three grown-up children. I'm delighted to be helping out as a facilitator again for AWE-FM. It is a very special course where there is so much learning to be done - from our experts, the content materials and from each other! I've held a variety of leadership roles over the past number of years within our Department and I am currently the CPD Director. Looking forward to meeting everyone on Thursday morning!

Outside of work, I am juggling life as a mom of three while married to an emergency medicine physician!

Most recently, I have been given a leadership opportunity at the hospital and

I am very eager to grow and to learn from other women in leadership.

I am truly excited to welcome each of you to this meaningful journey! It’s heartening to be part of a community united by a shared commitment to family medicine and the empowerment of women in leadership. I’m genuinely looking forward to engaging in our discussions and sharing the valuable leadership insights I've gathered from my experiences in academia over the years, as a family physician from Saudi Arabia who trained at the Department of Family and Community Medicine in Toronto.

While each of our stories is distinct, I believe that we will discover common threads that will enrich our collective learning experience. Thank you for choosing to walk this path of growth and empowerment with us. I am looking forward to this amazing experience together with all of you!

Warmly,

Baraa

My name is Tania Whitby-Best. I am Jamaican living and working in the island of Barbados for over 20 years. I am a Family Physician trained at the University of the West Indies, with experience across the Jamaica and Barbados campuses, and currently serve as Head of Student Health Services at the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Throughout my career, I have been privileged to hold leadership roles that have deepened my passion for mentorship, collaboration, and service.

I was truly inspired to see a leadership course dedicated to women in Family Medicine. By participating, I hope to further refine my leadership skills, learn from and connect with fellow women in Family Medicine across the globe, and help inspire my Caribbean/regional colleagues to join this programme as a part of their growth and development.

I’ve now settled in downtown Toronto, where I work in several clinics across the city. My clinical focus is on caring for newcomers, refugees, and individuals who are homeless or vulnerably housed, many of whom are navigating mental health or substance use challenges.

This work has deeply shaped my commitment to advocacy. For the past 6 years, I've been a Steering Committee member with Health Providers Against Poverty, a Toronto-based organization that raises awareness about the health impacts of poverty and works to influence public policy and create meaningful change.

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to grow my leadership skills through programs like the Ontario College of Family Physicians & Rotman School of Management Leadership Program, and the Women Who Lead Governance Fellowship. Beyond the valuable skills I gained, one of the most meaningful aspects was connecting with other inspiring leaders.

Now, as a new Board Member of the Mid-West Toronto Family Practice Network, I’m hoping to bring Family Physicians together to make it a better place for all. I look forward to meeting you all, and hearing your visions as emerging women leaders!

I'm Leila Makhani, a family doctor based in Toronto and London, Ontario, Canada and mother to a beautiful toddler. I am thrilled to join again as a facilitator and I look forward to meeting you all for session 3!

This course has been one of the most incredible learning experiences - a community where learning, sharing of ourselves and our truth, and a space for reflection/creativity and obtaining tools to take dreams towards reality, forms the foundations of our time together...I am indeed fortunate the return and experience this together with you all.

I particularly enjoyed learning about authentic expression of leadership, and have tried to embody that in my own leadership roles. I continue to learn from the mentors, speakers, and participants in the course and really look forward to this year's course.

Excited to see you all at session 3!

I look forward to our time together!