CAMi encourages Canadian academic medicine institutions to adopt and implement best practices and initiatives that foster respectful, inclusive, and health-promoting environments for the well-being of all.

It is estimated that approximately half of Canadian physicians and medical trainees are experiencing burnout, with some studies reporting rates as high as 75%.

The Situation

An environmental scan conducted within the academic medicine community reveals that the culture is widely perceived as toxic, with additional concerns about racism and the absence of psychologically safe environments. CAMi was established to respond to the urgent and ongoing health and wellbeing needs of physicians, researchers, administrators, and learners.

Our Response

In CAMi’s project, Towards Improved Provider Safety, the initiative aims to advance efforts on Physical, Psychological, and Cultural (PPC) Safety within the faculties of medicine in Canada by leveraging the strategic pillars of the Okanagan Charter and adapting ongoing implementation efforts to reflect safe, inclusive, and health-promoting principles.

What is a health promoting environment?

Environments that deliberately support the skills, aspirations, and challenges of learners, faculty and staff enabled by wellbeing-centered policy, communities of connection, resources that support patient care and personal growth, nested within inclusive spaces.

We focus on Canadian academic medicine which includes all environments where learners, faculty, researchers, educators, clinicians, and administrative staff learn, train, and work.

Meet the people who are advancing the Culture of Academic Medicine

The CAMi co-chairs provide dedicated leadership in the realm of wellbeing in medical education and oversee the implementation of the initiative’s strategic direction.

Constance LeBlanc

President & CEO, Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada

Dr. Constance LeBlanc is President and CEO of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and is instrumental in shaping and delivering on AFMC’s key priorities.

Originally from New Brunswick, Connie completed undergraduate studies at the Université de Moncton and medical education at Université Laval in Québec City. She has practiced tertiary care Emergency Medicine in Nova Scotia for over three decades. A lifelong learner, Connie holds a Master of Arts in Medical Education, an Executive Master’s in Business Administration and Technology, and most recently became a Canadian Certified Inclusion Professional. Dr. LeBlanc served in a decanal role for two terms as Associate Dean for Continuing Professional Development at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her scholarship focuses on Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity & Accessibility (EDIA) and medical education with a strong academic track record in these areas. Connie is excited to collaborate with the committee of Deans and tackle important issues for academic medicine in Canada.

president@afmc.ca

Victor Do

Staff Physician Stollery Children's Hospital, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Clinical Faculty, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta

Victor is a co-chair of the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative.
He is a hospital-based pediatrician in Edmonton at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and University of Alberta Department of Pediatrics.
Victor has been involved in advancing the Okanagan Charter in Canada for the last 10 years and his scholarly work has advanced physician and learner wellbeing with publications in journals including Academic Medicine and international presentations including a keynote address at the 2024 International Congress on Academic Medicine
Victor’s past leadership roles include CFMS President (2019-2020), CMA board member (2020-2021) and Royal College council member (2023-25).

vdo@ualberta.ca

The CAMi Executive Committee is composed of subject matter experts who provide direction on the initiative’s strategic goals, guide evaluation efforts, and ensure alignment with the broader goals and initiatives of the medical community. Their work helps to avoid duplication of efforts and fosters collaboration across the continuum of care.

Caroline Gerin-Lajoie

Executive Vice-President, Physician Wellness and Medical Culture Canadian Medical Association

Dr. Gérin-Lajoie leads a team who strives to improve physician and learner wellness and drive positive change in the culture of medicine. In support of the CMA’s health workforce strategic pillar, advocacy, measurement, collaboration and innovation are applied to support a culture in practice and learning environments that is safe, inclusive and health-promoting.

Physicians’ physical, psychological and cultural safety | CMA

caroline.gerin-lajoie@cma.ca

Cheryl Holmes

Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education UBC Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Cheryl Holmes is Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Clinical Professor and Head of the UBC Department of Medicine’s Division of Critical Care.  Dr. Holmes is committed to cultivating respectful, compassionate, and health-promoting environments in academic medicine, where equity, decolonization, diversity, inclusivity, accessibility, belonging (EDDIAB) and social justice are prioritized. Dr. Holmes’ academic interests include promoting learner wellbeing, fostering inclusive and accessible learning environments, and social accountability of medical schools.

cheryl.holmes@ubc.ca

Melanie Lewis

Chief Wellness Officer, University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Co-Chair, AFMC Wellbeing Committee

Dr. Melanie Lewis serves as the Chief Wellness Officer for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta since 2021. In 2024, she was appointed the Steering Committee Chair for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Wellbeing Taskforce, which has nation-wide recognition and impact. In addition to these roles, she also serves the AFMC as co-chair of the Wellbeing Committee and as an executive member of the AFMC Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative (CAMI) including the implementation of the Okanagan Charter.

fomd.well@ualberta.ca

Melanie Jaeger

Medical Lead, Health Quality Programs, Associate Professor, Departments of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University, Faculty of Medicine Co-Chair, AFMC Wellbeing Committee

Melanie Jaeger is an Associate Professor and Anesthesiologist at Queen’s University. Her involvement in postgraduate medical education evolved into physician well-being and she is now the Physician Wellness Lead at Queen’s University and the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization, as well as the co-chair of the Well-Being Committee for the AFMC. Her focus is on system-level change needed to support well-being.

melanie.jaeger@kingstonhsc.ca

CAMi’s Project Team facilitates the day-to-day operations and implements the strategic directions of the initiative.

Adriana Cull

Project Manager

cami@afmc.ca

Alison Donnelly

Project Specialist

cami@afmc.ca

CAMi’s working groups include the following:

CAMi Advisory Group

CAMi Advisory Group provides insight into their current environment, offers advice on CAMi’s objectives, and identifies obstacles and/or opportunities to implementation of the Okanagan Charter within the faculties of medicine in Canada.

Who’s involved?

AFMC Committees and Networks co-chairs
Medical Education Organization leadership
Other Medical Organizations participants
Academic Medicine Learner Organization leaders

Okanagan Charter Collaborative

In 2022 the AFMC established the Okanagan Charter Collaborative (OCC) to advance CAMI’s institutional strategy. The OCC develops resources and shares best practices to enable the implementation of the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges within Canadian Faculties of Medicine.

Who’s involved?

Wellbeing leadership from each Faculty of Medicine
National EDIB Organizations
Learner representation
Patient representation

How can you get involved?

AFMC has endorsed the Okanagan Charter: An international Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges, and through CAMi works with the 17 faculties towards implementation and action.

Attend the CAMI Well-Being Matters Webinar Series!

We engage with experts in the academic medicine community, promoting partnership and collaboration on our common goals to improve physician and learner wellbeing.

An initiative of AFMC

The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) recognizes that promoting health and well-being is essential to achieving the full potential of all those engaged in academic medicine.

The Canadian Medical Association,
MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank proudly support CAMI-TIPS, one of several initiatives that comprise their $115 million commitment to supporting the medical profession and advancing health in Canada.