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After largely self-funding his undergraduate and medical school studies, Dr. Nick Ellingwood (MD’24) says he was emotional when he discovered he had been chosen as an inaugural recipient of the James Walker Wood, MD, Award in Medicine. 

“Obviously it was due to the financial aspect,” he explains. “But it was also because the award recognizes students who graduate from Dal and decide to stay within Dal and within the Maritime provinces to do their residency. I think, often times, rural physicians get overlooked. It’s really nice to see this award investing in the rural family physicians of tomorrow.”

Starting in 2024, every year a pair of graduating MD students will each receive the James Walker Wood, MD, Award in Medicine valued at $100,000—the largest ever individual prize for MD graduates at AV���ֲ�’s Faculty of Medicine. To qualify for the award, which was made possible by a $1.2 million gift from the , recipients must be entering a Family Medicine Residency at AV���ֲ� serving in rural communities in the Maritimes. They must also demonstrate engagement in leadership and extracurricular activities and have faced financial barriers while in pursuit of their medical degree.

Recruiting family doctors: a national challenge

Financial concerns are a key factor deterring students from pursuing family medicine. According to a  from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Canadian medical school graduates carry an average debt load of $90,000 into their residencies, with 12% carrying debt of over $200,000. Family physicians incur additional costs of establishing their practices and earn lower salaries than other specialties. Facing these harsh fiscal realities, many medical students feel a strong pull toward higher-paying specialties. 

As a result of concerted efforts by the Faculty of Medicine and Department of Family Medicine, AV���ֲ� has enjoyed comparative success in matching medical learners to its family medicine residency spots. In fact, over 50 per cent of AV���ֲ�’s MD Class of 2024 chose family medicine for their residency. 

“The James Walker Wood Award is a significant step towards alleviating financial burdens, ensuring that we continue to attract and retain talented physicians in our communities,” notes Dr. Katherine Stringer, Head of . “We are profoundly grateful for the Foundation's enduring support—it will be a tremendous help in our efforts to promote family medicine as a sought-after career choice and it reinforces the value our discipline brings to Maritime communities.” 

A legacy of giving and a AV���ֲ� connection

The award commemorates the dedication and service of its namesake, Dr. James Walker Wood. Born in 1889 to a family of modest means in Scotland, Wood’s academic excellence was recognized with a Carnegie Foundation scholarship that enabled him attend medical school. After serving in World War I, he established a family practice in a working-class area in Leeds, Yorkshire, where he provided exceptional care to the community. 

Inspired by his work, Wood’s son and daughter-in-law, Neil and Susan Wood, established The Walker Wood Foundation in 2006. It supports students across Canada and has provided other scholarships to AV���ֲ� students for over a decade. 

James Walker Wood’s granddaughter, Dr. Kate Wood (PGM’12), completed her family medicine residency at AV���ֲ�. As Vice President of the Walker Wood Foundation, she sees firsthand the difference that financial support can make. 

“Given the challenges in recruiting family medicine doctors in Canada, the Walker Wood Foundation wished to increase our support and provide a gift that would be transformative for medical students aspiring to enter the practice of family medicine,” she says. “Our hopes are to encourage medical students to enter family medicine as it is such a rewarding and diverse career.”

Realizing a lifelong dream

Dr. Laura Miller (BSc’16, MA’18, MD’24) always wanted to become a family physician—a dream reinforced by her experience at Dal. 

“I learned going through medical school that I like a little bit of everything,” she explains. “With family medicine, you get to do a little bit of everything.” 

Dr. Miller was thrilled to be named an inaugural recipient of the James Walker Wood, MD, Award in Medicine. “It has been a huge relief in terms of my stress and financially being able to take off a large chunk of my debt. I still can’t even really comprehend or explain how much it’s helped—I’m still in shock.”

Buoyed by the support of the award, Drs. Miller and Ellingwood are focused on completing their residencies and achieving their career goals in rural family medicine. Originally from Quispamsis, NB, Dr. Ellingwood is in his first year of AV���ֲ�’s three-year Integrated Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine residency, and will train in Sussex and Saint John, NB. 

Dr. Miller, who is from Halifax, NS, started her residency in AV���ֲ�’s North Nova Family Medicine Program based in Truro, NS. She is currently training at Village Family Physicians in Bible Hill and will complete hospital-based training and practice at the Colchester Regional Hospital.