On Friday, June 20, Scarborough Health Network (SHN) proudly celebrated the graduation of 11 residents from our Department of Family and Community Medicine Residency Program with a special luncheon at the Scarboro Golf and Country Club. The celebration featured heartfelt reflections and words of advice from both graduates and faculty, highlighting the strong bonds formed throughout their training.  

The 2025 graduating class included a diverse and dedicated group of residents who demonstrated exceptional commitment to patient care and community health throughout their training. We are proud to recognize the following individuals as this year’s Family Medicine Residency Program graduates: 

  • Dr. Hifza Buhari 
  • Dr. Carlyn (Carl) Figueiredo 
  • Dr. Timothy Kwan 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Dr. Jun Liang (Kevin) Liu 
  • Dr. Jia Qi (Kevin) Lu 
  • Dr. Mackenzie Redhead 
  • Dr. Serena Rubin 
  • Dr. Sara Sotirakos 
  • Dr. Tyler Stratton 
  • Dr. Yi Fei (Faye) Yu 

A series of awards were presented at the event to recognize the outstanding achievements, leadership, and contributions of residents, faculty, and preceptors throughout the academic year. 

Lifetime Achievement Award – Dr. Mike Ward 

Dr. Mike Ward was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Family Medicine in recognition of his decades-long dedication to the Scarborough Health Network Post-Graduate Family Medicine Program. Since at least 1999, Dr. Ward has been a guiding force and beloved mentor to countless residents, consistently demonstrating excellence in clinical teaching and leadership. His highly rated CFPC exam reviews and unwavering support for learners have left a lasting impact on the program. The Department of Family and Community Medicine extends heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ward for his outstanding contributions and congratulates him on his well-earned retirement. 

CENTRAL Awards 

Presented at the University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community Medicine Central Graduation Celebration on June 6, 2025 

  • Hollister King Teaching Practices Resident Award 
  • Dr. Hifza Buhair 
  • DFCM Preceptor Award – Role Modeling Clinical Excellence 
  • Dr. Erum Raheel 
  • DFCM Resident, Clinical Excellence 
  • • Dr. Connie Li 
  • DFCM Research – Educational Scholarship Project Award 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Dr. Tim Kwan 
  • Dr. Kevin Lu 

 Resident Awards 

  • Chief Resident Award (Excellence in Leadership Role) 
  • Dr. Sara Sotirakos 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Clinical Excellence Award (Excellence in FM Expert Role) 
  • Dr. Sara Sotirakos 
  • Communication Excellence Award (Excellence in Communicator Role) 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Professional Excellence Award (Excellence in Professionalism Role) 
  • Dr. Sara Sotirakos 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Continuous Reflective Assessment for Training (CRAFT) 
  •  Dr. Daniya Abdouh 

Presented to the resident who received the most Field Notes 

  • Palliative Care Collaborator Award (Excellence in Collaborator Role) 
  • Dr. Daniya Abdouh 
  • Resident Award for Clerkship Teaching 
  • Dr. Connie Li 
  • Dr. Tyler Stratton 
  • Quality Improvement Project (Excellence in Manager Role) 
  • Dr. Faye Yu 
  • Dr. Kevin Liu 
  • Project title: Improving rates of lipoprotein(a) screening 
  • Research Academic Project Award (Excellence in Scholar Role) 
  • First Place: 
  • – Dr. Connie Li 
  • – Dr. Tim Kwan 
  • – Dr. Kevin Lu 
  • – Project title: How do resident physicians introduce themselves to patients? Family medicine resident perspectives and the role of communication guides 
  • Second Place: 
  • – Dr. Faye Yu 

– Project title: Examining whether primary care access and sociodemographic factors are associated with the frequency of emergency department usage in Scarborough 

  • Dr. Elana Fric Memorial Award 
  • Dr. Sara Sotirakos 

Outstanding contribution in Health Advocacy and Patient-Centred Care 

Preceptor Awards 

  • Clerkship Teaching Award 
  • Dr. Aleem Hussain 
  • Continuous Reflective Assessment for Training (CRAFT) 
  • Dr. Erum Raheel 

Presented to the preceptor who completed the most Field Notes 

  • Teacher of the Year Award 
  • Family Medicine: Dr. Erum Raheel 
  • Specialty: Dr. Pegah Shah, General Internal Medicine 
  • Lifetime Achievement Award 
  • Family Medicine: Dr. Mike Ward 
  • Specialty: Dr. Gil Yee, MSK, Orthopedic Surgery 
  • Dr. Lawrence S. Erlick Award 
  • Dr. Mruna Shah 

Presented to a Family Medicine preceptor for outstanding contributions in Family Medicine, Education, Research, Medical Politics, or Community Service 

As our graduates move forward in their careers, we extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude for the compassion, dedication, and excellence they brought to SHN. We are confident they will continue to make meaningful contributions to the communities they serve and carry forward the values of patient-centred care, collaboration, and lifelong