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Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award

The Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award supports, promotes, and recognizes residents, emerging leaders and advocates for family medicine. It is awarded to two family medicine residents (one from the University for Alberta and one from the University of Calgary) who exemplify a broad-based understanding and demonstration of family medicine. 

Recipients are nominated by their peers, members of the public, or are self-nominated.
Thank you for your submissions. Our call for 2024 ACFP Award nominations is now closed.

Awards Criteria

  • Nominee is a family medicine resident enrolled at either University of Alberta or the University of Calgary
  • Nominee is NOT a current member of the ACFP Board or the Awards and Recognition Committee
  • Demonstrates strong leadership skills in advocacy, community service, and/or education

Need Support?

Email the ACFP at ACFPAwards@acfp.ca.

→ Dr. Helen Cai
→ Dr. Alexandra Barras
→ Dr. Skye McIntosh

2023 ACFP Award Recipients

The ACFP is proud to celebrate all physicians, residents, students, and clinics who demonstrate excellence in family practice. 

 To learn more about this year’s amazing list of recipients as well as previous ACFP Award winners, visit our Award Recipients page through the button below.

Award Recipients

Dr. Helen Cai

2023 Family Medicine Resident Award

Dr. Helen Cai completed her undergraduate degree in Health Studies at the University of Waterloo, medical school in Calgary at the Cumming School of Medicine, and finally family medicine residency at the University of Alberta. She has been re-establishing her roots in  Edmonton, the city which she considers her home. Dr. Cai is currently one of the inaugural R3s in the University of Alberta’s plus one in Family Medicine Obstetrics. She looks forward to providing obstetrical care as part of her future practice. Outside of medicine, Dr. Cai recently ran her first half marathon and has started to train for a triathlon next summer!  

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The unique privilege of getting to know our patients on such an intimate level and caring for them during high times and low. I also love the diversity and flexibility that family medicine allows.   

Family medicine mentor: There are many mentors, formal and informal, that I’m grateful to but my main faculty advisor in residency, Dr Samantha Horvey, made my family medicine training incredible. She exemplified medical excellence, scholarship, and leadership and I’m so grateful to her for always going above and beyond. 

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: The vulnerability that our patients express and how much we can learn about our patients in sometimes a very short amount of time.  

If I wasn’t a family physician, I’d be: A Teacher

Dr. Alexandra Barras

2023 Family Medicine Resident Award

Dr. Alexandra Barras is originally from Ontario but have made Alberta her home over the last nine years. She is passionate about rural medicine, public health and her dog Marcie. She has just began practice in the Crowsnest Pass. 

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The relationships and associated continuity. 

Family medicine mentor: Dr Vanessa Rogers 

 One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: Becoming a master at logistics for patients 

 If I wasn’t a family physician, I’d be: Intensivist

Dr. Skye McIntosh

2023 Family Medicine Resident Award

Dr. Skye McIntosh recently completed her family medicine residency at the University of Calgary. She is passionate about full scope family medicine, maternal and newborn care and medical education. When she isn’t in clinic or on the labour and delivery ward, Skye can be found playing soccer or softball, volunteering with Girl Guides of Canada, and teaching her dog Koda new tricks! 

The one thing I love about family medicine is: Seeing a little bit of every aspect of medicine, being challenged and learning something new every day, and developing longitudinal relationships with patients and families! 

Family medicine mentor: Dr. Lindsay Jantzie, who is a great role model in medical education and passionate about the same things as me, and Dr. Puneet Chawla, who is an excellent teacher and will spend so much time teaching but also talking about important career aspects like locuming, scheduling, billing, etc. 

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: The many ways that you can change your practice to match your particular interests or lifestyle needs at the time! 

If I wasn’t a family physician, I’d be: An engineer like my grandfather, parents and brother (I am the odd one out) 

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Nominate a Colleague

My name is Smitha Yaltho and I feel privileged to work as a family physician. Why? I believe that being a family physician has been the best job any physician can hope to have. I have personally grown in my own abilities and skill-sets with diverse opportunities in ambulatory practice, acute care and work in Facility Living.  Working in primary care has been exciting and has also afforded me tremendous opportunities for growth while still remaining stimulating in its complexity.  I believe that Family physicians are trusted partners in patient care –  every step of the way. 

Why are you volunteering to serve on this committee?
I currently have an interest in Physician Leadership and  trauma informed care.  I have served as a director with the Board of Directors with the Edmonton North PCN, Edmonton’s largest PCN. Thereafter, I have worked as the Director of Medical Services with CapitalCare (also based in Edmonton) for almost 6 years. It is my express wish that my contribution on the ACFP board of directors will highlight the excellence of family medicine that exists right here and now within the Alberta health care system. 

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
Ability to highlight and further support the excellence of primary care right here in Alberta.