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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. 

Candidates are nominated by their peers, members of the public, or are self-nominated.
Submission Deadline is April 1, 2026
Download Nomination Form

Awards Criteria

  • The nominee is a family medicine resident enrolled at either the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary
  • Candidates may be recognized for demonstrating strong leadership skills in advocacy, community service, and/or education
  • Candidates may be recognized for exemplifying the CanMEDS-FMU Leader Role
  • The nominee is NOT a current member of the ACFP Board or the Member Engagement and Recognition Committee
  • The nominee has NOT received this award previously (to the best of your knowledge)

Award Prize

Recipients of this award will receive:

  • an engraved Hoselton sculpture
  • a cash award of $500
  • Acknowledgement through the ACFP’s publications, communication channels, and during the annual Family Medicine Summit
  • Special discount on registration for the Family Medicine Summit

Need Support?

Email the ACFP at ACFPAwards@acfp.ca.

→ University of Alberta
→ University of Calgary
→ University of Calgary

2025 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. Stephan Guscott

2025 Family Medicine Resident Leadership

Dr. Stephan Guscott is a son, brother, runner, amateur bike packer, baker, and proud new rural family physician. He is a recent graduate of the University of Alberta (U of A) rural Red Deer program and currently completing a residency victory lap enhancing his emergency medicine skills with the U of A Family Medicine-Emergency Medicine (FM-EM) program. Stephan hopes to practice in Alberta near the mountains, blending rural family medicine practice with emergency medicine.

Family medicine mentor/s

Too many to name! My biggest influence has been Dr. Jo Ann Robinson from Edson, who inspired my passion for rural medicine, and that balancing life with medicine is possible. Drs. Rob and Michelle Warren who helped develop my confidence and independence at the end of my rural family medicine residency. And Drs. Cayla Gilbert and Alanna Bowie for their leadership, support, and mentorship throughout residency training to foster a supportive residency family that really showed up for each other in the hardest of times when we lost one of our co-residents this year.

One thing I love about family medicine is…

Continuity of care. While we sometimes don’t have an answer or diagnosis for our patients, the process of management trial and error for different treatments over time built on the foundation of trust and a longitudinal relationship is powerful, and (occasionally) satisfying.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician…

Paperwork! But more seriously: the truly essential role family physicians have in rural communities. They are critical to the well-being of the entire community. They keep the rural ER open to attend to emergencies, allow parents to have their babies closer to home with staff who know them, and manage chronic diseases without patients having to journey hours away to have their problems dealt with. Family physicians are essential to the fabric of rural Alberta communities.

If I weren’t a family physician, I’d be…

Probably a baker, engineer, or maybe a bikepacking vagabond… As long as I get to play outside occasionally!

Dr. Kapilan Panchendrabose

2025 Family Medicine Resident Leadership

Dr. Kapilan Panchendrabose is currently a second year rural Family Medicine resident in the University of Calgary’s Lethbridge program. He completed his medical degree at the University of Manitoba and holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Calgary. Outside of medicine, Dr. Panchendrabose enjoys hiking, flying airplanes, writing poetry, and exploring new restaurants.

Family medicine mentor/s

I am grateful for numerous rural family doctors I have learned from. I am particularly grateful to Drs. Kristy Penner and Chris Waller for their immeasurable kindness, being models of what physician leaders can be, and always encouraging wellness alongside rich learning in Southern Alberta. I am also incredibly grateful to Dr. Ryan Torrie for his unwavering support for anything I do and for showing me how fulfilling the practice of Family Medicine can be.

One thing I love about family medicine is…

Its power to strengthen communities (especially rural communities!). Family physicians act as advocates, educators, and leaders beyond the clinic. I find purpose in being able to influence not just individual health but the wellbeing of entire populations.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician…

I did not expect how emotionally fulfilling the work would be. Even on the hardest days, the relationships, stories, and shared humanity make the effort feel worthwhile every time. The gratitude from patients and the sense of purpose have been empowering.

If I weren’t a family physician, I’d be…

A full-time biomedical engineer/inventor and part-time day dreamer. Whether it is improving medical devices or dreaming up ways to make health care more human-centred, I would still be chasing meaningful impact.

Dr. Pauwlina Cyca

2025 Family Medicine Resident Leadership

Dr. Pauwlina Cyca is a recent graduate of the University of Calgary’s Family Medicine Residency Program, where she served as Lead Resident for the Northwest division and President of Professional Association of Resident Physicians of Alberta (PARA). A former pharmacist and passionate advocate for physician wellness and health system equity, Dr. Cyca brings a rich, multidisciplinary lens to her work. Now entering independent practice, she is also a dedicated mother of three, balancing medicine, leadership, and motherhood with purpose and grace.

Family medicine mentor/s

I consider Dr. Ian Johnston, the CVFP site education lead and division director for the University of Calgary Postgraduate Residency Program, as an outstanding mentor and teacher. Dr. Johnston gained valuable experience in rotating through postgraduate medical training as a junior doctor in medical and surgical hospital specialties in Glasgow before moving to Canada to complete his family medicine residency. Dr. Johnston has worked in the research hub of the University of Calgary Department of Family Medicine.

One thing I love about family medicine is…

The dynamic and intellectual nature of the practice, and the diversity of patient presentations.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician…

Virtual medicine seems to take more energy than in-person visits, and there is very little time to take bathroom breaks.

If I weren’t a family physician, I’d be…

Unfulfilled and perhaps a book publisher.

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