Eight of the nine award recipients are UM alumni and seven earned their medical degrees at UM, including Physicians of the Year Dr. Michel Bruneau and Dr. Selena Papetti. And all nine physicians hold positions within the Max Rady College of Medicine.  

“Congratulations to the 2025 Doctors Manitoba Award recipients,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences), dean, Max Rady College of Medicine, and dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “I’m thrilled to see that all the award winners have connections to the UM medical college. This exemplifies our mission to train outstanding physicians who then become impactful health-care leaders.” 

The winners are nominated by their physician peers and selected after an evaluation by an awards committee. A gala to celebrate the award recipients will take place in May. 

“We’re celebrating the remarkable talent and skills of nine excellent physicians this year, recognizing their shared commitment to inspiring the next generation of doctors and to community service,” said Dr. Randy Guzman, president of Doctors Manitoba. ​“These award-winning physicians are improving patient care, with the tenacity to make things happen where they work and beyond.” 

PHYSICIANS of the YEAR 

Michel Bruneau [B.Sc./90, MD/94], clinical teacher of family medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, and Selena Papetti [B.Sc./05, MD/10], lecturer and associate head, distributed medical education, department of family medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, not only share a clinic in Lac du Bonnet, Man., they share a commitment to rural medicine and a vision for its future. Together, they are inspiring the next generation of family physicians and sparking an interest in rural health care among medical learners.   

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 

Jill Keddy-Grant [B.Sc.(Med.)/85, MD/85], assistant professor and section head for dermatology, department of pediatrics and child health, Max Rady College of Medicine, has been a force in pediatric dermatology for more than 35 years. Following her training in dermatology, she recognized an unmet need and focused her practice on pediatrics. She has been Manitoba’s sole specialist in this area for many years. Her dedication has been instrumental in advancing patient care, leading therapeutic research and establishing herself as the go-to authority in the field.

JACK ARMSTRONG HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Dr. Leif Sigurdson [B.Sc./98], associate professor of surgery at the Max Rady College of Medicine, is a dedicated plastic surgeon whose humanitarian work spans decades and continents. Since 1996, he has participated in more than 30 volunteer surgical missions abroad with various medical charities, including most recently with Team Broken Earth to Guyana and Guatemala. 

RESIDENT of the YEAR 

Alexander Sharp [MD/21], is a fourth-year subspecialty resident in general internal medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine. He’s recognized for his clinical ability, patient advocacy and innovative research contributions. His dedication to addressing barriers faced by individuals with addictions and complex social challenges is reflected in both his medical practice and scholarly work. 

MEDALS of EXCELLENCE 

Tamara Buchel [B.Sc.(Med.)/92, MD/92], assistant professor and program director, postgraduate medical education, department of family medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, is an outstanding family physician and medical educator. She has led the expansion of post-graduate training at UM through unprecedented growth, expanding training sites to rural and underserved communities. She was also instrumental in introducing physician-led, team-based care options in Manitoba for family physician practices. 

Versha Banerji [B.Sc./97, MD/02] and Shantanu Banerji [B.Sc./98, B.Sc.(Med.)/02, MD/02], both associate professors of internal medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine, have demonstrated what it means to be stronger together, balancing their demanding work as clinician-scientists with their commitment to each other, their family and their philanthropic work. 

Dr. Wendy Smith, a clinical teacher of family medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine and a physician with Ongomiizwin Health Services, has dedicated her entire medical career to providing compassionate, comprehensive care to remote and northern communities in Manitoba and Nunavut. Through her work at Ongomiizwin Health Services and in her advocacy for patients, she models clinical excellence, cultural safety and community connection. 

With files from Doctors Manitoba

To listen to the conversation, please visit CBC Manitoba.

“As a northern remote physician, you wear many different hats – from pediatrician to emergency doctor to psychiatrist because you might be the only doctor in a community. I thought that was exciting,” said Anderson, a graduate of the Max Rady College of Medicine Class of 2024.  

Dr. Emma Anderson

Before the placement in Norway House four years ago, Anderson had no idea that physicians could specialize in working in remote northern communities. Today, she’s in her first month as a resident in the Max Rady College of Medicine department of family medicine’s Northern Remote Stream residency program.  

Over the next two years, Anderson will spend four- to six-week rotations in small First Nations and Inuit communities only accessible by air, and also train at hospitals in Winnipeg. 

Residents in the program are trained in several fields, including family medicine, pediatrics and emergency medicine. Anderson is beginning her residency in obstetrics at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre.  

Residents also have the opportunity to take electives in areas like anesthesiology and addictions.  

“We’re training residents to become future physicians in any sort of set up – whether it’s private practice or a northern fly-in community,” said Dr. Soujanya Chavali, first-year education director of the Northern Remote Stream. “The aim of the program is to get physicians to love, appreciate and practice in northern communities.” 

As well as becoming a versatile physician, Anderson was motivated to enter the program because she wants to learn more about Indigenous health and traditional medicine.  

“I’m Indigenous myself, so there’s always been a draw to work specifically with Indigenous communities more closely and intimately,” said Anderson, who is Métis and grew up in Winnipeg. 

Of the six new Northern Remote Stream residents that started earlier this month, five are Indigenous.  

“It’s so important to have Indigenous physicians living and working in northern communities,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences) and dean, Max Rady College of Medicine. “One of our goals as a college is to represent the populations we serve so it’s quite positive that five Indigenous students from the MD Class of 2024 will be training in northern communities over the next two years. I am eager to see the positive impact their passion for health care makes.”  

Dr. Tobi Morakinyo

Like Anderson, Dr. Tobi Morakinyo’s interest in working in northern Manitoba began when she was on a rotation in Norway House during medical school.  

“As a remote resident, in addition to primary care and hospitalist work, you get to practice a lot of emergency medicine,” said Morakinyo, who immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when she was 19 years old. “It’s essentially the perfect fit for me and my goals in terms of what I wanted to do as a physician.”  

Morakinyo, a member of the UM medicine Class of 2024, said she is fortunate that she will have the opportunity to be immersed in Indigenous communities and have the chance to understand the social determinants of health for each community in which she works.  

“A big part of the population in Manitoba is Indigenous and being able to provide competent and culturally safe care is very important to me as a physician, because you want to establish that trust to enable community members to keep coming back to receive care and take control of their health,” said Morakinyo, who is starting her residency at the Northern Connections Medical Centre at Seven Oaks General Hospital in Winnipeg. 

“I’m very excited to be starting this program.”