Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) is once again opening its doors to the next generation of family doctors, welcoming nine new resident physicians to the Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) in Barrie. The group is beginning the final two years of their medical training through RVH’s partnership with the University of Toronto’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.
The arrival of this new cohort is also a meaningful step toward strengthening access to care across the region. With more than 55,000 Simcoe County residents currently without a primary care provider, the need for skilled, community-minded physicians continues to grow. RVH’s Family Medicine Residency Program plays a vital role in preparing learners for independent practice and helping address the urgent demand for primary care.
Among those welcoming the group is Dr. Matt Orava, a family physician at RVH’s FMTU who knows firsthand the difference the program can make. A graduate of the program in 2014, he immediately transitioned into practice at RVH—right back where he started—and today, he’s not only caring for patients but also mentoring new residents, paying forward the experience that shaped his own journey.
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“The training I received at RVH was so comprehensive and supportive that when I finished, there was nowhere else I wanted to be,” says Dr. Orava. “I felt part of a team, part of a community. That sense of belonging made it easy to stay.”
Since opening in 2009, RVH’s FMTU has trained more than 120 family medicine resident physicians. Many have remained in the region after graduation, strengthening care for Simcoe Muskoka’s growing population by setting up practices, or providing temporary physician coverage in areas such as emergency, hospitalist and palliative care.
“Here, the resident physicians are exposed to comprehensive family medicine and have the opportunity to manage their own patient population, which really prepares them for their future practice,” says Dr. Orava. “Our faculty are involved in everything from obstetrics, palliative care and inpatient medicine, to emergency medicine, surgery, addictions, sports medicine, research and quality improvement—there’s something here to support any area of interest.”
Each year, new residents step into an environment that offers academic rigour while also fostering deep connections with patients, supervising physicians and the broader regional healthcare system. Learning is immersive, hands-on, and rooted in a culture of collaboration.
“Our learners become part of the culture at RVH and surrounding communities,” adds Dr. Orava. “They see firsthand how much this region values primary care and the people who provide it. That makes a lasting impression.”
As Simcoe Muskoka’s population grows and the healthcare system continues to feel the strain, programs like RVH’s FMTU are essential to building a future where care is not only exceptional, but closer to home. The FMTU is also central to RVH’s evolution into an academic health sciences centre, playing a foundational role in training new physicians, advancing best practices, and bridging the gap between research, education and patient care.
“Our program is built on exceptional training and strong community connection,” says Dr. Melissa Witty, Staff Physician and Site Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. “It’s why roughly 60 per cent of our graduates choose to stay in the region, and why more than half of our current supervising physicians are former residents themselves. That continuity creates a supportive environment for learners and helps strengthen access to care in our community.”
“The value of the FMTU extends beyond the program itself,” adds Dr. Jeffrey Tyberg, Chief of Staff and Vice President, Academic & Medical Affairs. “By fostering a culture of mentorship and collaboration, it strengthens RVH’s role as both a care provider and a training ground for future physicians—a combination that benefits patients today while building the healthcare workforce of tomorrow.”
RVH is proud to welcome Drs. Lindsay Wu, Esme Kittle, Rumsha Siddiqui, Tania Ocaranza, Matthew Diston, Nousha Shirkhani, Adele Kim, Kaviya Praveen and Ali Yazdanfar. The health centre also celebrates this year’s graduating residents, Drs. Brandon Chan, Joe Loung, Marie Belcourt, Jennifer McKinlay, Thiago Lusvarghi, Margaret MacDonald, DoanNghi Dam-Le and Nathan Doupnik, whose dedication and compassion have strengthened care across our region and will continue to do so as they begin the next chapter of their medical careers.
The continued success of RVH’s FMTU points to a future where more patients are connected to a primary care provider and more doctors choose to build their careers here in Simcoe Muskoka.
