Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Improving health and patient outcomes

Excellence in patient care involves a wide variety of both medical and nonmedical factors including infrastructure, training, competence of personnel, efficiency of operational systems, patient engagement, access to care, clinical trials and collaboration – to name a few.

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Patient Care

  1. 1800

  2. 1879

    Leonora King began attending to Lady Li Hung Chang, wife of the Viceroy

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  3. 1894

    During the war with Japan, Leonora King treated hundreds of wounded soldiers.

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  4. 1900

  5. 1900

    The Grenfell Mission started humbly on the deck of a docked missionary hospital ship, where Wilfred Grenfell offered medical treatments, as well as friendship and spiritual guidance

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  6. 1908

    With the financial support of Lady Li, Leonora King established a medical school for women

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  7. 1910

  8. 1919

    After the war, William Gallie returned to Canada and became surgeon in Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children

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  9. 1920

  10. 1930

  11. 1936

    The first edition of the Dr. Meakin’s renowned textbook, The Practice of Medicine, was published

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  12. 1936

    The perfect opportunity for Dr. Norman Bethune to serve abroad came with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War

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  13. 1938

    Dr. Norman Bethune left Canada yet again to bring modern medicine to rural China and support the revolutionary army

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  14. 1940

  15. 1950

  16. 1950s

    Already an icon in the field of physical therapy, Dr. Gingras became a Canadian hero during the polio epidemic

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  17. 1952

    Alongside his colleague, Dr. Herbert Jasper, Penfield refined a surgical technique named the “Montreal Procedure”

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  18. 1959

    Gingras led a Red Cross mission to Morocco

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  19. 1960

  20. 1960

    Dr. Robert Salter pioneered the innominate osteotomy, a corrective surgical procedure for the treatment of hip dysplasia in children and young adults

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  21. 1967

    Dr. Breault successfully patented the “Palm N’ Turn” container

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  22. 1968

    Rh immunoglobulin was licensed for use in Canada

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  23. 1970

  24. 1970

    The J.A. Hildes Northern Medical Unit officially opened on July 1, 1970

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  25. 1971

    Lucille Teasdale-Corti became a war surgeon in Uganda

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  26. 1972 - 1982

    Dr. Herbert was a pioneer in community-based primary care research, with research questions arising from practice and grounded in patient and community care needs.

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  27. 1978

    First doctor on-site as part of Operation Magnet, a mission to airlift Vietnamese refugees from Kuala Lampur to Canada

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  28. 1980

  29. 1980's

    Along with his colleagues, Dr. Ian McWhinney began exploring the impact of patient-centred care

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  30. 1980

    Dr. Allan Ronald travelled to Kenya to establish a research program for sexually transmitted infections in collaboration with the University of Nairobi

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  31. 1980s

    Lacor Hospital continued to expand with the opening of a second surgical wing

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  32. 1982 - 1987

    Dr. Herbert becomes the founding co-director of Sexual Abuse Assessment Pilot Project

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  33. 1982 - 1988

    Dr. Herbert serves as the founding co-director of Vancouver Sexual Assault Assessment Service (still operating in 2023)

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  34. 1984

    Dr. Calvin Stiller established and led the Multi-Organ Transplant Service at University Hospital

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  35. 1986

    Dr. Goldboom served as the chair of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination

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  36. 1989

    May Cohen developed the "Gender as a Determinant of Health" presentation, which became an annual event

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  37. 1990

  38. Early 1990's

    Dr. Jean Gray began working with the Canadian Pharmacists Association to develop a comprehensive handbook for primary care practitioners designed to support therapeutic decision-making

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  39. 1992

    Published by Churchill-Livingstone, Dr. Goldbloom’s second book, Pediatric Clinical Skills, was met with extreme popularity by medical undergraduates and postgraduates. The book is now in its 4th…

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  40. 1995

    Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s article on desire for death in the terminally ill was published

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  41. 1996

    HAART became the new standard of care for HIV in North America and Europe

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  42. 2000

  43. 2000

    Demonstrating her leadership on an international scale, Dr. O’Connor co-led the Oxford Forum on Shared Decision Making

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  44. 2001

    May Cohen authored “The Training Manual For Gender Mainstreaming in Health” for the Medical Women’s International Association

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  45. 2001

    Under the direction of Dr. Berger, the DFCM at St. Michael’s hospital established Canada’s first academic infirmary for people suffering homelessness

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  46. 2001

    Dr. Chochinov co-founded the Canadian Virtual Hospice (CVH) and served as its chair for the next 16 years

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  47. 2003

    Bernard Langer - Cancer care champion

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  48. 2006

    In a landmark Lancet paper, Dr. Montaner postulated that wide availability of antiretroviral therapy immediately following HIV diagnosis would stop HIV/AIDS related morbidity and mortality and, at…

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  49. 2010

  50. 2010

    Co-author of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences major assessment report: “Transforming Care for Canadians with Chronic Health Conditions: Put People First, Expect the Best, Manage for Results”.

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  51. 2011

    Harvey Max Chochinov published, Dignity Therapy: Final Words for Final Days with Oxford University Press

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  52. 2015

    In July of 2015, the Federal Government appointed Harvey Max Chochinov to chair the External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter v. Canada

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  53. 2016

    Noni MacDonald launched MicroResearch Nova Scotia using skills learned from the earlier program developed in Africa

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  54. 2020

  55. 2021

Leonora King, MD

Patient Care, The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Global Health, Women in Medicine

A native of Ontario, Dr. Leonora King was denied entry into medical school in Canada because of her sex. Undaunted, she…

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Leonora King, MD

Patient Care, The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Global Health, Women in Medicine

A native of Ontario, Dr. Leonora King was denied entry into medical school in Canada because of her sex. Undaunted, she…

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Sir Wilfred Grenfell, MD

The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Leadership in Organizational Development, Patient Care

Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell is a familiar name in Newfoundland and Labrador where, more than a century ago, this…

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Leonora King, MD

Patient Care, The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Global Health, Women in Medicine

A native of Ontario, Dr. Leonora King was denied entry into medical school in Canada because of her sex. Undaunted, she…

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William Gallie, MD

Skin, Bones, Muscles & Joints, Health and Medical Education & Training, Leadership in Organizational Development, Patient Care

Referred to as “surgery’s William Osler,” Dr. William Gallie revolutionized surgical training in Canada.

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Jonathan Meakins, MD

Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

Dr. Jonathan Meakins was a brilliant investigator and innovative leader who made enduring contributions to McGill’s…

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Norman Bethune, MD

The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Service Abroad, Patient Care, Blood

A brilliant medical surgeon and a political activist, Dr. Bethune is remembered in Canada for his innovations in medicine…

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Norman Bethune, MD

The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Service Abroad, Patient Care, Blood

A brilliant medical surgeon and a political activist, Dr. Bethune is remembered in Canada for his innovations in medicine…

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Gustave Gingras, MD

Service Abroad, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Health Policy, Leadership in Organizational Development, Skin, Bones, Muscles & Joints

Dr. Gustave Gingras graduated from the University of Montreal medical school in 1943 and would go on to become one of the…

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Wilder Penfield, MD

Leadership in Organizational Development, The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Health and Medical Education & Training, Brain & Mind

Dr. Wilder Penfield’s dream was to create a center of research and treatment that integrated neurology, neuropathology…

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Gustave Gingras, MD

Service Abroad, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Health Policy, Leadership in Organizational Development, Skin, Bones, Muscles & Joints

Dr. Gustave Gingras graduated from the University of Montreal medical school in 1943 and would go on to become one of the…

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Robert Salter, MD

Skin, Bones, Muscles & Joints, Global Health, Patient Care, Health and Medical Education & Training

As Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and later as…

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Henri J. Breault, MD

Health Policy, Patient Care

With a career in pediatrics that spanned over four decades, Dr. Henri J. Breault spent almost half of it campaigning to…

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Bruce Chown, MD

The Early Days - Health Care Pioneers, Blood, Improving health and patient outcomes

As one of the first pediatricians in Canada, Dr. Bruce Chown made significant contributions to Canadian medicine. In…

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Arnold Naimark, MD

Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

As Dean of Medicine and later the President of the University of Manitoba, Dr. Arnold Naimark transformed the university…

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Lucille Teasdale-Corti, MD

Service Abroad, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training, Women in Medicine

Dr. Lucille Teasdale-Corti devoted 35 years of her life to serving the health needs of the people of Uganda

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Carol P. Herbert, MD

Patient Care, Women in Medicine, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

Innovative health care educator and mentor promoting equitable and accessible health care for all.

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Stephen Blizzard, MD

Health Policy, Leadership in Organizational Development, Patient Care

A first-generation Black Canadian, and with the integral work and support of his wife Merle, Dr. Blizzard overcame…

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Ian R. McWhinney, MD

Patient Care, Health and Medical Education & Training, Leadership in Organizational Development

Known as the Father of Family Medicine, Dr. McWhinney championed the established of family medicine as its own discipline…

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Allan Ronald, MD

Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity, Service Abroad, Leadership in Organizational Development, Patient Care, Health and Medical Education & Training

For over 40 years, Dr. Allan Ronald and his team engaged in pioneering work to investigate,…

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Lucille Teasdale-Corti, MD

Service Abroad, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training, Women in Medicine

Dr. Lucille Teasdale-Corti devoted 35 years of her life to serving the health needs of the people of Uganda

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Carol P. Herbert, MD

Patient Care, Women in Medicine, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

Innovative health care educator and mentor promoting equitable and accessible health care for all.

Read more about Carol P. Herbert, MD
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Carol P. Herbert, MD

Patient Care, Women in Medicine, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

Innovative health care educator and mentor promoting equitable and accessible health care for all.

Read more about Carol P. Herbert, MD
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Calvin R. Stiller, MD

Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training, Diabetes

Dr. Calvin Stiller was Canada’s major voice in organ transplantation during the 1970’s, 1980’s and early 1990’s when the…

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Richard B. Goldbloom, MD

Patient Care, Health & Humanities

Scholar, scientist, and administrator, Richard Goldbloom devoted his life to improving the lives of children.

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May Cohen, MD

Patient Care, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training, Women in Medicine

May Cohen has championed the unique concerns of women in medicine and pioneered the inclusion of women’s health in…

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Jean Gray, MD

Patient Care, Health and Medical Education & Training, Women in Medicine, Leadership in Organizational Development

Praised and admired for her wide-ranging knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics, Dr. Jean Gray’s…

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Richard B. Goldbloom, MD

Patient Care, Health & Humanities

Scholar, scientist, and administrator, Richard Goldbloom devoted his life to improving the lives of children.

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Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD

Patient Care, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s recognition of our common humanity and our shared struggles informs his research in end-of…

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Julio S.G. Montaner, MD

Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity, Global Health, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Julio Montaner is a determined and passionate visionary whose life work has directly contributed to stopping HIV and…

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Annette O'Connor, PhD

Patient Care, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Women in Medicine

One of the great challenges of our time is finding ways to combine expanding medical knowledge with respect for…

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May Cohen, MD

Patient Care, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training, Women in Medicine

May Cohen has championed the unique concerns of women in medicine and pioneered the inclusion of women’s health in…

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Philip Berger, MD

Patient Care, Service Abroad, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Health and Medical Education & Training

Physicians resist the ravages of disease, and sometimes, the agendas and interests of governments. Dr. Philip Berger’s 40…

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Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD

Patient Care, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s recognition of our common humanity and our shared struggles informs his research in end-of…

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Bernard Langer, MD

Health and Medical Education & Training, Leadership in Organizational Development, Patient Care

Bernard Langer is recognized as a true innovator, gifted surgeon and respected teacher whose reputation for clinical…

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Julio S.G. Montaner, MD

Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity, Global Health, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Julio Montaner is a determined and passionate visionary whose life work has directly contributed to stopping HIV and…

Read more about Julio S.G. Montaner, MD
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Carol P. Herbert, MD

Patient Care, Women in Medicine, Leadership in Organizational Development, Health and Medical Education & Training

Innovative health care educator and mentor promoting equitable and accessible health care for all.

Read more about Carol P. Herbert, MD
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Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD

Patient Care, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s recognition of our common humanity and our shared struggles informs his research in end-of…

Read more about Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD
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Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD

Patient Care, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov’s recognition of our common humanity and our shared struggles informs his research in end-of…

Read more about Harvey Max Chochinov, MD PhD
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Noni MacDonald, MD

Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity, Women in Medicine, Global Health, Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy, Health and Medical Education & Training

Forged inspiring new paths in preventing and treating paediatric infectious disease

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Noni McDonald

Explore themes from Improving health and patient outcomes

Doctor and patient
Evidence-based Medicine & Clinical Trials

Recognizing and treating disease dates back many millennia. The input of the scientific method – with experiments both in…

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Doctor and patient
Patient Care

Health care is the maintenance or improvement of health through the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease…

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Researcher
Cells, Genetics & Genomics

Cells are the smallest units of life and are often called the "building blocks of life". The study of cells…

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Doctor and students
Blood

The Vital Flow: Blood is a liquid medium that delivers nutrients and oxygen to our cells and…

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EEG Test
Brain & Mind

The brain is the central processing unit of the body and plays a key role in translating the content of the…

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Doctor and patient
Heart & Vessels

The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body and pumps more than 8500 litres of blood every day. The…

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Doctor and students
Lungs

The lungs are the centre of the respiratory (breathing) system. All our cells need oxygen, and our bodies need to…

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x-ray
Skin, Bones, Muscles & Joints

Musculoskeletal and skin systems represent the framework of our bodies and fundamental to good health.  Bones,…

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Pharmacists
Hormones

Hormones are produced by glands and special cells and are sent into the bloodstream to various tissues in our bodies as…

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Nurse with cancer patient
Cancer

Cancer is a group of diseases that involves abnormal growth of cells in potentially every part of our bodies. Some…

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Doctor and patient
Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease marked by persistently high levels of blood sugar caused by inadequate or ineffective insulin, a…

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Doctor and patient
Infectious Disease, Allergy & Immunity

The immune system fights infection (microbes) through special organs, cells and chemicals.  The immunology…

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Surgeons
Digestion

Our digestive system breaks our food into parts small enough for our body to absorb and be used for energy, growth…

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Doctor and patient
Genitourinary Tract

This includes the diagnosis of disorders and diseases of the entire urinary tract and the male genital tract.

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Researcher
Female Reproduction

Female reproduction includes the internal and external…

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View all laureates who improved health and patient outcomes

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Picture of Roberta Bondar, MD PhD Picture of Roberta Bondar, MD PhD Alan C. Burton Induction

About the CMHF

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) celebrates Canadian heroes whose work advances health in Canada and the world, fostering future generations of health professionals through the delivery of local and national youth education programs and awards.

This enduring tribute to our country’s rich medical history is showcased here and in our physical exhibit hall in London, ON

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G. Brock Chisholm, MD

Dr. G. Brock Chisholm, who began his medical career as a physician in private practice, effectively became “Doctor to the World.”

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Connie J. Eaves, PhD

Dr. Connie Eaves, a world authority on stem cells of the blood-forming system and their regulation in normal and perturbed states, has made…

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