Family doctors routinely treat patients with disabilities, but the medical profession often stigmatizes physicians living with disabilities themselves.

Nearly one in ten Canadians* is believed to have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, but the condition is often missed by doctors. It can be difficult to treat other issues if underlying trauma is not addressed, leading to a frustrating experience for both patient and provider.

Although uncertainty is a common element of patient care, as doctors, we feel better when we think we have all the answers. Join your colleagues for a discussion about how to manage patients who have a complex diagnosis and share tips on time-management, resources for referrals and strategies to help manage our own feelings.

Family doctors are often the first contact patients may have with the health care system and a missed diagnosis could lead to comorbidities. Join our session to learn tips to recognize and address a potential eating disorder with a patient.

Do you find yourself experiencing stressful interactions with patients, other physicians or allied health providers? These conversations in the workplace can leave us feeling isolated and burned out. Join our session as we share personal experiences in navigating stressful interactions, provide insights into what we’ve learned and tips for managing these situations, including how to navigate maintaining or leaving provider-patient relationships.

Smoking can cause serious health issues and is the leading cause of death among substance use disorders. Connect with your fellow family doctors as we share personal experiences with managing patients who smoke.

Women’s pain issues, including menstrual and pregnancy related pain, can often go dismissed due to a lack of training in pelvic pain. This can lead to the undertreatment of pain symptoms in women.

Insomnia can be caused by multiple factors and may require a longer appointment, but family doctors don’t always have the time. If the issue is not addressed, overreliance on sleep aids can lead to patient dependency and poor sleep can lead to substance use, as well as decreased productivity and mood.

Legalized cannabis and the marketing of its products has led to patients experiencing an increased dependency on cannabis to manage pain and anxiety. Family doctors don’t always know when cannabis is indicated and the messaging available may come from sources with a conflict of interest.

There are few treatment options for patients with personality disorders and these patients can pose a challenge for doctors and clinic staff, leading to burnout.

It can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of a non-migraine headache and symptoms can be vague. If left untreated, headaches can lead to poor mood, sleep and a reduced quality of life.

The increased administrative burden on family doctors, along with a rise in complex patient cases, have led to extended work hours, leading to burnout within family medicine.