Five new medical residents eager to join already expanding Orillia FMTU

(Orillia, ON) – As the Orillia Family Medicine Teaching Unit (FMTU) prepares to enter its second year this July, the program is already experiencing early growth. Originally anticipating an intake of four first‑year residents annually, five residents have now matched for 2026.

The Orillia FMTU was established in 2025 through a partnership between Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) and the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

“It’s an exciting time, both for the residents and for us,” said Dr. Heather Laakso, co‑site director of the Orillia FMTU, alongside Dr. Erika Catford.

“With nine residents — five first‑year and four second‑year — you really begin to see the compounding impact of the program, welcoming new learners each year while preparing our second‑year residents to transition into full‑time practice.”

Each year, a national matching process connects graduating medical students with residency programs aligned with their training requirements. The two‑year residency offered through the Orillia FMTU is geared toward Family Medicine and is the final step before residents become fully licensed physicians.

Several of the incoming residents bring local experience to the program, including Dr. Kush Patel of Huntsville, ON. Dr. Patel attended the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, where he completed his first clinical placement with the Couchiching Family Health Team (CFHT) in Orillia.

“This was where I first started to recognize my passion for Family Medicine,” said Dr. Patel.

“While completing additional rotations with the CFHT and OSMH this past year, I knew I wanted to complete my residency with Orillia’s FMTU. I’ll be training in a strong, supportive learning environment while living in a close‑knit community with a great food and sports scene that truly feels like home.”

Fellow first‑year residents Dr. Sophia Bucciol and Dr. Rebecca Stokes also bring a blend of local connections and overseas training.

“Having grown up spending summers in the area and later travelling abroad to Ireland for medical training with the goal of returning, it feels especially meaningful to be back,” said Dr. Bucciol.

Dr. Stokes, who also trained in Ireland and spent summers growing up in Orillia, echoed that sentiment.

“I am thrilled to be returning to the community to begin my residency training,” said Dr. Stokes. “I have always been fond of Orillia’s strong sense of community and I look forward to contributing to it throughout my training.”

The two other first-year residents starting in 2026 are Dr. Mohamed Haidar Osman Iesa and Dr. Angela Chioma Onojedje.

Another indicator of the FMTU’s growth is the increasing number of local physicians who have obtained academic appointments through the DFCM at the University of Toronto. These appointments enable physicians to serve as clinical preceptors and mentors to residents.

“It’s about shared learning, and it speaks volumes about the culture of collaboration within our medical community,” said Dr. Kim McIntosh, Chief of Staff at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

“We now have more than 40 credentialed physicians — both family doctors and specialists — actively contributing to the education and development of the physician workforce of tomorrow.”

The FMTU operates out of newly renovated, purpose‑built space at the Friden Health and Wellness Centre, designed to support hands‑on clinical training. Residents provide care to a roster of patients under the supervision and mentorship of experienced local family physicians.  By embedding medical education within the community, the program strengthens residents’ connections to the region and increases the likelihood that graduates will choose to practice locally.

For more information about the Orillia FMTU or to inquire about becoming a patient, please visit the FMTU page on the OSMH website.

Dr. Kush Patel, 2026 First-Year Resident, OSMH FMTU;  Dr. Rebecca Stokes, 2026 First-Year Resident, OSMH FMTU; Dr. Sophia Bucciol (right), 2026 First-Year Resident, OSMH FMTU, seen in photo at physician recruitment fair in Ireland alongside Melanie Delion, Community Physician Recruiter with Orillia & Lake Country Physician Recruitment.