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Each year, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication within academic medicine. These national honours highlight the contributions of those who are helping shape the future of health care education, research, and service across the country.

We are proud to congratulate this year’s recipients from Dalhousie. Their achievements reflect the strength and impact of our medical community, and we thank them for their continued commitment to excellence.

AFMC Indigenous Health Advocacy Learner Award: Jordin Fletcher

The AFMC Indigenous Health Advocacy Learner Award recognizes the outstanding dedication of an Indigenous learner who is working to dismantle anti-Indigenous racism and advance cultural safety, health equity, and the wellness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples through advocacy, education, and research.

Jordin Fletcher is a fourth-year medical student, and a member of Missanabie Cree First Nation with Mi’kmaw roots in Millbrook First Nation through her grandfather and also has settler ancestry. She grew up in Mi’kma’ki and completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Dalhousie before starting medical school. As co-founder and past co-president of the Indigenous Medical Student Association at Dalhousie, Jordin has created space for Indigenous medical learners to thrive. Her leadership is grounded in the strength and teachings of her grandmother and aunties, survivors of the Shingwauk Residential School, who have inspired her to speak truth to power and promote collective accountability in medicine.

AFMC Indigenous Health Advocacy Emerging Leader Award: Dr. Brent Young

The AFMC Indigenous Health Advocacy Emerging Leader Award recognizes an Indigenous physician, faculty, or staff member in the early stages of their career who is advancing Indigenous health and medical education through advocacy, leadership, and systemic change. 

This year’s recipient, Dr. Brent Young, is Anishinaabe and a member of Sandy Bay First Nation. He serves as a family physician at Sipekne’katik Health Centre, academic director for Indigenous health at Dalhousie Medical School, and founding clinical lead of Wije’winen Health Centre, a multidisciplinary primary care service for Halifax’s urban Indigenous community. Under his leadership, Dalhousie has launched a new Indigenous Admissions Pathway that is transforming access to medical education for Indigenous students. Grounded in the teachings of his mother and grandmother, survivors of colonial institutions, Dr. Young’s work is rooted in a strengths-based approach to dismantling anti-Indigenous racism in health systems across Canada.

AFMC Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award: PLANS – Timi Idris

The AFMC Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award honours individuals and organizations whose work embodies the principles of social accountability in medical education and healthcare.

This year, Dalhousie’s PLANS (Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians) program, under the able leadership of Timi Idris, is being recognized for its transformative impact. Through mentorship, academic support, and community engagement, PLANS empowers African Nova Scotian students to pursue careers in health and helps dismantle systemic barriers to representation. Rooted in equity and driven by community, PLANS is fostering the next generation of Black healthcare leaders while shaping a more inclusive and socially accountable health system in Nova Scotia and beyond.

AFMC Young Educators Award: Dr. Anu Mishra

The AFMC Young Educators Award celebrates early-career faculty members whose leadership and innovation have made a meaningful impact in medical education. 

Dr. Anuradha Mishra is an associate professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Dalhousie University and serves as assistant dean, skilled clinician and interprofessional education. Within just a few years of joining the faculty, she has advanced health education for learners and professionals alike—particularly in care for people with visual impairments. Recognized with the Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada Distinguished Community Partner Award and the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Dr. Mishra’s work exemplifies a commitment to inclusive, community-informed education and clinical excellence.