Physicians Making An Impact: Dr. Trudy McFarlane

Dr. Trudy McFarlane is the Black Health Lead with the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine.

From a young age, Dr. Trudy McFarlane felt called to medicine as a career – and specifically to family medicine. While she has always felt like a natural caregiver as the eldest of five children, her experience with her own family doctor cemented her decision; Dr. McFarlane felt that he truly knew her, as well as her extended family. “Family physicians are uniquely positioned to be involved in many facets of our patients’ lives,” she says. “I chose my specialty because of that opportunity to know my patients in the context of their experiences.”

Working to increase representation in medicine is one of Dr. McFarlane’s passions. “The Black community is the second-largest racialized population in Brampton; however, throughout my work in that area, I have often been the first Black physician folks have seen,” she says. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was part of a partnership between Peel Public Health and the Black Physicians Association of Ontario that worked with the Black African and Caribbean community in Peel. “Black community members saw someone who looked like them – someone they could relate to and trust, which was important given historical harms,” she says. “For many, that influenced or supported their healthcare decisions or management of their concerns.”

The Black Health Lead role with TMU’s School of Medicine oversees the advancement of the school's commitments to implementing an anti-racism approach and combating anti-Black racism. The posting for the position immediately resonated with Dr. McFarlane. “People from Black communities and racialized communities often don’t get access to the high-quality care they deserve,” she says. “This has been evident to me throughout my medical training and clinical practice, but it has been very challenging to know how to address it.” 

While Dr. McFarlane has seen progress in equity, diversity and inclusion in medicine, she knows there is still much work to be done. “For me, the Black Health Lead role is an opportunity to help reduce barriers for, and improve the experience of, Black and other racialized medical learners,” she says. “When physicians really represent the communities they serve, that improves health inequities and patient experiences. Knowing what needs to be done, I really felt compelled to apply for this role.”

As Black Health Lead, Dr. McFarlane is involved at the highest level of decision-making within the School of Medicine. She appreciates that TMU is building the school on a foundation of equity and social accountability. “We are starting on the right foot from the very beginning”, she says. “We can ensure that Black health is incorporated into the curriculum, and that Black learners and communities are taken into account through admissions processes and engagement with community partners.”

For Dr. McFarlane, community engagement is the most rewarding part of her work. As an example, the School of Medicine, along with members of TMU’s Student Affairs department and Faculty of Community Services, is working on a pathway program with the Peel District School Board that would prioritize underrepresented youth and expose them to postsecondary education opportunities leading to careers in healthcare. “A program like this has the potential to open students’ eyes and minds to the possibilities in front of them,” she says. Dr. McFarlane also acted as a mentor to Black medical students in her previous roles, and she is committed to continuing that work. “I want to be a visible and accessible resource to people, including aspiring medical students and university students,” she says.

Ultimately, Dr. McFarlane feels the excitement of being a part of a new kind of medical school. “TMU’s School of Medicine is going to graduate a very different type of physician,” she says. “Through learning and engagement, these physicians will bring to their practices a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and social accountability. This will ultimately transform medicine and healthcare, and patient care is really going to benefit.”