Dr. Louis Levasseur Award for Distinguished Service

Teresa Cavett is an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Manitoba (U of M). She is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and holds a master of education in educational administration, foundations and psychology (U of M). She has practised full-service family medicine in Manitoba and retired from clinical practice in 2022.

She joined the academic Department of Family medicine, U of M, in 2001 and has held several leadership roles, most notably that of chair of Faculty Development and program director. Her clinical teaching has been predominantly within postgraduate medical education, in the family medicine residency program. Her research has focused on the lived experiences of internationally educated physicians as they transition into family medicine residencies.

Her leadership and expertise have had a lasting impact on the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). Since 2012, she has served in pivotal roles—including on the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part I Pediatric Test Committee (2012–2018), as vice-chair (2018–2021) and chair (2021) of the Central Examination Committee, as a member of the Blueprint Committee (2019–2020), and as the inaugural chair of the Exam Oversight Committee (2021–2025). She has been instrumental in establishing this new committee, guiding the MCC through significant change, strengthening examination standards, and contributing to the development of hundreds of MCCQE Part I items.

A long-standing advocate for national examinations in Canada’s health care, regulatory, and educational systems, Dr. Cavett has championed excellence in physician assessment, acted as a driving force for change in examination practices and policies, and played a pivotal role in collaborative initiatives, including research and partnerships with the CFPC.

Dr. Cavett is a co-author of the CFPC’s Fundamental Teaching Activities Framework (2015) and chaired the planning committee for the Canadian Conference on Medical Education in 2017. She has been a member of Canadian residency program accreditation teams through the Canadian Residency Accreditation Consortium since 2011, received the 2021 Excellence in Faculty Development Award from the Max Rady College of Medicine, and serves as an assessor for the World Federation for Medical Education.

Through her extensive contributions to medical education, clinical assessment, and regulatory service, Dr. Cavett exemplifies the values and mission of the MCC. Her unwavering commitment, leadership, and excellence in service make her a most deserving recipient of the Louis Levasseur Award.