Canadian Medical Hall of Fame

Eligibility

Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Laureates are Canadian citizens whose outstanding leadership, integrity and contributions to medicine and the health sciences, in Canada or abroad, have led to extraordinary improvements in human health.

• Their work may be a single meritorious contribution or a lifetime of superior accomplishments. Pioneers in their field, they are role models who inspire young Canadians to pursue careers in the health sciences.
• Laureates include worthy nominees from a variety of disciplines and from many diverse professions and roles including doctors, researchers, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, policy makers - to name only a few. Nominations of Canadians, living or posthumous, who meet the criteria from the many aspects of health are encouraged.
• The CMHF recognizes that contributions deemed worthy of Laureate status evolve over time and differ across diverse communities, requiring that the selection process recognize excellence in the context of time and place.
• Up to six individuals may be selected for induction annually; only one individual may be inducted posthumously each year.

Inductees are selected from the pool of nominees that includes those nominated this year and the previous two years. Unfortunately, the current nomination pool is not as diverse as it should be, nor is it reflective of current health leadership in Canada.  Please help us increase the diversity of CMHF Laureates through more nominations of individuals who identify as female or non-binary,  and/or who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour. At this time we also welcome nominations of individuals who played critical, leadership roles in Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summary

Canadian citizens from across health professions within Canada and across the globe may be recognized for their work in one or more of the following categories:

Leadership in building excellence in health for Canadians and the world - including

• Excellence in health education and the development of health professionals in Canada Creation or development of organizations or institutions that enabled health care improvement
• Political leadership and/or activism that facilitated major changes in health or health care
• Advancement of the profession or public awareness of a health issue(s) through oral and written communication expertise and media

Leadership in health promotion, illness prevention and care - including

• Exemplary patient care over a lifetime for particularly disadvantaged, remote, or underserved populations, often denying one's own self interest and in the service of others,  thus creating a ‘legend’ of validated, amazing stories of professionalism
• Outstanding, widely recognized contributions to public and population health and/or health promotion
• Evidence of humanitarianism both within and outside the profession is likely prominent
• Research may or may not be an important part of their story of accomplishment

Leadership in research with national and international recognition for a scientific contribution - including

• Innovative ideas and hypotheses, observations and experiments of critical significance to health science; definitive clinical trials, implementation research or leading scientific advances.
• Possibly an outstanding single discovery but more likely a lifetime of scientific endeavour with peer approval through journal publications with substantial impact
• Likely recognized by other honorary societies such as the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, The Gairdner Foundation etc.

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

Deadline for submissions for the 2025 Induction
MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2024 - 11:59 pm: 

1. The CMHF does not create nominations. We rely on the community to nominate worthy Canadians for consideration.
2. All nominations are held confidentially by the CMHF.
3. Nominators are not required to seek the approval of their nominee. However, if selected, the CMHF will seek the consent of the nominee or next-of-kin (for posthumous nominations) prior to announcing them as an inductee.
4. Organizations can serve as nominators but only individuals can be nominated (where it makes most sense to do so, a joint nomination of more than one person may be submitted). 
5. Nominations may remain active for up to three consecutive selection processes and may be supplemented at any time during that time. After notice that a package will not go forward, or after the three-year period, individuals may be re-nominated for further consideration.

Please submit nominations according to the following guidelines

Nominations made by individuals  
Two individuals must serve as nominators and they are required to submit a nomination letter either individually or co-signed.

Nominations made by an organization 
One nomination letter signed on behalf of the organization.

Mandatory components include:

• Nomination letter(s) detailing the nominee’s contributions and impact
• At least one supporting letter (to a maximum of two), apart from the nomination letter(s). For nominations in the 'Leadership in research with national and international recognition for scientific contribution' category, it is strongly recommended that at least one supporting letter be submitted from an individual from outside Canada who is a recognized scientific leader in the nominee’s field. Additional support letters in excess of the first two uploaded will not be forwarded to the Selection Committee.
• A curriculum vitae (or a letter explaining why one is not available)
• A one-page biography, providing the essential details that have built the nominee's reputation
• A nomination form including a citation (see below). The citation is a brief precis (approx. 250 words) of the nominee's contributions and impact justifying their induction into the CMHF
• A MAXIMUM of six additional pages such as news and journal articles are optional.  Please note that support letters received within these additional pages will not be reviewed.

STEPS TO COMPLETE:

PREPARE: Read our helpful tips

Tips on creating a compelling nomination

REVIEW BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Review a print copy of the Nomination Form. NOTE: You cannot save the electronic Nomination Form once you have started. Use this PDF version as a guide to organizing your entire application before submitting.   

PDF of the Nomination Form

TEST & PROCEED: Be sure to scroll through each page (i.e. click "Next Page") to ensure there are no issues with viewing it properly on your computer.

Nomination Web Form

Please email us at cmhf@cdnmedhall.ca directed to NOMINATIONS or call 519.488.2003, x1006 if you have any questions.

The selection process occurs in early September. All nominators will be notified of the outcome of their nomination after the successful candidates have been notified and before the public announcement in October.

SUPPORT: Research Awards Committee

The SUPPORT: Research Awards Committee is now available to review and provide feedback to strengthen nominations for major research prizes and awards and advise on the suitability of award nominations. SUPPORT will also review the CV of a potential nominee and advise on their suitability for nomination at this time.

If you wish for the SUPPORT: Research Awards committee to review and provide feedback on a nomination package, ADRs should email the following materials to researchawards@ucalgary.ca by April 25, 2024:

• A nomination letter detailing the nominee’s contributions and impact
• A curriculum vitae

SUPPORT would be pleased to review any elements of the nomination that are available before the April 25, 2024 deadline.