Upcoming Annual Mentorship Gatherings

Save the Date: IPAC Annual Mentorship Gathering 2027

June 10–12, 2027
IPAC is excited to partner with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, including the Wâpanachakos Indigenous Health Program (WIHP) and the Northern Alberta Medical Program (NAMP), as the Host School Partner for the 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering & AGM.

Join us June 10–12, 2027, in Sǫ̀mba K’è (Yellowknife), Northwest Territories, on Chief Drygeese Territory within Treaty 8, the traditional home of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation.

The Annual Mentorship Gathering brings together Indigenous medical students, postgraduate trainees, physicians, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and partners from across Turtle Island to connect, learn, and strengthen Indigenous physician leadership.

We look forward to gathering with you in the North!

Stay tuned for registration details and additional information in the coming months.

Call for Panelists: 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering

We’re looking for members who are willing to share their experiences, perspectives and what they’ve learned along the way. No previous speaking or panel experience is needed.

Each panel will run for 75 minutes, including approximately 20 minutes for audience questions and discussion.

Practising in the North: Perspectives on Life and Work Panel

Who can apply: IPAC Physician Members with experience practising in northern or remote communities.

We welcome physicians whose experiences with northern medicine have taken different paths. This might include living and practising in a northern community, travelling for locum or part-time work,

And when we say “the North,” we mean more than the territories. This includes Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as northern and remote communities within the provinces.

Through this conversation, we’d love to hear about the realities of practising in these communities, the relationships built along the way, the challenges and rewards of the work, and what physicians have learned from the people and communities they’ve worked alongside.

Whether you’ve spent years practising in the North or your experience has been through shorter placements, we welcome the different perspectives you might bring to this conversation.

We expect to select 3 physician panelists.

The Reciprocal Relationship of Mentorship Panel

Who can apply: IPAC Medical Student, Postgraduate Trainee and Physician Members.

Mentorship is about more than one person sharing knowledge or advice with another. It is also about building relationships, learning from one another, and recognizing that everyone has something to offer, regardless of where they are in their medical journey.

We welcome members who are willing to share their experiences with mentorship, whether as a mentor, mentee, or both. This might include the relationships that have helped shape your journey, the lessons you’ve learned from others, the challenges of finding or maintaining mentorship connections, or the ways you’ve supported someone else along the way.

Through this conversation, we’d love to explore how mentorship can grow and change across different stages of medicine, what reciprocity looks like in these relationships, and how we can continue creating meaningful connections that support Indigenous medical learners and physicians.

We expect to select 3 panelists: 1 medical student, 1 postgraduate trainee and 1 physician.

Deadline: November 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MT

Learn more and express interest here.

Call for Artwork: 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering T-Shirt

We’re inviting artists and creatives from within the IPAC community to help create the artwork for the 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering t-shirt.

The 2027 Gathering theme is: Rooted in the North: Relationships, Resilience, and Reciprocity

Current IPAC members who are Indigenous medical students, residents, fellows, or physicians are invited to submit original artwork individually or as part of a collaborative submission.

The selected artwork will be featured on the official 2027 Gathering t-shirt, and the selected submission will receive a $500 honorarium.

Deadline Extended to: December 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MT
Send submissions to: info@ipacamic.ca

Please read the full Call for Artwork for eligibility, artwork requirements, and submission instructions before applying.

Join the 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering Culture & Protocol Committee

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in joining the 2027 Annual Mentorship Gathering Culture & Protocol Committee. We are grateful to those who offered their time, knowledge, and connection to community.

Past Annual Mentorship Gatherings and AGMs

2026 IPAC Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM – Leading Together with Love

June 4–7, 2026
More than 250 Indigenous medical learners, physicians, Elders, and partners gathered in Animikii-Wiikwedong (Thunder Bay), Ontario, on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation. Held in partnership with NOSM University and hosted at Lakehead University, the Gathering brought our community together for four days of connection, culture, mentorship, and learning.

Guided by the theme Leading Together with Love, the Gathering celebrated Indigenous leadership and wellness through keynote presentations, cultural teachings, interactive workshops, and a Day on the Land at Anemki Wajiw.

2025 IPAC Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM – Two-Eyed Seeing in Land, Health, & Culture

June 6–8, 2025
This vibrant gathering in Misâskwatômina (Saskatoon), Saskatchewan, held at the University of Saskatchewan, brought together Indigenous physicians, Indigenous medical students, and allies for three days of meaningful connections, inspiring conversations, and community strengthening.

Centered on the theme Two-Eyed Seeing in Land, Culture, and Health, the event offered a space for knowledge sharing, cultural celebration, and building relationships rooted in respect, wellness, and shared purpose.

2024 IPAC Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM – Our Stories. Our Medicine

July 12–14, 2024
We were honoured to gather on the traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq people at Dalhousie University. The event, themed Our Stories. Our Medicine, allowed Indigenous medical students, residents, and physicians—current and future—to share their academic journeys, expand their networks, and participate in cultural activities.

2023 IPAC Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM – Planetary Health: Our Land, Our Medicine

July 6–9, 2023
The annual mentorship gathering and AGM took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was an opportunity for Indigenous medical students, residents, and physicians, whether current or prospective members, to come together to share stories of their academic paths, build their networks, and enjoy cultural activities. We acknowledge that we met on the ancestral lands of the Métis people, Treaty 1 territory.