Bayanihan: How the Filipino Canadian Medical Association is supporting the next generation of medical students
When members of the Filipino Canadian Medical Association (FCMA) endowed an MD award at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, they were inspired by a Filipino value that has guided the organization for more than 40 years: bayanihan.
“Bayanihan essentially means working together towards one common goal,” says FCMA president Gian Agtarap (MD ’22, PGME Family Medicine). “The really cool aspect about the Filipino Canadian Medical Association MD Student Award is that there's longevity and there's sustainability. Whether it be 25 years or 50 years down the line, we know that this gift will have a lasting impact on the community of physicians.”
Founded in 1985, the FCMA was originally established to help Filipino physicians connect through their shared identity and experiences. In its early years, the organization focused heavily on organizing medical missions to the Philippines.
Now, more than four decades later, the association continues to foster a growing network of Filipino Canadian physicians while also expanding efforts to support the next generation of health-care leaders.
“Filipinos are the fourth-largest visible minority in Canada and one of the leading first-generation immigrant communities in the country,” says Agtarap. “And while we have a major impact in the health-care system — from nurses to personal support workers, administrators and clerks — Filipinos are underrepresented in leadership positions like CEOs, physicians, surgeons and public health officers.”
Addressing this gap requires more than financial support alone, Agtarap notes. Many Filipino medical students are the first in their families to pursue medicine and do not always have the professional networks that can help students navigate the path to medical school and beyond.
“One of my goals for the organization is to advocate for increased representation for Filipinos and to address the inequities that contribute to that underrepresentation,” he says. “Those inequities might include a lack of social capital — the connections and networks that help people access opportunities.”
Through the FCMA, students can connect with physicians who understand the challenges of entering the profession, find mentors, explore research opportunities and build relationships that can help shape their careers.
Financial barriers also remain another important consideration. The association views the new award as one way to help reduce those challenges while ensuring support is available to talented students pursuing medicine.
By combining financial support with mentorship, community and a long-term commitment to student success, the FCMA hopes its gift will embody the true meaning of bayanihan — people coming together to help one another and build something that benefits generations to come.
“The beauty of Canada, and why I love it so much and I'm so grateful that my parents immigrated here, is because it's so diverse. There are so many different people from different walks of life,” says Agtarap. “And you may face different barriers depending on what walk of life you come from. Everyone deserves to be supported in a way that addresses the barriers they face.”
