“Jocelyne was an extraordinary woman,” Dr. Jean Anawati recalls. “She managed my office, but more importantly, she took care of everyone. She treated the students who interned with us as she would our children. Every Wednesday night was pizza night.”
Jocelyne, who passed away in 2024, is greatly missed, but she is also a source of inspiration. Jean and his four children (Michelle, Alexandre, Joseph and Christine) decided to convert their grief into hope by creating the Anawati Family Scholarship to support Francophone medical students who share their passion for serving the community.
This is a fitting goal, given that Michelle is a family physician in Ottawa as well as an alumna and former acting vice-dean for Francophone Affairs at the Faculty, while Alexandre is an emergency physician in Sudbury, Joseph is a nurse in Thunder Bay, and Christine is in charge of marketing for a national agrifood organization.
Serving others, all life long
Originally from Alexandria, Egypt, Dr. Anawati immigrated to Canada during his medical studies. In Sturgeon Falls, a community that is 80% Francophone, another Egyptian physician offered him room and board during one of Anawati’s internships. That stay changed everything.
“I discovered an incredibly friendly community. People would take me fishing, nurses would take me out for a beer. And I thought, ‘I could be of service to these people.’”
Once he had completed his studies, Jean decided to return to Sturgeon Falls for good to establish his medical practice and raise a family. Noting the critical shortage of doctors, he got involved in creating a family doctor residency program in Northeastern Ontario, in partnership with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, and he helped found the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. These initiatives have opened the door for generations of young doctors who, like him, want to serve where the needs are greatest.
“When a medical student completes a residency in their own region, there is every chance they will return to work there. That’s how we build the future.”
Decades later, the ties forged between this doctor and his community remain just as strong. One day, at a chip truck in Sturgeon Falls, a man approached and asked, “Are you Dr. Anawati? Over 25 years ago, I had a motorcycle accident on that road right there. You saved my life!” Dr. Anawati smiled as he described the encounter: “It’s moments like these that make us understand the impact of what we do: an entire life continued.”
A scholarship to open doors
The Anawati Family Scholarship supports Francophone students who attended a bilingual or Francophone high school in the Nipissing region before enrolling in the Francophone MD program at the Faculty of Medicine. The $3,500 scholarship aims to support young Francophones by reducing their financial burden while they pursue their studies.
“Nothing can stop you from getting to where you want to go. There’s always a way, and this scholarship is a small part of that process,” said Dr. Anawati. “Don’t give up!”
His daughter, Dr. Michelle Anawati, recalls a childhood that was punctuated with generosity and solidarity. “At Christmas, we would wrap chocolates with my mother and then hand them out at the hospital before singing for the patients. For us, medicine meant more than health care: it meant being there for them.”
Today, she continues this legacy. “No matter where you’re from, you have a place here at the University of Ottawa. You have a strong community around you that supports you.”
Sincere recognition
Interim Dean Dr. Melissa Forgie believes that the Anawati family’s gift fully embraces the Faculty’s values.
“On behalf of the entire Faculty of Medicine, I would like to warmly thank the Anawati family. Their commitment is one of heartfelt generosity and a deeply held belief in the power of education and of health care.”
She added that “this gift will give students the opportunity to pursue their dreams of becoming doctors, and to do so by remaining close to the communities in which they grew up. This is exactly in keeping with our mission: to give each student the means to serve with skill, respect and humanity.”
Inspiring others to act
Through this scholarship, the Anawati family continues their life-long commitment to medicine, to well-being and to the North. But this commitment also blazes the trail for others.
“If students from rural areas can undertake medical studies without worrying about financial issues, it gives them a bit of breathing space,” said Dr. Anawati. “And sometimes, that’s all you need to change a life.”
Support the next generation of doctors!
You too can make a lasting difference. By helping to fund the Anawati Family Scholarship, you’re giving young, enthusiastic Francophones the opportunity to study in French and to serve and care for others in their own language.
Enter “Anawati Family Scholarship” on our online donation form to help build a more inclusive and human-centric health-care system.