Research Interests

Learner Wellness, Leadership, Social Accountability, Professionalism

Spotlight

Dorothy Bakker graduated from McMaster Medical School in 1990 and completed her Family Medicine Residency at the North Hamilton Community Health Centre in 1992. She has practiced as a rural family physician in Port Elgin, a student health physician at the University of Guelph, and as an immigration panel physician. She completed a Master of Arts in Leadership studies from the University of Guelph and the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) Certificate in Travel Health.  

Dorothy is the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education and is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department Primary Care at the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Medicine. Her scholarship has focused on medical education, leadership, student wellness, and social accountability. She regularly contributes to curriculum and faculty development, leading workshops on topics such as Physician Leadership, Wellness & Self-Care, and Professionalism Coaching. 

Dorothy previously held leadership roles at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine including Assistant Dean of McMaster Community & Rural Education (Mac-CARE), Director of Student Affairs at the Waterloo Regional Campus, and Chair, Professionalism. She has received several awards including the Jacquie Wakefield Mentorship Award, the John Sibley Award for contributions to the Faculty of Health Sciences and is the past recipient of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) Regional Family Physician of the Year Award.

Dorothy has been a board member at the OCFP, the Guelph Wellington Ontario Health Team, the Guelph Community Foundation, Moms Stop the Harm and as Chair of the Guelph Community Health Centre. She has advocated for equity deserving groups throughout her career, volunteers in her community, and enjoys signing in a women’s choir.

Selected Publications

Bakker DJ, Lyons ST, Conlon PD. An exploration of the relationship between psychological capital and depression among first-year doctor of veterinary medicine students. Journal of veterinary medical education. 2017;44(1):50-62. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0116-006R 

Bakker D, Russell C, Schmuck ML, Bell A, Mountjoy M, Whyte R, Grierson L. The relationship between regional medical campus enrollment and rates of matching to family medicine residency. Canadian Medical Education Journal. 2020 Jul 15;11(3):e73. https://dx.doi.org/10.36834%2Fcmej.69328 

Grierson, L., Mercuri, M., Elma, A., Mahmud, M., Bakker, D., Johnston, N., Aggarwal, M., & Agarwal, G. (2024). Associations between education policies and the geographic disposition of family physicians: a retrospective observational study of McMaster University education data. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 29(2), 641-657. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10273-4