Dr. Patricia Farrugia is of Anishinabe Ojibwe descent from Saugeen-Ojibway territory. She was raised in a mixed settler and Indigenous way of life.  After attending medical school at McMaster University, she went on to complete her Orthopedic Surgery residency, followed by additional fellowship training in the orthopedic subspecialties of Trauma and Foot and Ankle. 

Currently she is the Chair of Indigenous Health of the UGME program as well as the Pre Clerkship Integration Foundation Director.  Following the recent success of her Masters in Health Research Methodology with supervisor Mohit Bhandari, Patricia continues to participate in orthopedic research opportunities as well as Indigenous scholarly projects.

In this session of Grand Rounds, Dr. Farrugia explores the impacts of colonization on Indigenous Peoples and the relationship between Indigenous Peoples and healthcare institutions within Canada. The session further explores how past events, such as residential schools, have created systemic barriers to accessible healthcare for Indigenous Peoples.