By Mark T. Buss, Clipper Weekly
A Selkirk Comp alumnus is one of seven physicians to receive a 2026 Doctors Manitoba Award for outstanding dedication to Manitoba patients with a meaningful commitment to mentoring colleagues.
Dr. Mandy Buss has been awarded the Medal of Excellence, which recognizes those who demonstrate excellence in the medical profession and whose actions are a source of inspiration. A national leader in Indigenous health and medical education, Buss has advanced culturally safe care and strengthened pathways for Indigenous learners through curriculum reform, advocacy and mentorship while continuing to drive meaningful system change across Manitoba and Canada.
“I am deeply humbled,” Buss said. “This recognition is not mine alone. It reflects the collective work I do alongside the incredible Elders and Knowledge Keepers who guide me, and my Indigenous colleagues across Canada who teach me, support me and help amplify my voice.”
The Doctors Manitoba Awards are the highest honour bestowed upon physicians in the province. Award recipients are nominated by their peers and selected after a thorough evaluation by an Awards Committee made up of physicians.
“Our 2026 Doctors Manitoba Award recipients reflect a wide range of specialities and career stages, and they share a defining commitment to advancing medical care for Manitobans,” said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, President of Doctors Manitoba. “They are role models who elevate their colleagues and learners by their examples. We are proud to celebrate their contributions to the medical community, and the tremendous impact they have on patient care in Manitoba.”
Desilets noted mentorship is a key determinant in improving physician retention, an area in which Manitoba has historically not performed well.
“While there are many actions needed to retain more students and physicians in Manitoba, I’m inspired by the personal commitment all seven award winners make to supporting and mentoring medical students and physicians,” Desilets added. “These efforts are critical to helping maintain the significant physician recruitment gains made in recent years, and keeping our excellent graduates and physicians living and practicing in Manitoba.”
Raised in Beausejour, Buss graduated from Lord Selkirk Comprehensive Secondary High School in 1998. She earned her Bachelor of Science and MD from the University of Manitoba before completing her residency in the Northern Remote Program in 2011.
A distinguished physician and educator, Buss is an Assistant Professor and Indigenous Health Lead in the Department of Family Medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine. She has been instrumental in developing anti racism and anti colonial curricula, integrating Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers into primary care, and transforming admissions and residency processes to support Indigenous learners.
“We continue to see Indigenous peoples experience the poorest health outcomes across nearly every indicator – mortality, morbidity, life expectancy, suicide, to name a few,” Buss said. “ I also continue to hear Indigenous friends, family members, peers, patients, and students share that they feel unsafe within our medical institutions and schools.”
Nominated for the Medal of Excellence by the Department of Family Medicine, her leadership has been pivotal in advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action within medical education. In her roles as president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada and a member of national committees for medical education and family medicine, Buss has been behind system level reforms that bridge Indigenous knowledge with Western medical practice.
“This work is often heavy… heavy to do and heavy to learn about,” Buss said. “To receive an award from my peers tells me that people are listening. They are being impacted by the work, by the relationships being built, and they understand its importance not only to our collective health, but also to honouring the treaty relationships that exist in Canada and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
She is also a committed clinician with deep experience in northern and remote communities, including service as Chief of Staff at Percy E. Moore Hospital and with Ongomiizwin Health Services. A fierce advocate, mother, auntie, mentor and role model, Buss continues to guide the next generation of Indigenous physicians, advancing equity, representation and culturally safe care.
“Mentoring, supporting and lifting up the next generations of Indigenous physicians is part of the teachings I have received. It is part of my responsibility,” Buss said. “Much of the work I do is guided and framed within this understanding of intergenerational wellness.”
