Dr. Philpott studied medicine at the University of Western Ontario. She completed a Family Medicine residency at the University of Ottawa and a Tropical Medicine fellowship in Toronto. She worked in Niger Republic, West Africa from 1989 to 1998 where she practiced general medicine and developed a training program for village health workers.
She is the founder of the “Give a Day to World AIDS” movement which started in 2004 at Markham Stouffville Hospital as a simple, powerful way to engage Canadians in responding to HIV and working towards a better and healthier world. Since 2004, Give a Day has grown in the medical, legal and business communities and has raised over three million dollars to help those affected by HIV in Africa.
Dr. Philpott is the Family Medicine lead in the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration (TAAAC). In this capacity she has supported the launch of the first specialty training program for Family Medicine in the country of Ethiopia.
Dr. Philpott combines her professional career with her work as a social activist. For her work as a humanitarian, she received the Casey Award. This award was established in memory of June Callwood and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated lifelong values of pioneering leadership and compassionate commitment on behalf of others.
She and her husband have four children.