Read the latest Faculty update directly from the Executive Leadership Team.
Dear colleagues,
Happy New Year! 2020 is a special year at the Faculty, as we celebrate our 75th anniversary as well as the launch of our new strategic plan, Leading Innovation for a Healthier World. Lots of work happened in late 2019 to lay the groundwork for many new beginnings. I welcome you to read our fall quarterly highlights below.
ELT Highlights: October – December 2019
- Faculty Strategic Plan: In October, the ELT released the Faculty’s new five-year strategic plan and vision: Leading Innovation for a Healthier World. We held a new series of town halls in November, to speak about new directions and receive your ongoing feedback on elements of the plan’s priority areas: education, research, engagement, francophonie, and internationalization and global health. Work continues on an actionable blueprint for the plan’s goals, including the development of key performance indicators (KPIs). In order to achieve the ambitious goals in our new strategic plan, a new role has been created. The director of strategic planning and implementation will be responsible for promoting and coordinating the implementation of the strategic plan, related key initiatives as well as researching and monitoring emerging key issues and areas of priority. Ms. Gillian Lord has accepted to take this role on as a temporary assignment.
- Faculty of Medicine Staff Appreciation Luncheon: As previously done in recent years, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) hosted a holiday luncheon for staff. This event celebrated the important contributions that our operational, lab and grant-paid staff make daily to fulfilling our strategic goals. These contributions support and translate into enviable national and international rankings for the Faculty of Medicine. This year, we presented years-of-service certificates, as well as awards to staff who were nominated by their peers for service excellence and innovation.
- Awards in Education: As we do every December, the ELT honoured our outstanding faculty and students during our Awards in Education Ceremony. I invite you to view some photos of the presentations to the winners.
- Faculty Space: The ELT met with representatives from uOttawa to discuss building deficiencies at the Faculty of Medicine (FoM). A construction plan is in development to modernize our RGN facilities and even build a new research tower. The ELT stressed the importance of this work in order to maintain and advance our world-class research and learning environment.
- Ottawa Public Health (OPH): Dr. Vera Etches, medical officer of health for the city, presented to the ELT Ottawa’s Public Health Strategy. Opportunities for collaboration between the FoM and OPH will be pursued through the assistant dean of social accountability’s portfolio. The selection process for this position is on-going at the moment.
- Town Hall on Education: On December 18, an Education Town Hall was held to allow faculty members, learners, hospital partners and staff the opportunity to reflect on challenges for our learners, teachers and education scholars. Many ideas were generated for leadership’s consideration on how to build on our current strengths. More information will be shared in the coming months as we continue to develop next steps towards achieving the education goals laid out in our new strategic plan.
- Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs): The ELT was updated on the required pan-Canadian implementation of EPAs in UGME. These represent core abilities that MD graduates must be able to perform before undertaking residency. Dr. Melissa Forgie explained that curriculum and faculty development will be adjusted accordingly, with estimated timelines for the class of 2025 of September 2021 for pre-clerkship, and summer 2023 for clerkship.
- Joint White Coat Ceremony: A motion to include PhDs with MD students at this year’s White Coat Ceremony was approved by the ELT.
- Master of Public Health: ELT was informed that at its November 25th meeting, the uO Senate approved our application for a new Master of Public Health (MPH). The next step is for Government of Ontario approval, which we hope to receive in time to accept applications for a first cohort to begin as early as September 2020. The MPH program will offer several streams: health policy; public health practice; global health; and population health risk assessment.
- BioMed Graduate Discovery Day: On Thursday, November 21, the FoM hosted a BioMed Graduate Discovery Day to help prospective students find out how we can prepare them for a successful career in biomedical sciences. Candidates had the opportunity to learn about graduate studies in the following programs: Biochemistry; Cellular and Molecular Medicine; Microbiology and Immunology; and Neuroscience.
- CACME Accreditation: The Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education surveyors carried a out two-day review of our Office of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in late November. The team recognized the achievements in quality CPD and education research at the Faculty and provided some helpful suggestions for improvement in operations.
- Medicine, Ethics and Humanities: The ELT heard from Dr. Francis Bakewell, the recently appointed director of the Medicine, Ethics and Humanities Program, about how liberal arts topics related to the human condition are covered, such as history, literature, fine art, philosophy and ethics. Based on positive student feedback, the ELT is exploring how the humanities could be expanded throughout the FoM.
- Special ELT Meeting: The ELT held an extra meeting this fall to discuss budget and IT, both of which are priority items that will continue to be closely monitored and managed.
- Internal Outreach: The ELT agreed to carry on with our yearly visits to key internal stakeholders in 2020. I look forward once again to meeting with departments, as well as hospitals and students, and to hearing from our stakeholders about ideas for the Faculty. Our town halls and pub nights are two recent examples of such beneficial interactions.
- Gala and Homecoming: In early October, we celebrated our successes with current and past faculty members at our new gala, part of the Faculty of Medicine’s Homecoming weekend’s festivities. The events were memorable, and the ELT has confirmed next year’s dates. Please mark your calendars for October 2-4, 2020!
- Re-vamped Website: In keeping with our desire to highlight our successes, including those aligned with our 75th anniversary festivities (more to come on that in our next uOMedTalks issue!), we have refreshed the Faculty of Medicine’s homepage – take a look!
Start the year by sharing your thoughts…
Do you have feedback to help improve your Faculty of Medicine? You can reach out to me and the Executive Leadership Team anytime by emailing us at [email protected] (or by calling ext. 8117).
Bernard Jasmin, PhD
Dean and Professor, Faculty of Medicine
University of Ottawa
