It’s hard to believe it’s already mid-November. Time has been flying! Here are a few updates from the past month.
Strategic planning retreat
On a dark and stormy night, department heads, associate and assistant deans, and senior staff officially kicked off the medical school’s strategic planning process. Though the weather knocked out power to the University Club, candlelight and cell phone screens lit up the room enough for us to finish dessert and get a good chatter going around our vision, mission, and values.
The next day, the group met at the Chocolate Lake Best Western to continue the discussion. Dalhousie University President Dr. Richard Florizone encouraged us to think innovatively and purposefully as we further develop our education, research, and community-based clinical and service programs. And already, some impressive ideas have been put on the table.
As I’ve said before, our strategic planning initiative will involve everyone – faculty, staff, and students. And I’ve committed to sharing next steps by the end of this month. I look forward to receiving your ideas and innovations as we shape our next strategic direction.
A visit to PEI
Senior Associate Dean Dr. Darrell White and I had a productive trip to Prince Edward Island last month. While there, we sat down with the president and CEO of the PEI medical society and with the CEO of Health PEI, the province’s health authority. We also met with Dr. George Carruthers, our family practice site director.
We have a lot of distributed education happening on PEI – especially in family medicine. And statistics show that doctors who train on the Island are likely to stay and practise there. The return rate for PEI-trained physicians is impressive. So, we’ll continue to work on ways to integrate medical student and resident training throughout the province.
New Brunswick clerkship tour
Dr. Simon Field, assistant dean of undergraduate medical education, recently lead a three-day clerkship tour to Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. He visited Miramichi, Fredericton, Upper River Valley, Saint John, and Moncton, as well as all three of the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) sites.
Though I was only able to make the Moncton leg this time around, I was impressed with the conversations we had with faculty and students there. The LIC is well underway, with six students participating. We received good feedback, discussed ongoing issues, and talked about accreditation preparation. I look forward to future visits.
DMAA alumni gala
I enjoyed seeing old friends at last month’s Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association (DMAA) alumni gala. Dr. Tom Marrie spoke to the crowd about Dalhousie Medical School’s contributions to research, and the importance of supporting the work that goes on here in our labs and clinics.
The Class of 1970 donated $2,500 to the DMAA – a gift we’re very thankful for. And since the Class of 1965 graduated, its members have raised $100,000 in scholarships and endowments. In recognition of this generosity, the Class of 1965 received the 100K Cup trophy.
Medical student ball & banquet
The medical student ball and banquet has been a Dalhousie Medical School tradition for more than 100 years. I have fond memories of attending it from my time here as a student, and I enjoyed attending this year’s event as dean.
At the well-attended ball, Dr. Peter Green of the Division of Clinical Dermatology & Cutaneous Science and Dr. Tom Arnason of the Department of Pathology were recognized for their teaching excellence. Congratulations to them both on this honour.
Till next time
Before signing off, please remember that my door is always open. And Faculty Council is where faculty have a voice in the governance of the medical school. The group, representing a broad representation of faculty across sites and disciplines, meets every two weeks to discuss issues that have been brought to its attention. If you have an item that you’d like to present to Faculty Council, contact Dr. Naeem Khan, chair, at naeem.khan@iwk.nshealth.ca.