I trust everyone had a nice Canada Day. I hope you’ll have vacation time over the summer months to enjoy spending time with family and friends in our beautiful part of the world.

Celebrating the Class of 2016
The past few weeks have been full of excitement, and mark a momentous occasion for our newest graduates, the Class of 2016.

Class members have achieved great success so far, and I know will be destined to do many big things as they move forward with the next phase of their careers.

Convocation was a special experience for me as it was my first graduation as dean. It was wonderful for the graduates to be able to share their achievements with family and friends. And it was a proud moment to see the graduating class recognize faculty and residents who made a particular impact on their education. Dr. Scott MacDonald received the Silver Shovel award, and the Resident Teacher of the Year award went to Dr. Nick Sowers. Both Drs. MacDonald and Sowers are in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Best wishes to the Class of 2016, for future success and happiness.

Welcoming new residents
As some residents were wrapping up their training at Dalhousie, we welcomed a new group of 169 residents on July 1^st. Of course some trainees – about 50 per cent – are Dalhousie Medical School grads, and others have come from across the country to begin their Dal experience.

Postgraduate education will be going through some exciting changes that will impact these new residents. Competency-based training will be introduced shortly in several of our programs. We’ll also be moving forward with new accreditation standards from the Royal College and the College of Family Physicians that will impact the fall 2017 accreditation process at Dalhousie.

This is an exciting time for our new postgrad trainees, and I encourage them to take full advantage of their educational experiences – including getting involved in teaching of our medical students, who will benefit from their experience and wisdom.

Remembering Human Body Donation Program donors
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to attend Dalhousie’s internment and memorial services for people who gave the ultimate gift to medical science: their bodies.

For centuries, anatomy has been the foundation for medical advances and improvements in patient care. This continues today. Despite the innovative simulation technology available now, nothing can replace the fundamental knowledge offered by a real body. What’s learned in the anatomy lab has a direct impact on patient care in our hospitals and clinics around the Maritimes. And because of this, I know we’re all very grateful to the donors and their families.

Admissions review
In an effort to attract top-notch students who are representative of the Maritime population, we’re currently reviewing our admissions processes. Dr. Gus Grant, CEO of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia, is leading this review. He’s supported by a committee made up of medical students, members of the public, diversity leaders, and those with expertise in medicine and academic admissions policies. To get wider feedback, Dr. Grant hosted a town hall on June 20^th,. With almost 70 people in attendance, lots of ideas were brought forward.

The committee’s recommendations will inform our admissions team about ways to improve our admissions procedures.

AFP contracts negotiated
As many of you know, the province’s doctors – which include many of our faculty – voted to accept a new academic funding plan (AFP) contract with government. This four-year agreement replaces previous AFPs.

I look forward to working with our 12 AFP departments and our partner organizations – the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, Doctors Nova Scotia, the IWK, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority – as we move ahead with our academic mission for the Maritime provinces.

Annual faculty meeting
At June’s faculty meeting, I presented our new Faculty of Medicine strategic plan. After a year of planning and engaging faculty, staff, and students, it’s exciting to see this plan take shape as we focus attention on our three pillars of activity: education, research, and serving and engaging society. This plan won’t just sit on a shelf. We’re immediately moving forward with an implementation process that will outline how we’re going to get this work done.

I’ll continue to spend time on seeking feedback on our plan from our partner organizations. It’s clear that collaboration and teamwork are absolutely essential for us to achieve our goals, and community consultation and engagement will also be a major part of the implementation process.

Thanks and appreciation
As with any Faculty of Medicine, leadership transition is a key part of renewal, and July 1^st is a key date for academic appointments.

As we welcome Dr. Joanne MacDonald to the role of assistant dean, student affairs, I’d like to thank Dr. Mike Teehan for all he’s done over the past several years in the Student Affairs Office, and I wish him the best of luck in leading the Department of Psychiatry.

I’d also like to welcome Drs. Romesh Shukla of the Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, David Kirkpatrick of the Department of Surgery, and Christy Simpson of the Department of Bioethics back to their posts as department heads.

And last but not least, I want to recognize Dr. Gerry Johnston, our outgoing associate dean of research, for his contributions over his 41-year career at Dalhousie Medical School. Based on the number of people who attended his retirement reception, Gerry’s wise counsel and good humour will be missed. Meanwhile, we’re thankful to Dr. Roger McLeod for stepping in as interim associate dean.