March 27, 2020

Good evening everyone,

The past week has brought tremendous change to the way the Faculty of Medicine operates, and through it all, I am proud of the way our students, residents, faculty and staff have collectively approached the challenges we are facing.

The shift to remote working has required us to re-evaluate many internal processes as well as the delivery of medical education and graduate studies. In some instances, these have been changes for the better, forcing us to find efficiencies that we will keep in place when we return to campus.

This week saw the first virtual master’s thesis defence in Microbiology & Immunology completed remotely, and, as mentioned in an earlier email, our Med 1 and Med 2 students resumed their studies via online lectures. The final stages of Med 4 training are also being completed using virtual technology.

Still, despite our swift adaptation, there remains uncertainty and many unanswered questions.

We understand that our clerks (Med 3) are eager to return to their clinical rotations, and that this is not feasible at this time. Moving forward, our goal for this class will be for our graduates to be entering residency on July 1, 2021.

Above all else, our decisions past and present must reflect the best interests and safety of patients, faculty, staff and our learners.

To our clinical faculty and residents who have been facing the COVID-19 pandemic – thank you. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you and your families are continuing to make to keep our communities healthy.

As we head into a sunny weekend, I would like to reiterate yesterday’s sentiment from the Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, and the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia, Dr. Robert Strang: Please stay home as much as possible and, when you are out, practice social distancing by limiting contact with other people; offer support to those who need it and take care of yourselves and your families. We are all in this together.

Kindest regards,

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Update
This communication is to provide updates of events over the over the past week. For details on more Faculty of Medicine-specific information related to COVID-19, please visit: https://medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html.

UGME Update
This week marked the shift to an online learning environment, and we are pleased to hear generally positive feedback from our student representatives on how things are going so far. We thank you for your patience and willingness to adapt in this time of change.
Emails with information specific to each class will be sent out next week; however, until then, I wanted to provide the following updates:

Med 1 & 2

• Med 1 and Med 2 students will not be asked to return to campus for the remainder of the academic year.
• Med 1 and 2 exams will proceed as scheduled, but remotely. We are currently working with Dalhousie University on the logistics surrounding this and will provide more information as soon as we know it.
• We will be postponing Rural Week for Med 1s.

Med 3
In recognition of ongoing escalation of COVID-19 related activities, we have pushed back the potential start date of the resumption of clerkship to no earlier than May 19, 2020. We will confirm this return date no later than May 5, 2020. Classes could potentially resume virtually with PIER 3 before the May 19^th date.

Student Affairs remains available for support and to help you personally navigate this latest information. DMNS Med 1 & 2: Andrew Moore (ASteeleMoore@dal.ca)
DMNS Med 3: Dr. Joanne MacDonald (joanne.macdonald@dal.ca)
DMNB students: Dr. Lisa Sutherland (sutherll@dal.ca), Renea Leskie (renea.leskie@dal.ca), and Pam Murphy (Pam.murphy@dal.ca).

Virtual meetings can be arranged for next week as needed.

Research and Graduate Students
Over the past week, the majority of research programs within the Tupper Building and Life Sciences Research Institute have been suspended, with the exception of critical COVID-19 research. We appreciate the considerable amount of work and care done by our faculty, staff and students to wind down research activities. It is great to see how quickly virtual sessions (journal clubs, laboratory meetings) have gotten up and running, keeping students and faculty engaged in research and educational activities.

For those who require emergency access to their laboratory facilities, please contact Dr. Roger McLeod, Associate Dean, Research (Roger.McLeod@Dal.Ca) .

Support Efforts
I would again like to commend our medical students for their volunteer efforts. Within an hour of the call going out, over 100 students volunteered to be trained to screen patients calling 811 and assess provincial health care staff who report possible exposure to the coronavirus. Although clerkships have been temporarily interrupted, their contributions to the health care system have not gone unnoticed.

I would also like to acknowledge the various departments and programs within the Faculty of Medicine who have reached out to the NSHA to donate supplies and services. Further, a team of students and faculty members in the Faculty of Engineering and Department of Biomedical engineering are using 3D printers to develop prototypes of face shields to be used by local doctors. Well done!

Accessing University Records from Home
In response to the COVID-19 situation, Dalhousie’s Records Management Office recognizes the need to be able to access university records when working remotely. The following link contains information and guidelines to use when accessing, transporting, and storing university administrative records.

• ACCESSING UNIVERSITY RECORDS REMOTELY – COVID-19 response

CPDME: Emergency Airway Management for Suspected COVID-19 Infection
Patients who are infected with COVID-19 and require intubation need a different approach. Airway procedures aerosolize viruses placing everyone in the room at greater risk. Airway intervention PPE is required prior to entering the room and must not be rushed.  For further information we refer you to and excellent video.

• General Principles: Emergency Airway Management for Suspected COVID-19 Infection  [30 minutes, 27 seconds] with Dr. George Kovacs MD MHPE FRCPC
• For physicians, to receive CPD credits (1hr) for reviewing this video, use the following survey link to provide your information.

Questions
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback and questions during this ever-changing period and have expressed how this is impacting your education, research or professional responsibilities. Please know that we are meeting daily to address your questions and communicate the answers to you in a timely manner. If your questions aren’t answered here, or on the website, please contact the Faculty of Medicine’s Communications Advisor, Jason Bremner (jason.bremner@dal.ca)

A reminder that the Public Health Agency of Canada, Nova Scotia Public Health, New Brunswick Public Health and PEI Public Health remain the best source for up-to-date public information on this rapidly changing situation. More information related to Dalhousie can be found at www.dal.ca/coronavirus.  

March 23, 2020

Good evening everyone,

COVID-19 continues to impact our daily lives. As you are all aware, a state of emergency has now been called in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In response, provincial governments and Dalhousie University have implemented new measures to keep us safe. I encourage you to read Dalhousie’s COVID-19 page for a complete update on these measures and how they may affect you.

In this new reality, it’s important to note that the university remains open, and I am happy to report that medical and graduate classes resumed online today. Again, this has required a tremendous effort from our MedIT team, who are providing support to ensure that educational activities continue in our Faculty.

The Faculty of Medicine is assisting the health care system in any way we can. Scientists and educators in the Tupper building, LSRI and CHEB are responding to calls from NSHA and have been sending supplies and equipment to help protect the safety of health care team members, and sending reagents and equipment to assist in the testing for COVID-19.

Please take care of yourselves and be sure to continue following the advice from Public Health, including the practices of social distancing and thorough hand washing. Stay safe.

Kindest regards,

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Update
This communication is to provide updates of events over the weekend. For details on more Faculty of Medicine specific information related to COVID-19, please visit: https://medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html.

Resident Travel Advisory
With the state of emergency now in effect, new self-isolation requirements for inter-provincial travel have been introduced. We are seeking clarity about how these restrictions will apply to our residents.

At this time, and until we receive further information, we are asking all residents who arrived in Nova Scotia after 6:00 a.m. on March 23, 2020, from other provinces in Canada to self-isolate for 14 days. Please notify your program director about your need to self-isolate.

We will update you as soon as we learn more information, in hopes you can return to your rotation or regularly scheduled learning experiences as soon as possible.

Research: Emergency Contacts
As we shared on Friday, the office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation announced that all University campus-based research operations are to be suspended as of 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, mirroring the decision to suspend research activities at the University of New Brunswick that impacted Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB) scientists late last week. As PIs prepare to shut down their laboratories, it is important to preserve the value and safety of their research projects. To do this, all labs have designated personnel to periodically check on laboratories in our facilities to ensure the integrity of valuable infrastructure and research materials. This approach has been approved by Dr. Alice Aiken, the VP for Research and Innovation at Dalhousie.

For more information on this topic, please read today’s memo from Dr. Roger McLeod, Associate Dean, Research.

COVID-19 related research projects and select other research projects approved by Dr. Aiken will be able to proceed during this period.

Staffing
A reminder that wherever feasible, all faculty and staff are expected to work remotely. Attendance on campus is strongly discouraged unless directed or permitted to attend work on campus by an administrative head.

For staff members who are working from home and are unfamiliar with using Microsoft Teams, drop-in Q&A sessions hosted by MedIT will be held daily, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sessions can be attended online through Microsoft Teams through this link.

For recommendations for working remotely, view the Dalhousie IT guidelines for Working From Home.

Questions
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback and questions during this ever-changing period and have expressed how this is impacting your education, research or professional responsibilities. Please know that we are meeting daily to address your questions and communicate the answers to you in a timely manner. If your questions aren’t answered here, or on the website, please contact the Faculty of Medicine’s Communications Advisor, Jason Bremner (jason.bremner@dal.ca)

A reminder that the Public Health Agency of Canada, Nova Scotia Public Health, New Brunswick Public Health and PEI Public Health remain the best source for up-to-date public information on this rapidly changing situation. More information related to Dalhousie can be found at www.dal.ca/coronavirus.

March 20, 2020

Good evening everyone,

The past week has presented unprecedented challenges and disruptions to our daily lives, educational experiences and careers. I am deeply grateful for the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by our students, faculty and staff in these ever-changing times, to continue their work and studies.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of our residents and clinical faculty throughout the Maritime provinces who are working tirelessly on the front lines of our health care system, which now includes screening and managing COVID-19 patients. Please know that the entire Faculty of Medicine, and indeed all of the people in our provinces are thinking of you and are grateful for all that you are doing.

For the time being, remote working for our faculty and staff, and online classes for our medical and graduate students is becoming the new normal. I am encouraged by how seamlessly everyone has adapted and heartened by the fact that the need for social-distancing and remote working has brought us closer together. I am confident that our collective efforts will guide us through this pandemic.

As this situation unfolds, I am committed to keeping you updated with at least weekly emails.

Please take care of yourselves and your families and don’t hesitate to reach out for any support you may need.

Sincerely,

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Update
This communication is to provide updates of events over the past 48 hours. For details on more Faculty of Medicine specific information related to COVID-19, please visit: https://medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html.

Research
The Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation announced earlier today that all campus-based research not considered essential will cease at Dalhousie University as of Tuesday, March 24, 2020. This is in line with decisions being made in most U15 universities in the country.

Although this will present significant challenges, the safety and well-being of our researchers, research staff, trainees and participants is of the utmost importance.
Critical COVID-19 research is exempted and will continue as a matter of urgency, with full support, including the CIHR funded COVID-19 research projects led by Dr. David Kelvin and Dr. Scott Halperin, from the Faculty of Medicine.

Exceptions will be considered for other time- or resource-sensitive critical projects. Principal Investigators who are conducting research that meets these criteria must request permission to continue operations. Read Dr. Aiken’s memo for more information on applying for exceptions, and processes for temporarily shutting down a research lab.

Clinical research at NSHA, IWK and Horizon will continue to be guided by health authority research leadership.

Graduate Studies
This research announcement above will have implications for the training of many of our graduate students and post-doctoral fellows – the backbone of our health and medical research programs in the Faculty of Medicine. We are all grateful for the efforts of. Dr. Valerie Chappe, the Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, who will be reaching out to our graduate students to provide further information and support. Students, please do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Chappe (valerie.chappe@dal.ca) if you have questions or concerns.

Medical Student Activities
Earlier this week, we made the difficult decision to suspend clinical clerkship, which has understandably caused a disruption in our third year medical students’ education. Our future doctors are facing this challenge as the community leaders that they are.

From the helping health care workers initiative we highlighted earlier this week, to volunteering their time to meet the increased demand on the 811 service and occupational health, our medical students are stepping up to the plate.

I am incredibly proud of their passion and dedication – the future of our health care system is in capable hands.

COVID-19 at Dalhousie
Late yesterday, Dalhousie University President, Dr. Deep Saini, announced the first presumptive positive COVID-19 case connected with the Dalhousie community in Halifax. In his message, he stressed that if you have NOT been contacted directly by Public Health, you are not considered to have been exposed. Please read Dr. Saini’s message to the Dal community for more information.

Online Classes
Beginning March 23, 2020, all Faculty of Medicine educational activities will transition completely online.

This transition has required a tremendous effort from our MedIT staff, who have been working diligently to ensure the proper infrastructure and supports are in place for both our learners and faculty.

Each class and lecturer has been contacted with specific login information, which can also be found on the Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 information page.

Questions
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback and questions during this ever-changing period and have expressed how this is impacting your education, research or professional responsibilities. Please know that we are meeting daily to address your questions and communicate the answers to you in a timely manner. If your questions aren’t answered here, or on the website, please contact the Faculty of Medicine’s Communications Advisor, Jason Bremner (jason.bremner@dal.ca)

A reminder that the Public Health Agency of Canada, Nova Scotia Public Health, New Brunswick Public Health and PEI Public Health remain the best source for up-to-date public information on this rapidly changing situation. More information related to Dalhousie can be found at www.dal.ca/coronavirus. 

March 18, 2020

Good evening everyone,

In these extraordinary times, decisions and changes are being made to best address the balance in health and safety of our staff, learners and faculty, with the educational and research needs of our students, residents and faculty.

I thank all of our staff, faculty, students, and residents for their ongoing dedication to their activities as we move through unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones and do not hesitate to reach out for support.

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

Update
In an effort to better communicate new developments within the Faculty of Medicine, our COVID-19 webpage: https://medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html has been redesigned to help you quickly find the information that pertains to you. The following is predominantly new information pertaining to recent developments. For other relevant information regarding the Faculty of Medicine’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the above webpage.

UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION
Clinical Clerkships
In light of recent developments, we have determined that it is not operationally feasible, nor appropriate for our students to continue with the clinical clerkship program.

After careful thought, and to align with the decision-making of medical schools across North America, we have made the decision to suspend clinical clerkship rotations as of 5:00 p.m. today until at least April 14, 2020.

This was a very difficult decision. Our faculty have done an exceptional job of providing great learning experiences for our students. Our students are highly motivated and passionate about their work and have demonstrated their willingness to be members of the health care team in these challenging times. We thank all for their dedication and hard work and we very much look forward to seeing the day our clerks return to their clinical and educational duties in the hopefully near future.

We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.

Med 1 & 2
Classes will be moving entirely online beginning March 23, 2020. You will be receiving an email update for login information to your classes no later than Friday, March 20, 2020. In-class activities will not resume before April 14th, 2020.

Thank you all for your patience as we have worked through the logistics of this transition. At this time, we encourage all students to stay in your home community or remain where you are most comfortable. We look forward to welcoming you back to campus in healthier times in the near future.

For detailed updates on your classes, please visit Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 website.

Research
The Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation has introduced new protocols and policies yesterday for researchers at Dalhousie University. The safety and well-being of our researchers, research staff, trainees and participants is of the utmost importance. The Medical Research Development Office has contacted the appropriate people and shared this information widely. Please visit the Research section on the Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 page for more details.

Research Nova Scotia and DMRF commit $750,000 in funding to COVID-19 research
It was announced today that Research Nova Scotia (RNS) will be contributing $600,000 in rapid response match funding from its Research Opportunities Fund to Dr. David Kelvin of Dalhousie University. The Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation has also awarded a $250,000 grant to support Dr. Kelvin.

Dr. Kelvin, along with his international network of research colleagues, are looking for a way to quickly identify the severity of the viral infection in those who test positive for COVID-19. Learn more…

Med Students: Help for Health Care Providers
We are incredibly proud and impressed by the initiative and leadership demonstrated by Dalhousie Medical students. Between March 23 and April 3, the medical students will partner with their fellow students in the health professions to offer free childcare, pickups/dropoffs of items, errands and provide other supports to health care and hospital workers in our communities. Learn more…

Office updates
As per Dalhousie University’s policy, several departments and offices within the Faculty of Medicine have transitioned to remote operations. These offices include: Resident Affairs, Student Affairs, Admissions, Global Health Office, Continuing Professional Development, and Undergraduate Medical Education. It is important to note that all are fully operational but may have new modes of contact. An updated list of contact information can be found on the Faculty of Medicine COVID-19.

Questions
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback and questions in this ever-changing environment and how it will impact your education, research or professional responsibilities. Please know that Faculty of Medicine Leadership is meeting daily to address concerns related to COVID-19. If your questions are not addressed on the website, please contact the Faculty of Medicine’s Communication Advisor, Jason Bremner (jason.bremner@dal.ca).

A reminder that the Public Health Agency of Canada, Nova Scotia Public Health, New Brunswick Public Health and PEI Public Health remain the best source for up-to-date public information on this rapidly changing situation. More information related to Dalhousie can be found at www.dal.ca/coronavirus. 

March 16, 2020

Current Situation
To date, there are confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 in all three Maritime provinces. The World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dalhousie University announced on March 13, 2020 that all classes will be suspended from March 16-20, 2020. In-person classes, in-person labs and in-person exams will not resume this term. Any course delivery will occur through temporary remote (distance) teaching – in most cases, this will mean online delivery through tools such as Brightspace or Microsoft Teams.

The University will remain open during this time.

Below are today’s most immediate impacts to staff, students, residents, and faculty in the Faculty of Medicine.

** A complete listing of Faculty of Medicine specific updates can be found at: medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html **

Travel

• Faculty of Medicine staff, non-clinical faculty, first and second year medical students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows will adhere to Dalhousie University’s travel and isolation policies.
• At this time, the Provost’s office has indicated that medical students doing clinical placements (Med III and IV), residents, and clinical faculty within the Faculty of Medicine will be required to self-isolate for 14 days only if they have traveled outside of Canada and arrived back in Canada after 12:00 p.m. on March 13, 2020.

Graduate Studies

• All Graduate course classes are cancelled for the week of March 16^th and will then resume online for the reminder of the term. There are no further in-person classes, regardless of class size.
• Face-to-face seminars, research days, conferences and journal clubs are all to be cancelled as of March 16, 2020.
• Each program should consider developing webinars or web streaming option to allow research discussions to continue.
• All thesis defences (both Master and PhD) will now be closed (no audience), with consideration given to remote participation by all members of the examining committee, as well as the candidate. Departments should consider back-up plans for sick members and proceed with best practices if members are present in person: book larger rooms to maintain safe distances as recommended by health authorities. See FAQ on thesis defence on FGS website.

Supervisory Committee meeting

• Consider postponing where possible
• If meetings cannot be delayed until the summer term, meetings should proceed with some caution: book larger room to spread members, offer online options to participate remotely and plan for all members to be remote in the event of Dalhousie closure, or by request from any student or committee member.
• Have back up plans in case either committee members or students become ill or need to self-isolate.

Comprehensive exams

• Should proceed as planned. Consider remote participation, prepare back-up plans for sick members and proceed with caution: book larger rooms for safe distance.
• Deferral request by students should be considered and granted.

Other Activities

• FMGSS: all social events are cancelled and no in-person meetings.
• PREP sessions: Cancelled. Online options are under development.
• The scholarships committee will continue to review applications for funding as scheduled, except that all discussions will be done remotely.
• Student payroll: GSPIP have clear requirement for administrators to continue monitoring and entering necessary information to keep the stipend rolling.
• Student should consult with their supervisors to plan for their research project as directed.
• Student recruitment for next term can proceed with online interviews only.

Research
Tupper Building Scientists

• Due to uncertainty of situation, it is advised that scientists focus on finishing on-going experiments and be cautious about initiating major new experiments.
• Experimental planning should be driven by the possibility of a full university closure and all laboratories should have SOPs in place as a contingency for such an occurrence.
• Scientists should be sensitive to supply chain issues around the world that may limit the availability of research resources in upcoming months.

Laboratory Planning

• Please consider implementing a laboratory communication strategy, with up-to-date contacts and the clear assignment of responsibilities for members.
• Department Heads should ensure that they have updated emergency contact information for all researchers, and researchers for their staff and trainees.
• Facilities Management has arranged to fill all liquid nitrogen tanks this week and will be monitoring over the next few weeks.
• Qualified personal for delivery are in place and will continue to top up nitrogen levels in the event of university closure.
• A potential longer-term closure of weeks should be considered in planning.

CORES

• As of today, CORE facilities will remain open to users as per normal, except where CORES staff are unable to meet Public Health requirements for safe distancing.
• This may mean that users who have not already been trained for the use of a piece of equipment will be unable to use it.
• Users will be required to wash their hands upon entry to, and before leaving, the CORE.
• Please contact the CORE Manager for information on changes to normal service as this may change as things evolve, and please sensitive to these issues as you plan your upcoming research plans.

Undergraduate Medical Education

• All clinical electives are postponed until further notice.
• Service Learning programming has been postponed until further notice.
• Observerships are postponed until further notice.
• It is understood that there are presumptive cases of COVID-19 in the university community at the University of New Brunswick.
• Clinical clerkships in New Brunswick will still be held, with the situation being closely monitored.

Med 1

• Skilled Clinician sessions will be canceled for the next two weeks.
• Virtual lectures and tutorials will begin next week following March break.

Med 2

• Virtual lectures and tutorials will begin following March break.
• MSK Skilled Clinician sessions will begin following March break.
• Any student requiring self-isolation will have make up clinical skills sessions
• Skilled Clinician case practice sessions are canceled until further notice.
• Skilled Clinician small group parent-tot Pediatric sessions will be canceled for the next two weeks.

Med 3

• Simulations that occur in clinical environments are postponed for a minimum of two weeks.
• Simulation resources at multiple sites are being used for clinical staff training to deal with COVID-19.
• For non-clinical teaching sessions, best practice for social distancing and spacing should be implemented.
• Academic half-day sessions may be performed virtually.

Med 4

• The PIER 4 Communications Skills Sessions at DMNS scheduled for March 19, 2020 will be postponed.
• Information around scheduling for remainder of PIER 4 will be made available later in week.
• Interviews for the second iteration of the 2020 R-1 Match will be conducted virtually. Visit the CARMS website for more information.

Postgraduate Medical Education

• Dalhousie residents doing electives at Dalhousie institutions can continue as scheduled until advised otherwise.
• All other electives are postponed.
• Academic half days can continue if social distancing principles can be maintained through such means as IT supported delivery or appropriate spacing.
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has indicated that exams will be rescheduled for May 2020.

Faculty and Staff

• During these times of uncertainty, it is important to consider mental health wellness. Employees seeking additional mental health supports at this time should contact the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• The Faculty of Medicine’s main reception desk (CRC Building, 2nd floor) will be closed until further notice to help reduce personal contact between our team members and clients, vendors and visitors.
• Those requiring signatures, or who are delivering paperwork are asked to scan any documents and email to Christina Dort: ch368176@dal.ca.
• Faculty and staff are asked to review any Dal Medix calendar entries to ensure that all scheduled events adhere to Dalhousie’s event cancellation policy and are updated accordingly.
• For staff members who are anticipating working from home and are unfamiliar with using Microsoft Teams, drop in Q&A sessions hosted by MedIT will be held daily, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Sessions can be attended in person in room BA3 in the Tupper Basement, or online through Microsoft Teams through this link.
• For any other recommendations for working remotely, view the Dalhousie IT guidelines for Working From Home.

Additional Information
Prevention and preparedness remain key advice:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue (throw the tissue away)
• Clean high-touch surfaces and objects often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

A reminder that the Public Health Agency of Canada, Nova Scotia Public Health, New Brunswick Public Health and PEI Public Health remain the best source for up-to-date public information on this rapidly changing situation. More information related to Dalhousie can be found at www.dal.ca/coronavirus.