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'Scripts by David Anderson, MD

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Faculty of Medicine: COVID-19 Update #13

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May 8, 2020

Good afternoon everyone,

I know many of us across the Maritimes have taken advantage of the easing of public health restrictions around recreational activities over the past week and used this opportunity to recharge our batteries and enjoy the outdoors.

While some restrictions have eased, current public health directives mean that Convocation and the Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick (DMNB) Launch Ceremony will look much different for our graduating medical class this year.

It is always a great pleasure for me to celebrate the four years of hard work and accomplishments of our graduating class and we’ll do that this year in very special ways.

On May 19th at 2:00 p.m., DMNB will be premiering our Virtual Launch Ceremony, which will feature a presentation of awards, musical performances, and special messages. For those who have never attended in the past, the Launch Ceremony is a special tradition which began in 2014 with the first graduating class from DMNB and signifies the launch into the students’ careers as physicians.

Two days later, on May 21st at 2:30 p.m., the Class of 2020 will come together for a Virtual Convocation and Awards Ceremony. Our graduating class leaders and Student Affairs team have been collaborating to ensure that these significant accomplishments will be fittingly honoured, and I am looking forward to celebrating with our graduating class.

I will share more details on how to attend/view these events next week.

This year’s convocation also marks a monumental accomplishment for two of our Master’s graduate students. Ms. Beth Castle in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and Ms. Kayla Joyce in the Department of Psychiatry, are each being awarded the Governor-General’s Gold Medal. Ms. Castle, for being the most outstanding Master’s graduate in the Natural Sciences and Engineering, and Ms. Joyce for being the most outstanding Master’s graduate in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

These are the only gold medals awarded by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and they recognize overall academic excellence. They were drawn from more than 1,000 Master’s students across Dalhousie University receiving degrees in October 2019 and May 2020.

Beth and Kayla, on behalf of the Faculty of Medicine, congratulations. We are very proud of your scholastic achievements and wish you all the best for future happiness and success.

As we prepare to celebrate our graduates, I would also like to commend all of our medical and graduate students for the encouragement and support they have been providing to each other, particularly over the past two months. As we move through these uncertain times, it’s especially encouraging to see our students working so well together.

Best wishes to all and take care of yourselves and your families. If you need help or support, do not hesitate to reach out.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother’s Day.

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.

Resident Wellness Challenge
Last week was Resident Wellness Week. As our residents form a major part of the front-line team addressing COVID-19 related activities, it is gratifying they were able to take some time for themselves.  As part of Resident Wellness Week 2020, the Resident Affairs Office asked residents to send in photos to reflect how they are staying well during these challenging times.

It was fantastic to see the creative ways our residents and their families are keeping busy during their time away from their residency duties. If you’re interested, the Resident Affairs Office has created a slideshow of the submissions that is available for download here.

Chesley Family Research Award
Congratulations to Dr. Keith Brunt and Dr. Thomas Pulinilkunnil, who have both been awarded the Chesley Family Research Award.

This research fund is sponsored by the Chesley Family Endowment. The fund’s mandate is to increase collaborative research initiatives between Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick and Horizon Health Network, in New Brunswick. Well done, Keith and Thomas!

Ask an Expert: Dr. OmiSoore Dryden on why marginalized communities have been hard hit by COVID?19
Dal News recently interviewed Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, the James R. Johnston chair in Black Studies in the Faculty of Medicine, to explain the impacts of COVID-19 on communities that have been historically oppressed and marginalized for generations, and to identify some solutions for addressing them.

Please visit Dal News to read the interview.

Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) Recognitions
Congratulations to third year medical student, Mr. Michael Mackley, for being awarded the 2020 CFMS-MD Financial Management Leadership Award. This award recognizes some of the passionate, dedicated and caring medical student leaders across Canada who have made innovative contributions to their schools and communities. Mike is a former DMSS president and has been instrumental in coordinating medical student volunteer activities related to COVID-19.

I would also like to acknowledge everyone who was named as a CFMS Culture Changer. Several residents and staff physicians at Dalhousie were recognized for their contributions to positive learning environments.

For the full list of winners, please visit the CFMS website.

MCC to offer the MCCQE Part I via remote proctoring
Late last week, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) announced that, starting in June 2020, the MCC will use remote proctoring as well as test centres where available to administer the MCCQE Part I to candidates. The exam will be delivered through Prometric’s ProProctor remote assessment platform. Exam delivery will also resume at Prometric test centres with recommended physical distancing and personal protective measures in place.

The first wave of registrants will be comprised mainly of medical students and graduates who were scheduled for the April 15 to May 15, 2020 session that was postponed due to the pandemic.

For more information, please read the full announcement.

AFMC decision regarding the 2021 R-1 match
For the class of 2021, postponement of several months of clerkship will mean that the residency match for 2021 will be pushed back to enable students to maximize elective time. The Association of Faculties of Medicine Canada Board has made the following decisions regarding the 2021 R-1 Match:

  • Interviews will be in a virtual format including those for local candidates.
  • The match timeline will be:
    • The Last Day of the Application Period: February 7, 2021
    • The Virtual Interview Period: March 8 to March 28, 2021
    • The Second Iteration Match Day being no later than: May 18, 2021.

For more information, please read the full announcement. These timelines will enable the Class of 2021 to be able to begin residency on July 1, 2021.

Faculty of Medicine Graduate Research Days
The Faculty of Medicine will be virtually holding our Graduate Research Days on June 8th and 9th. All are welcome to virtually attend and a communication with more information will be electronically delivered in the coming days.

VPRI is Leading Planning for Resumption of Research Activities
A comprehensive, phased plan for resumption of research activities is being developed with leadership across campus, lead by the VPRI. No date for the resumption of research activities has been given, but this planning will aim to carefully resume this important work in a timely manner when public health has determined that it is safe to do so.

Details will be distributed as soon as they are available. At this time only COVID-19 related research is permitted in Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine facilities.

Planning for the CIHR Fall Project Grant Competition
On May 1, CIHR indicated that the Fall 2020 Project Grant competition will proceed. It was emphasized that new investments in COVID-19 research are possible due to new investments from the Canadian government and will not impact CIHR’s existing program funding. There will be approximately $246 million reserved from the cancelled Spring 2020 Project competition, spread out over the next two Project competitions.

For more information, please read the full announcement.

NSERC Update
NSERC has made a number of announcements regarding extensions of existing grants.
Please visit the NSERC website for more information.

Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence in Leadership
As a reminder, I encourage you to take some time to consider who you could nominate for our Faculty of Medicine Awards of Excellence in Leadership, which celebrate the incredible contributions of our staff in administrative, technical and clerical support roles, professional and managerial positions, and those in academic leadership roles.
During times such as these, it’s especially encouraging to acknowledge the impact these contributions have on the Faculty of Medicine. The deadline to submit a nomination has been extended to May 15, 2020.

Mental Health Supports Available
In this uncertain time, our students, faculty, and staff may be experiencing stress and anxiety. If you are in need of assistance, several mental health resources are available to you:

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 regularly to address your questions and communicate the answers to you in a timely manner. If your questions are not answered here, or on the website, please contact the Faculty of Medicine’s Communications Advisor, Jason Bremner (jason.bremner@dal.ca). For further information related to the impact of COVID-19 in the Faculty of Medicine, please visit our website at https://medicine.dal.ca/news/covid.html.

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.

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