Good afternoon,

As we move forward into the weekend, life in the Maritime provinces looks much different than just one week ago. The steady rise of COVID-19 cases, along with the associated restrictions that have been put in place, act as a stark reminder of how we all need to do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

As I noted last week, now more than ever, we need to remain vigilant and pay close attention to our social activities and connections. This includes checking your emails daily for updates from Dalhousie University, and Public Health directives/health authority notifications that may affect your work or studies.

With all that has happened, I want to give a summary update of major impacts in the Faculty of Medicine and make sure all are informed and know where to reach out about questions or concerns.

A number of educational programs have been affected by the second wave of COVID-19. It has not been easy, but the entire Faculty of Medicine has my sincere gratitude for all it has done, and will continue to do, to further our strategic mission during this global pandemic.

Below is an update on the changes within the Faculty of Medicine over the past week. As this situation evolves, we are committed to keeping you updated as soon as more information is made available.

Be kind to each other, and don’t hesitate to reach out for support. We are all in this together. Vaccines are coming and we hope that the 2021-22 academic year will look much different than this one.

Kindest regards,

Dr. David Anderson
Dean, Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 information page is updated on a daily basis, and contains the relevant information for all medical learners, researchers, graduate students, faculty, and staff. 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 on the website, please contact Student Affairs, Resident Affairs, or your supervisor.

UNDERGRATUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION

Med 1 and Med 2

Electives, Observerships and Clinical Skills

For Halifax based Med 1 and Med 2 students, all in-hospital clinical electives and observerships were paused for a two-week period on November 25^th. Virtual experiences arranged by students and their preceptors are permitted.

DMNS Med 2 Skilled Clinician sessions will take place in the CHEB/Tupper. Details are being worked out, but plans are to have tutor-selected patients for virtual histories and in person volunteer or simulated patients for the physical examination component.

DMNS Med 1 Communication Skills will be virtual.

All hospital-based skilled clinician training, electives, and observerships in New Brunswick are to continue as planned at this time.

Family Medicine Med 1 Training

Med 1 Family Medicine experiences in Nova Scotia will continue on a case-by-case basis. Preceptors will be in contact with students to notify them if there will be a disruption in training.

Med 1 Family Medicine Experiences in New Brunswick will continued as planned.

Med 2 OSCE

The Med II Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) exam scheduled for Saturday, November 28^th, and all associated preparation sessions, are cancelled. This exam will not be rescheduled. Instead, we will integrate the assessment of some of the competencies from the Phase 1 OSCE into the Phase 2 OSCE.

Med 3 and Med 4

Med 3 Clinical Clerkship

Med 3 Clinical clerkships are proceeding at all sites in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Med 4 Electives

Med 4 electives are proceeding as scheduled. Students need to be mindful of travel restrictions throughout the Maritime provinces that may impact elective activity. Students should be aware of travel and work restrictions that may occur related to travel from one area to another in the Maritimes. Travel restrictions continue to evolve, and learners will be notified as they are clarified. Students can reach out to Student Affairs if they have questions or concerns.

All travel restrictions and isolation guidelines for clerks are located on the Faculty of Medicine COVID-19 information page.

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION
Residents are continuing with their education. Resident electives outside of the Maritimes beginning after December 15, 2020, have been cancelled. Distributed rotations and electives within the Maritimes are continuing as scheduled.

Residents should be aware of travel and work restrictions that may occur regarding travel from one area to another, even within the Maritimes. Residents need to be aware this is a fluid situation and subject to change suddenly as the pandemic evolves. Residents can reach out to their program director, Resident Affairs, or the PGME office if they have questions or concerns.

Residents may be subject to redeployment depending on the health needs of the region. If necessary, redeployment will occur in accordance with PGME guidelines, as developed during wave 1.

Programs are working to ensure that all residents who originate from outside the region have the opportunity to leave at least once before April 30, 2021. On their return, they will be required to self-isolate for two weeks, but programs will endeavor to institute opportunities to allow them work from home to avoid loss of training time, vacation days or income.

RESEARCH & GRADUATE STUDIES
The phased approach to Return to Campus planning focused on the safety of the research community and the important continuation of mission-critical teaching, research and student support. As such, Dalhousie University is continuing current research activity at this time. Likewise, DMNB research activities are continuing at our New Brunswick campus.

HOLIDAY PARTIES
Unfortunately, this year many of the holiday traditions that faculties and departments typically celebrate will need to be adjusted given public health protocols and our responsibilities under Occupational Health and Safety legislation.

While in-person holiday parties and other typical celebratory events for faculties and departments are largely cancelled this year, the Dalhousie Human Resources team has assembled a list of suggestions for teams who may wish to celebrate in a safe and modified way.

DALHOUSIE LIBRARIES
Following the Nova Scotia government announcement this week about library closures, Dalhousie Libraries wishes to clarify that this closure was only for public libraries. Dalhousie Libraries will remain in operation.

Library facilities also remain open for DMNB students on the UNBSJ campus.

Helpful COVID-19 Reminders

BE AWARE

• Pay attention to exposure notices in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick COVID-19 news releases, and PEI updates.
• Stay home if you feel sick and follow Nova Scotia testing protocols, New Brunswick testing protocols and PEI testing protocols.
• Carefully consider any travel plans and follow appropriate protocols.

BE SAFE

• Adhere to all Public Health guidelines.
• Limit gathering sizes. (5 people or less in Halifax, a single household bubble for those living in an Orange zone in New Brunswick, and no more than 20 persons in PEI.)
• Keep your social group small and consistent.
• Wear your mask and maintain physical distancing in shared spaces.

BE CONSIDERATE

• Self-isolate when required.
• Avoid large gatherings and limit your social engagements.
• This isn’t just about your health — it’s the health of others who may be more vulnerable.

I hope all of you have had the chance to enjoy some of this great weather we’ve had this season. Fall is a great time to be in Nova Scotia and explore our own backyard.

I recognize that there is significant interest from faculty and staff regarding the eventual return to campus. However, as active cases hit new daily records in other parts of the country, it is important that Dalhousie remains steady and careful in its approach. With increasing case numbers of COVID 19 in Nova Scotia, it is important we check our emails daily for public health directives. Canada’s COVID-19 Alert app is now available in Nova Scotia. This is a free exposure notification app that lets you know if you may have been exposed to COVID-19 without sharing any personal information.

While research capacity continues to increase, Dalhousie continues to have the position that those faculty and staff who can work from home, will continue to do so at least until the end of March. A detailed memo sent from the Provost’s Office to Dalhousie faculty and staff on November 6, outlined further information regarding the university’s plans for the rest of the year, particularly as they relate to the return of faculty and staff to campus, offices and research and our evolving approach to events. Your continued patience and understanding in this evolving situation is deeply appreciated, and I look forward to the day when we can all safely return to campus.

Although COVID 19 restrictions have had a major disruption on all of our activities and our lives, thanks to the spirit and dedication of our students, staff and faculty, we continue to excel and execute our education, research, and serving and engaging missions, while respecting public health guidelines. Having said that, I know this has been a challenging year for many due to the restricted access to campus facilities and the social isolation associated with the virtual learning environment.  Though these are challenging times that will pass, they are a source of struggle for many. It is important for us all to continue to look after each other and reach out for the available supports as we need them.

We are now midway through the first academic semester and a lot has happened since I was last in touch. Have a read through some of the month’s highlights below.

Annual Dean’s Retreat

The Annual Dean’s Retreat is an opportunity to engage our leadership team in meaningful and relevant discussions for the purpose of driving our strategic planning and mandate forward. This year’s retreat is addressing anti-racism and anti-discrimination within the Faculty of Medicine. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event is virtual and is taking place in two parts: the first was held on October 22 and the second will take place on November 19.

On October 22, 2020 our Assistant and Associate Deans, Department Heads, members of Faculty Council and I welcomed four distinguished guest speakers and were grateful for the opportunity to learn from their shared lived experiences:

G.B. Olarewaju, the National Chair of the Black Medical Students Association of Canada (BMSAC) and a med student at UBC Medical School, outlined the experiences and challenges of Black medical students in Canadian Medical Schools.  He also shared the Black Medical Students’ Association of Canada’s recommendations to Faculties of Medicine to address anti-Black racism.

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Hampshire and current committee chair for the National Society of Black physicists, discussed why Black lives matter in the Sciences, as well as her work with decolonising science reading lists.

Dr. Marcia Anderson, a medical officer of health for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and past president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, spoke to her role as Vice Dean of Indigenous Health, addressing anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism in Faculties of Medicine, and the Disruption to all Forms of Racism policy.

Dr. Onye Nnorom, a family doctor and public health and preventive medicine specialist, and the President of the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario, shared her research on Black physicians’ experiences, the need for Continuous Professional Development on Black health, and the collective responsibilities to address and respond to anti-Black racism and patient experiences.

Thank you to all who participated, and to Dr. OmiSoore Dryden, Dr. Watson-Creed, Title and Ms. Shawna O’Hearn, Title for organizing this important event.

On November 21, 2020, this same group will be getting together to discuss what further actions we can take at a Faculty, Department, and program level to address systemic racism. We recognize there is much to be done to ensure the Faculty of Medicine provides a welcoming and inclusive environment, as well as a safe and caring space, for all to study and learn.

Partnering with the MacEachen Institute

I am delighted to announce a partnership between the Faculty of Medicine and Dalhousie’s MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance (MIPP).

Our first collaboration was a two-day event focusing on COVID 19.  This featured a live-stream panel discussion on COVID-19 held on October 1, involving the four Chief Medical Officers of the Atlantic Bubble who frankly discussed their perspectives on the handling of the first wave of COVID 19 infections in our region.  On the second day, the MacEachen Institute hosted a round table discussion during which 27 invitees met online to discuss what policy events needed to change in preparation for Wave II of the COVID-19 infection.  Participants included leaders from public health agencies, provincial health authorities, and government officials from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as clinicians and researchers from the health sector.  A briefing note will be generated from this round table discussion which will be available in the coming weeks.

Highlights of the event, and more details of our partnership with the MacEachen Institute were highlighted in a recent Dal Med News article.  If you missed the live stream, the video can be found here.

Researchers from Dalhousie and IWK Health Centre Receive $4.8 Million in Funding from Genome Canada

On October 26, William Amos, Parliamentary Secretary (Science) on behalf of The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced $16 million in federal support to 10 genomics research projects funded through Genome Canada.

One of these projects is being led by four researchers with ties to both Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre. The project, Implementation of Clinical Exomes in a Pre-and Peri-Natal Setting, received $4.8 million in funding. The team includes Dr. Karen Bedard (Associate Professor, Department of Pathology at Dalhousie, and Department of Pathology and Immunology, IWK Health Centre); Dr. Anthony Vandersteen (Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health and Dalhousie); Dr. Jo Ann Brock (Division Head, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, IWK Health and Associate Professor, Department of Pathology); and Dr. Sarah Dyack (Division Head, Medical Genetics, IWK Health and Dalhousie University).

Congratulations to all involved. This important funding announcement was highlighted in a recent Dal News article.

Dr. David Kelvin and team awarded $1.2 million grant through Canada Foundation for Innovation

On November 6, the federal government announced a new investment which will provide Dalhousie researchers with $1.2 million to help with the development of new COVID-19 vaccines. The funding, which was made available through the Canada Foundation for Innovation, is part of $28 million pledged to support research infrastructure at 52 universities and research hospitals, colleges, polytechnics, and Cégeps across Canada. The money will help support the urgent needs for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19.

Congratulations to all involved for their continued efforts and much needed research. It is great to see Dal researchers playing a key role in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Kelvin and his daughter Dr. Alyson Kelvin were recently featured in Dal Magazine, recognizing their international research on COVID-19 vaccines and bio-markers.

Dr. Christine Chambers contributes to first ever Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Commission
Congratulations to Dr. Christine Chambers, who along with Dalhousie alum, Dr. Katie Birnie, and Dr. Paula Forgeron, were contributing authors of a major new report released on October 13, 2020 by the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Commission. Being involved in the Commission was a year-long process for Dr. Chambers that involved both in-person and digital engagement with a range of international stakeholders and the editorial leadership team at the Lancet.

Dr. Chambers’ accomplishment was highlighted in a recent Dal News article.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Education: Call for Proposals

The focus of this year’s Dalhousie Medical Education “Living Laboratory” Fund is Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Education. This fund promotes and supports research and evaluation of the most important research questions across the undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development continuum at Dalhousie Medical School. The deadline for proposal submissions is Friday, December 11, 2020, 4:00 pm Atlantic Time.  Please see the linked document for further details.

For more information regarding the call for proposals, please reach out to Dr. Sarah Burm at Sarah.Burm@dal.ca or Dr. Anna MacLeod at Anna.MacLeod@Dal.ca.

Diversity in Leadership Training Funding Recipients

As part of the Faculty of Medicine’s efforts to advance diversity and inclusion, the Diversity in Leadership Working Group established a fund to support participation in leadership development programs to designated group members with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.

I am pleased to announce that the following individuals have been selected as the 2020 recipients:

• Lara Hazelton
• Manal Elnenae
• Lesya Shuba
• Zaiping Liu
• Eileen Donovan-Wright
• Nikhil Thomas
• Sally Bird
• Allana Munro
• Alethea Lacas
• Anuradha Mishra

Several the recipients have already taken advantage of the training funds, while other training opportunities have been postponed due to COVID-19. The training fund, as well as the recipients will be profiled in an upcoming Dal Med News article.

Congratulations to all the recipients. We look forward to announcing the 2021 competition in the future.

First Making Waves awards winners announced
On September 30, Nova Scotia Health presented the first Making Waves awards to researchers, employees, physicians, and volunteers. With support from presenting sponsor, Johnson Insurance, the awards ceremony was held virtually in keeping with COVID-19 measures. During the same ceremony, the previously announced 2020 Quality Awards were also presented:

• Mark Sadler – Leadership Excellence award (Physician Leader)
• Kenneth Rockwood – Outstanding Researcher award
• James Robar – Innovator award
• Robin Urquhart – Early Career/Emerging Researcher award

Congratulations to these very dedicated individuals!

Dr. Jeannette Comeau named one of Pediatric Chairs of Canada COVID Leaders

The Pediatric Chairs of Canada have announced that Dr. Jeannette Comeau has won one of their COVID 2020 Leadership awards. Dr. Comeau is being recognized for her work to support redesigned policies and workflows at the IWK and for providing support to the NS Government in their efforts to get children safely back to school in September.

Well done, Dr. Comeau!

Dr. Martin Alda Awarded Colvin Prize

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Martin Alda who was recently awarded the prestigious Colvin Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Bipolar Mood Disorders Research by the Brain & Behaviour Foundation.

Dr. Alda will receive this award along with colleague and joint recipient Dr. Gustavo Turecki during the Foundation’s 2020 Annual International Mental Health and Research Symposium on October 30, 2020. As part of receiving this award, Dr. Alda presented a talk entitled Thinking Rationally about the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder.

Congratulations to Dr. Alda on receiving this honour.

Nova Scotia’s first all-female transplant surgery team

I am happy to share news that all the members of the surgical team for a recent liver transplant performed here in Halifax were women, a first for Nova Scotia, according to Nova Scotia Health Authority. The team was led by Dr. Stephanie Hiebert, a Dal alumnus who completed her surgical residency at Dalhousie Medical School. I am pleased with examples of progress in terms of the growing numbers of women in leadership roles. In the Faculty of Medicine, we are continuously developing new recruitment, retention, training, and other strategies to increase representation of women and other underrepresented groups in leadership roles. The women we have welcomed to our leadership team are distinguished clinicians, scientists, educators, and administrators, and are second to none in their abilities.

Congratulations to Dr. Hiebert and her team. A full story can be found in a recent CBC article.

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

• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
• Student Health & Wellness
• Dalhousie Remote Working: Mental Health Resources
• Doctors Nova Scotia: Professional Support Program
• Psychology works for COVID-19: Psychologists giving back to front line service providers
• EFAP Crisis Line: 1-844-751-2133
• Nova Scotia Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-888-429-8167
• Fredericton Mental Health Crisis Line: 506-453-2132
• Moncton Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-866-771-7760
• Saint John Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-888-811-3664
• New Brunswick Medical Society: 506-875-6749

On that note, I would like to thank everyone for your continued patience, enthusiasm, and dedication as we move to virtual academic programming for much of our work.  This has not been a simple or easy transition for many, and I have listed a number of supports at the end of the blog to assist those who need help during this incredibly challenging and unique period in our lifetime.

I wish all our incoming students, the Class of 2024, as well as our returning students a safe and happy Fall.