W ith an estimated one millionpeople in Ontario alonewithout a family doctor,

with nearly 500 physicians throughoutthe country expected to retire in thenext two years, and with physiciansreducing the number of hours theywork as well as the scope of theirduties, the shortage of family physi-cians is front and centre in headlinesacross the nation.

Well documented, longstanding and long foreseen, this shortage of physicians is one of the stark realities facing Canadians, policymakers andeducators today. With the number offamily physicians dwindling and thegeneral population aging, the shortageof family doctors has become an urgentnational question; some even say it’sreached “crisis proportions.”

The five medical schools in Ontarioare well aware of the situation. At theUniversity of Ottawa’s Faculty ofMedicine, whose objective is to “turnout some of the best physicians andhealth researchers in the world,” what is being done to help alleviatethe situation?

ON THE BRINK OF AMAJOR EXPANSIONThis question is currently undergoingtight scrutiny with the release of theNational Physician Survey (NPS) lastmonth. One of the authors of thisresearch is Dr. Nick Busing, Chair ofthe Department of Family Medicine,who acted as Consulting Director tothe College of Family Physicians ofCanada on this specific study. In otherwords, the University of Ottawa has

a clear idea of what needs to be donein response to this situation.

Dean Peter Walker recently discussedthese questions on CFRA-AM. Whenasked if the Faculty of Medicine hadopened spaces as a result of additionalfunding, he explains that enrolmentin 2004 was up to 123, a significantincrease compared to 15 years ago. Headds that of the 114 students who parti-cipated in CaRMS, the Canadian resi-dency selection process, 39% of thoseobtaining positions in the first roundof the process chose family medicineas their career path. This speaks to thehigh quality of family medicine under-graduate education, role modelling andmentoring at the University of Ottawa.The University has been a nationalleader for over 10 years in having thehighest percentage of graduating students choosing Family Medicine.

Dr. Busing completes the picture:“We’re on the brink of a major expan-sion. We will be increasing the numberof recidency positions in family medicine from 31 to 40 for September2005, and to 42 for 2006. Also, we’ve notonly created 10 positions for interna-tional medical graduates this year, we’llhave 13 international graduate posi-tions thereafter, on an on-going basis.”

This increase in available positionswill be possible thanks to the highlyawaited injection of $10 million infamily physician training, announcedby Jim Watson, Minister of Consumerand Business Services, on March 11.This funding, to be distributed betweenthe five Ontario medical schools, willhelp create a total of 141 new familymedicine residency positions by 2006,which will result in 337 more familydoctors ready for practice by 2008.

With the additional funding received,the Department of Family Medicinewill be able to increase support fortraining residents and go ahead withmajor renovations and capital expen-ditures. Dr. Busing adds, “we’re alreadyaddressing structural problems to stimulate recruitment of medical students. We’re supporting the creationof inter-disciplinary teams, known as

Family Health Teams, and are send-ing more residents into communitypractices to get more and better qual-ity hands-on training.”

A LONG ROAD AHEADThis being said, both Drs. Walker andBusing recognize that it’s a long roadahead to redressing the situation. In theearly 1990s, medical school enrolments

were cut, as well as the number of foreign-trained doctors allowed to practice in Canada, many family physicians retired, and the one-yearfamily medicine residency program wasextended to two years. These factorsproved a recipe for the current situation.

The Dean’sPerspectiveReaching New Heights

Shave-for-a-Cure 2005S.O.S. spreadshappiness

MAR. 2005

BuddingDoctorsHigh school studentslearn the basics at Montfort Hospital

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Family Medicine, page 2

Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa

These first year students from the French medical studies program had a glimpse of what it would be like to be a professor of medicine. They shared their knowledge and skills with a group of high-school students during a two-day mini-class of introduction to medicine, at Montfort Hospital, on March 3 and 4.

“We will be increasing the number of recidency positions in family medicine from 31 to 40 forSeptember 2005, and to 42 for 2006. Also, we’ve not only created 10 positions for international medicalgraduates this year, we’ll have 13 international graduate positions thereafter, on an on-going basis.”– Dr Nick Busing, Chair, Departement of Family Medicine

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THE DEAN’S MESSAGE

New HeightsA s I sit in my office composing

these words, I can look outsideand watch the progress on the

construction of the expansion to Roger-Guindon Hall. This 98,000 sq. ft. expan-sion on four floors is central to the futureof our medical school as it will providemuch needed space to accommodate newscientists and their laboratories. Severalof our new colleagues have arrived or areabout to arrive and many more will bejoining us as part of an unprecedentedwave of recruitment in the basic sciencedepartments. I am excited about theirquality and about the opportunities forthe invigoration of our intellectual envi-ronment that they will bring.

I am reminded of the recent release ofthe results for the 2003-2004 grant cycleof the Canadian Institutes of HealthResearch (CIHR). According to theirfigures, investigators at the Universityof Ottawa and its affiliated institutionsreceived $30.9 million in peer reviewedfunding. This amount ranked us in6th place nationally (behind Toronto,McGill, Montréal, British Columbiaand Alberta) and 2nd place provincially(behind Toronto). This picture is beginning to be a sustained one. Whatwas surprising and particularly gratifyingwas the fact that, in terms of CIHRexpenditures per award, we ranked 1stin the country with $105,000 per award.Compare this to the national average of$82,000 per award.

What does this mean? I believe thisoutstanding performance reflects twothings. The first is that our researchenterprise is growing and its overallquality is recognized at the highestlevel of funding in Canada. The secondis that the funding per award reflects, in my humble opinion, the fact that we have a significant number of outstanding investigators; in otherwords, the data reflects the quality ofthe researchers. I also have the suspi-cion—although I cannot yet prove it—that the changes also reflect our decision,at least in part, to focus our researchefforts rather than cover the water-front. As we move forward I will tryand address that particular propositionmore directly.

In any event, we should rejoice inthese numbers, as they show that weare on the move. And with the arrivalof so many new and talentedresearchers, our performance shouldcontinue to improve. ■

Names in the News…AWARDS OF EXCELLENCEOn December 15, the Faculty of Medicine held its 14th annualAwards of Excellence ceremony, which honours the accomplishmentsof students, faculty members and personnel. The following individualsreceived an Award of Excellence: Dr. Wayne Barry (Anesthesia), Mrs. Karen Jardine (Cancer Research Group), Mr. Daniel Levac (CAO,Faculty of Medicine), Dr. Ruth McPherson (Medicine and Bio-chemistry, Microbiology & Immunology), and Dr. Brian Weitzman(Emergency Medicine). The Young Professor Award went to Dr. HeidiMcBride (Pathology & Laboratory Medicine), while Dr. BarbaraVanderhyden (Cellular & Molecular Medicine and Obstetrics &Gynecology) won the Mentorship Award. The Architect Award wasgiven to a team of three individuals, Drs Nadia Mikhael, Jeff Turnbulland Bill Wood. In commemoration of Dr. André Péloquin, whopassed away a year ago, and of his exceptional contributions to theacademic life of the Faculty, a prize in his name was created. Therecipient of the inaugural André Péloquin Award for Excellence inClinical Teaching was given to Dr. Tony Weinberg (Medicine).

Architect Award recipients, Drs. Jeff Turnbull, Bill Wood and Nadia Mikhael, honoured for the exceptional work theyhave accomplished in the design and implementation of theFaculty’s new medical curriculum..

MR. BRUCE H. SWAN

On January 1, 2005 Mr. Swan was appointedPresident and CEO of theRoyal Ottawa HealthCare Group. Mr. Swan has

more than 27 years of direct experiencein senior positions in a number of health-care organizations across Canada, predo-minantly in the western provinces. He waspreviously Executive Director of MentalHealth for the Calgary Health Region.

DR. PETER WALKERAt the annual meeting of the AmericanAssociation for Medical Colleges inBoston, held last November, Dean PeterWalker was awarded the Society forExecutive Leadership in AcademicMedicine (SELAM) Award for Excellence.Dr. Walker received this award for hiscommitment and tangible support tothe advancement and promotion ofwomen to executive positions in academichealth professions.

DR. MAMTA GAUTAMDr. Mamta Gautam,MD’85, will receive one of five 2004 CouncilAwards from The Collegeof Physicians and Sur-

geons of Ontario. This award honoursoutstanding Ontario physicians whohave demonstrated excellence and comeclosest to meeting society’s vision of an“ideal physician.” Dr. Gautam wasfounding Director of our FacultyWellness Program and initiator ofPhysician Appreciation Day in Ottawa.

MR. ROBERT HANLON

Mr. Hanlon, OHRI’sChief Operating Officer,received the Ottawa LifeSciences Council Entre-preneur Award. Usually

reserved to private sector leaders, thisaward was given to Mr. Hanlon in recognition of his role in the successfuldevelopment of the Institute and thecommercialization of StemPath andColey Pharmaceuticals, two new biotechcompanies that have originated atOHRI. Mr. Hanlon graduated from theUniversity of Ottawa with degrees inBiology and in Health Administration.

DR. ANTOINE HAKIMDr. Hakim, Professor and Chair ofNeurology and Director of OHRI’sNeuroscience Research Institute, hasbeen awarded the Ottawa Life SciencesCouncil Career Achievement Award inrecognition of his stroke research andhis foresight and efforts to develop theCanadian Stroke Network. Dr. Hakim isCEO and Scientific Director of theCanadian Stroke Network, and SeniorDirector of the Heart and StrokeFoundation Centre for Stroke Recovery.

DR. MERIDITH MARKS Dr. Marks, Medicine,received a 2005 Universityof Ottawa Excellence inEducation Award. Thishonour recognizes edu-

cators of exceptional quality, who provide outstanding teaching whilemaintaining a solid research program.

DR. JACQUES BRADWEJN

Dr. Bradwejn, Professorand Chair of Psychiatry,was elected Chairman of the Association ofChairs of Psychiatry

of Canada (ACPC). Dr. Bradwejn is also Chief Psychiatrist at the RoyalOttawa Health Care Group and Head ofPsychiatry at The Ottawa Hospital.

DR. LEONARD MALERDr. Maler, Cellular & MolecularMedicine, was named University ofOttawa Distinguished Professor. This designation recognizes unusualscholarly achievement and preeminencein a particular field of knowledge. Only 10 such professorships are to be held at one time; Dr. Maler is the University’s 7th DistinguishedProfessor.

PASSAGES...DR. ROCH HENRI LECOURSDr. Roch Henri Lecours, MD’54passed away on February 5 atthe age of 76.

DR. JOSEPH ANTHONY HINKEDr. Joseph Anthony Hinkepassed away on December 31,2004. Dr. Hinke served asChairman of the Departmentof Anatomy from 1977 to 1987.

SOLD OUT AGAIN!Have you ever wondered what itwould be like to go to medicalschool? You now have an opportu-nity through the University ofOttawa’s Mini Medical School! Mini Medical Schools began overten years ago and are now a popu-lar feature of many universitiesacross Canada and the United-States. This innovative programoffers the general public a uniqueseries of lectures on medicine and health, given by some of the best speakers of the Faculty of Medicine.

After the overwhelming success ofits inaugural program in 2004,Ottawa’s Mini Medical School is nowbeing offered every Spring and Fallthrough the Faculty of Medicine’sOffice of Continuing Medical

Education. Sessions are now availablein both French and English.

This year’s Spring series, whichlaunches on March 31 and will runfor six consecutive Thursday evenings,will provide a general overview ofthe human body. Each week willfocus on a different organ system(e.g. the heart, the lung). MiniMedical School is proving so popularthat the English series sold out inless than 2 days! At time of writing,there were still places left in theFrench program. In the next Fall ses-sion, focus will be on specific diseasesor conditions (e.g. diabetes, arthritis).

Think about enrolling in our nextMini Medical School. You may notget a license to practice medicine,but you will learn a lot about thehuman body: how it works… anddoesn’t! And you’ll have lots of funwhile you’re learning!

For more information, please call (613) 798-5555, ext. 19551, or visit www.minimed.uottawa.ca.

The NPS survey indicates that acrossthe country, 25% of the 21,000 physi-cians surveyed plan on reducing theirweekly work hours over the next twoyears, whereas 6% of physician respon-dents plan to retire, and slightly lessthan 5% plan to relocate to anothercountry. In addition, according to thissurvey, more than 60% of family physicians are limiting their number of new patients, while 50% of thoseaged 35 or less are simply not accepting new patients.

At the University of Ottawa, theFaculty of Medicine has been preparingyoung doctors to serve their communi-ties and urging politicians to act foryears. They are also aware that in thenext 20 years, the population ofOntario is expected to increase byalmost 25%, and the elderly population

by 70%. There is a definite need toincrease the number of trained physi-cians. The announced increases in fam-ily medicine positions are far fromresponding to the needs of communi-ties, but they are great strides in theright direction.

These statistics put into clear perspective the major role that theDepartment of Family Medicine is poised to play for our communities. Much emphasis is put nowadays on high-calibre scientific research—and we arevery proud of our health researchers’ground-breaking achievements—butlet it not overshadow the fundamentalrole of family physicians and familymedicine, and the clinical applicationsof scientific research. This, after all, is what is at the very core of our individual and collective well-being. ■

Family Medicinecontinued from page 1 School

MedicalMini

O n January 28, during an Ottawa67s hockey game at theOttawa Civic Centre, 25

Faculty of Medicine students, parentsand staff members took the plunge andhad their heads shaved in support ofpediatric cancer research.

Among these brave, and now baldindividuals, were a couple of fearless

leaders, namely Dean Peter Walker and Chief Administrative Officer DanielLevac. Shave-for-a-Cure organizers hadissued a challenge to Dean Walker, whoaccepted, provided that Daniel Levacalso take part in the ritual, and organi-zers raise $10,000 in pledges.

Perhaps Dean Walker thought theseconditions would save him from the

barber’s chair, but that would have beenunderestimating the ingeniousness ofhis students and staff. Not only didDaniel Levac accept the challenge, butthe Faculty created its own CuttingEdge Committee to raise pledges, and a special incentive was added—thelargest single donor would be wieldingthe scalpel.

In the end, the money was raised, andhair fell. Over $25,000 was collected,more than twice as much as last year! Itmust be said that Dean Walker andDaniel Levac shed it all with grace andgood humour. Commenting on theexperience, Mr. Levac expresses noregrets for his lost locks. “It’s really asmall gesture for a great cause. I must

point out however that I was hoping forcomparisons to Vin Diesel. So far, I’veonly heard comparisons to Gollum andthose Mutant Ninja Turtles…”

SMILING OVER SICKNESSShave-for-a-Cure is organized bySmiling Over Sickness (S.O.S.), amulti-university organization foundedin 1999 at McMaster University. The group is now one of the largestclubs on McMaster, Waterloo andUBC campuses, and is growing by leaps and bounds at the Universityof Ottawa.

Their mandate is straightforward:making sick children smile. StephannieMacDonell, a leader of S.O.S., explains,“To fulfill this mandate, we hold thisannual fundraiser and we volunteer inthe community to help bring smiles tochildren who are going through diffi-cult times. We have 34 medical studentswho volunteer at Bereaved Families ofOttawa, Interval House, and CHEO.”

She adds, “Our goal is to help childrenboth now and in the future. Our fund-raising allows us to contribute to future smiles.”

The creation of S.O.S. sparked withthe story of Zulaika Shamsuddin, who passed away from cancer. Whilebattling the disease, she greatly reliedon the enthusiasm and comfort of her family and friends. The memory she leaves behind is the permanentsmile on her face. Zulaika was the bestfriend of Alisha Kassam, who becamean S.O.S. founder while an under-graduate student at McMasterUniversity. Alisha carried Zulaika’ssmile with her from McMaster to theUniversity of Ottawa, where she isnow a 3rd year medical student.

“Sick children need to be able to find reasons to smile,” notesStephannie. “Our volunteers have suchenergy, enthusiasm, and dedication tothis simple mission that when the nightis over, everyone leaves smiling.” ■

Challenges were accepted, donations were collected, and hair fell... At the end of the day, more than $25 000 was raised for pediatric cancer research. More than twice as much as last year !

Dr. Sophia Hrycko, Department of Child Psychiatry at CHEO, made the single largest donation to Shave-for-a-Cure and was handed the shears. Will roles be reversed next year?...

SEXUALITY, WOMENAND DOCTORS2005 Hannah ChairPublic Lecture SeriesThe Hannah Chair of the Historyof Medicine launched its winter2005 noon-hour Public LectureSeries. For two decades, thisyearly series has offered the general public and medical students the opportunity toattend scholarly presentationson the history of medicine. This year’s series is entitled“Sexuality, Women and Doctors.”Five lectures were already given,but it is still possible to attendthe next two scheduled withinthe series.

On April 1, Cynthia Toman will give a talk entitled “WarIdentity & Canadian MilitaryNurses,” and on April 8, CharlesHayter will speak on the topic of“Songs, Satire & Sex: MedicalStudent Shows.”

All are welcome to attend these lectures, at 12:30 in room2012 of Roger-Guindon Hall, and to bring their lunch (coffeeand cookies will be served). Formore information on the activities of the Hannah Chair of the History of Medicine, pleasevisit www.medicine.uottawa.ca/medhistory or call (613) 562-5482.

Dr. Walker and Mr. Levac received moral support from Shave-for-a-Cure organizers, Stephannie MacDonell and Lesleigh Abbott.

Faculty of Medicine alumni and friends rise to the challenge set by the University of Ottawa’s Campaign forCanada’s university. Demonstrating their generosity, theyare supporting the Faculty, and the University, in theirefforts to attract and support students, recruit andretain gifted researchers and educators, and rejuvenatelabs and buildings. The following investments all contributeto the University’s $200 million goal.

As part of their 50th reunion, slated for October, classes of1955A and 1955B are preparing special gifts. The first ofthese was made in 2003 by Dr. Stanley Oleksiuk, MD ’55B, who established a bequest in the name of theUniversity of Ottawa, creating the Daze-Oleksiuk Scholar-ship in Medicine. In 2004, Dr. Robert Bociek, MD ’55B,made a contribution to the existing Bociek Family Bursary.In January 2005, the Meds ’55 Student Scholarship wasestablished, thanks to a gift by Dr. James Wiley, MD ’55B.Finally, Dr. Chaz Lalonde, MD ’89, made a gift in memoryof his father, Dr. Charles Lalonde, MD ’55A, which will helpcreate an ObGyn Education Resource Centre.

The class of 1965 alumni will also be celebrating animportant event in October, their 40th reunion. Since 2000,21 members of this class have raised more than $40,000and recently established the Meds 65 scholarship. Dr. EileenAlexander (Nazuruk MD ’65) has made an additionalcontribution to the Dr. G. J. Alexander Memorial Award,and Dr. Frank Keary, MD ’65, has made a major donationin support of ACANGO, a research network for NGOsand Canadian academic institutions.

Dr. Peter Tanguay, MD ’60, created the Tanguay FamilyFund in support the Academy for Innovation in MedicalEducation (AIME), which will promote medical education inCanada and North America, charting and developing newapproaches in medical pedagogy.

In 2004, during their 40th reunion celebration, the classof 1964 received special honours for their continuedsupport to the Faculty of Medicine. An example was theadditional donation to the Nancy Gormley RN StudentBursary, made by Dr. Robert Gormley, MD ’64.

Other Scholarships recently created for medical studentsinclude the Emily Frenkel Summer Research Award, theAngela Kramer Student Award in Thrombosis Research,the Dr. Walter Hendelman Scholarship in Neuroscience,and the Donald Potvin, MD ’83, Memorial Scholarship.

Organizations and individuals have complemented the gifts received from alumni. The new ParkinsonResearch Consortium (PRC), a joint initiative of theUniversity and The Ottawa Hospital through the OttawaHealth Research Institute, received major support fromParkinson Society Ottawa, the Kiwanis MedicalFoundation and several individual families. Spearheadedby the Kanata branch of ScotiaMcLeod Inc., theScotiaMcLeod Student Leadership Modules were established to provide comprehensive programs in theareas of wellness, career advancement, financial mana-gement and projects within the greater Ottawa community. The Geza Hetenyi Memorial Studentship inthe History of Medicine received additional support fromfriends and families and from the Associated MedicalServices Inc.

The Faculty of Medicine considers itself fortunate to beworking alongside these exceptional individuals and orga-nizations. All our benefactors should be proud, not only of their contributions, but more importantly for setting an inspiring example and challenging others to follow theirlead. For more information on supporting the Faculty ofMedicine, please call Susan W. Smith, (613) 562-5800, ext. 8434, susans@uottawa.ca.

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS SHOW REMARKABLE GENEROSITY

SUPPORT TO THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE

Hair today… gone tomorrow

MedScene

T he Bureau des affaires franco-phones (BAF), created in 1995to develop the French medical

studies program, invests great effort inpromoting the medical professionamong francophone high school students. In doing so, the BAF hascome up with a number of innovativeprojects. Take for instance their “mini-cours d’introduction à la médecine,”launched in 1997.

Every year, these mini intro classes tomedicine are offered to high school students, from various Ontarian schoolboards, who are interested in sciencesor medicine. Quite often, this experi-ence has the effect of transforming aninterest in science into a real vocation.

The most recent session took placeon the 3rd and 4th of March at theMontfort Hospital. A total of 49 stu-dents had the opportunity to spend twodays in the shoes of a medical student.Rami Courtemanche, of Garneau highschool, explains why he enrolled: “I’mplanning on going to medical schoolafter completing a BA in nursing. Iwanted to take this class to have a betteridea of what studying medicine is like –the workshops, the labs, the clinics...”

Students were able to have thisglimpse into the medical classroom, bytaking part in teaching labs on systems(cardiovascular, respiratory, locomotiveand reproductive), in problem-solvingsessions, in technical workshops (bloodpressure, ear and eye exams, ausculta-tion), and in simulated clinics. Theyparticularly liked the sessions where

they could roll up their sleeves and getdown to business, learning how to pre-pare stitches or a cast for instance. Eventhough this mini-class was of only twodays, students were quite impressed. “Ialways wanted to work in heathcare, butI never actually considered becoming adoctor. Now that I’ve taken this class, I’mactually thinking about it,” says DanielleTétrault of Louis-Riel high school.

These mini-classes are prepared andtaught by the first year students of the

French medical studies program. Afterall, who better to inspire high schoolstudents than these fine emerging doc-tors? According to Yolande Chénier,who coordinates this project along withDr. Manon Denis, the contribution ofthe medical students is invaluable “theyare our best ambassadors; the contactbetween them and the high school students couldn’t be better. In a way,our students are living proof that med-ical studies are available to all – to menand women, from rural, urban, wealthyor modest backgrounds. They help todemystify the medical profession.”

In fact, many high school studentsfound that the breaks between sessionswere just as instructive as the sessionsthemselves; these moments were theideal occasion to chat with their mentors,on a one-to-one basis. Rami comments,“Through this program, we are learningtheoretical aspects of medicine, butmost importantly, we are spending timewith med students. They tell us abouttheir own experiences, they explain howthey made it to where they are, and theygive us valuable advice. This interactionis as important as the workshops, per-haps even more so.”

The experience was just as rewardingfor our medical students, who learned acrucial dimension of the medical pro-fession: the transfer of knowledge.According to Philippe Daas, “it was funto take on the role of teacher for thesetwo days, and sharing what we have

learned to date. The students are curious;it’s obvious that they are interested inwhat we are teaching them. We are givingthem something that they appreciate.”Melissa Lortie, who also taught themini-classes, adds, “It’s important toinform high school students – especiallythose who live outside of Ottawa – thatthere is a French medical studies programhere, in Ontario. If they wish to studymedicine in their mother tongue, it ispossible.”

Obviously, these efforts to raiseawareness are successful. Mrs. Chénierexplains, “Despite the fact that tuition feeshave tripled, the number of applicationsfor our French program has doubledsince the launch of this recruitmentactivity. Fifteen or so students from theclass of 2008 are actually alumni of mini-classes that the BAF has offered.”Indeed, Philippe and Melissa are amongthese alumni, as well as Steve Levasseur.“I was already interested in medicine,explains Steve, but the mini-class I tookgave me a clear idea of what studyingmedicine would be like, and thatencouraged to pursue in this field.”Philippe adds, “I also wanted to go tomed school, but it was the mini-classthat convinced me to come to theUniversity of Ottawa. At the time, theFrench program had just begun, I thinkthere were about 20 students then. We arenow 40. In five years, the program doubled in size and I believe the mini-classes contributed to this expansion.»

The increasing popularity of the Frenchprogram will hopefully help to counterthe current shortage of doctors, which isparticularly harsh within the franco-phone communities. The University ofOttawa and the Faculty of medicine arecommitted to addressing the needs of thefrancophone population, and the BAF’sinitiatives support this commitment. Byraising awareness among youth today,future generations of francophones willbe able to count on quality healthcare,delivered in French. When asked if it’simportant for them to be able to studyin French, the high school students areunanimous. Rami explains, “All my lifeI’ve studied in French, and naturally Iwant to continue my university studiesin French. I think that being bilinguallends a certain flexibility that will allowme to work in different environments.”Danielle adds, “In the field of health-care, I believe it is very important to treatand serve patients in the language of theirchoice, weather it is English or French.” Itseems that the future of healthcare inOntario is, after all, in very good hands. ■

4

“Although tuition fees have tripled, the number of applications has more than doubled since the inception of this recruitment activity. No less than a third of the students admitted to the French program in 2004 are ‘alumni’ of the BAF’s mini intro classes to medicine.”– Mrs. Yolande Chénier, Bureau des affaires francophones

F our new working groups wereestablished at the Faculty ofMedicine, proving that seeds

sown last year within the strategic plan of Setting Directions are begin-ning to bear fruit. Indeed, the face of academic medicine is slowly, but surely, evolving.

“Last year we reviewed our accom-plishments, summarized the lessons we have learned, and noted the challengeswe face,” explains Dr. Rose Goldstein,Vice Dean, Academic Affairs and Co-Chair of the Setting Directions SteeringCommittee with Dean Peter Walker.“This year, we are working on a vision forthe Faculty that will take us into the nextdecade. The plan is now in its secondphase, with very active involvement from

members of the University, hospitalsand the greater community.”

The Faculty of Medicine’s strategicplanning effort was discussed at lengthduring the 2004 spring retreat, whichattracted more than 100 faculty members,students, doctoral fellows, residents,administrators and staff from the Facultyand its affiliated teaching hospitals andresearch institutes. Working groups werecreated to focus on the four themes thatarose from this retreat. These will be studied over the next few weeks andtheir respective working groups will bepreparing recommendations for thespring 2005 consultation.

The themes are: “Training Physiciansfor Society’s Needs,” co-chaired by Dr. David Hawkins, Executive Director of

the Ottawa-based Association of Facultiesof Medicine of Canada, and Dr. MelanieMason, Department of Family Medicineand physician at the Élizabeth-BruyèreFamily Medicine Centre; “Commu-ni-cating our Worth,” co-chaired by Dr. Ruth Slack, Assistant Dean, Graduateand Postdoctoral Studies, and Mr. DavidMitchell, Vice-President UniversityRelations; “Exploring the Future:Research,” co-chaired by Drs. JeremyGrimshaw and Dennis Bulman, seniorscientists at the Ottawa Health ResearchInstitute; and “Building the BestEnvironment for all Members and Staff,”co-chaired by Dr. Frank Knoefel, Chiefof Staff and Vice-President of MedicalAffairs at the SCO Health Service, andDr. Sharon Whiting, Vice-President,

Academic Affairs, Chief of Staff andpediatric neurologist at the CHEO.

The Setting Directions SteeringCommittee encourages everyone to participate and comment throughout theprocess, by visiting the Setting DirectionsWebsite at www.medicine.uottawa.ca/eng/deans_gp.html, which contains descrip-tions of each working group’s underlyingprinciples, drivers, subthemes and projects.

“Receiving feedback is crucial to thisendeavor,” says Dr. Goldstein. “It is apriority for us to work in partnership andto express everyone’s ideas and concerns.”Please send your comments and ideas toDr. Goldstein(rgoldstein@uottawa.ca),Dean Peter Walker (pwalker@uottawa.ca),or to any member of the SteeringCommittee. ■

Setting Directions Working Groups for 2004-2005

Mrs. Lynn Arseneau, technician at Montfort’s orthopedics clinic, teaches the students how to put a cast.Following this demonstration, students were able to put their own skills to the test.

Budding Doctors at MontfortFaculty of Medicine students teach the ropes to a group of enthusiastic high-school students.

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In no time at all, Tima Azzi learns the trick of the trade and puts a perfect arm cast on her schoolmate, Nancy Maltez (both are from the Collège Samuel-Genest).