Perspectives - Faculté de médecine

décembre 2003
Vol 9, No. 4
Perspectives
Setting Directions
We continue to move along in this important exercise. To date, I have visited upwards of
half of the departments to whom I have made formal presentations of Setting Directions
(that will soon be posted on our web site). I also have presented to the senior
administration teams of two of our affiliated teaching hospitals and I have made two
external presentations.
I would have to characterize the reception as varied. Most of the presentations have invited
polite interest. Several have elicited considerable interest and even enthusiasm. And the
occasional presentation has met with bored indifference. While it is the two former groups
that I prefer to think about it is essential that I deal with the issues that do not trigger an
engagement on the part of some of my colleagues. Of course, to a very significant degree,
this is one of the reasons why the whole exercise is important in itself.
To date there have been two retreats of the Steering Group and members of Faculty
Advisory Board. We have made significant advances in developing a communications
strategy coupled with the identification of a number of key questions that will initiate a
discussion about the Faculty and the University, on the one hand, and about being a
faculty member, on the other.
One of the issues that keeps coming up, however, is the need to infuse the exercise with a
feeling of urgency; people will not opt for change – assuming change is required – unless
there is a compelling reason to do so. This is the so-called burning platform scenario. The
situation is so bleak that one is left with two highly undesirable choices – to stay on the
burning platform in the hopes that either the fire will burn itself out and you will be safe or;
to jump off the platform into the icy sea below with the hope that you will be saved from the
fire (only to drown). As Woody Allen has so aptly stated:
More than at any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads
to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we
have the wisdom to choose wisely.
Will Rogers put it in a slightly different way:
Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
I have some difficulty in framing such an important discussion in such bleak terms. Further,
none of these scenarios leaves much in the way of free will or of our ability to anticipate
and correct our course as we mover forward. Rather, everyone seems to think that we must
react to an unforgiving external reality.
In other words, we don’t own our own future. And that is very disconcerting for an exercise
such as Setting Directions. To be sure, there is an external environment that is often
inhospitable and even more frequently uncertain. The important message is not what the
external environment will do to us, but what we will do after considering what the external
environment means to us.
We are primary actors in our future. If we begin to act as a collective entity whose response
is greater and more effective than the sum of our individual responses, then how we decide
to define our desired future, how we elect to relate to our external environment and how we
choose to anticipate whatever uncertainties will face us, will become, in my view, self
evident. No longer will we consider ourselves at risk in the face of surprises or shortfalls
but we will be able to respond and build confidently.
So in addition to planning our consultation approach to our colleagues, we are beginning to
consider some scenarios that we can put before faculty members, students and support
staff that we hope will elicit considered reflection about possibilities, scenarios and options
that will allow us to come to a robust and informed conclusion as to our desired future.
There are those of us, who during an exercise such as this, want to get on with things
quickly. Most people also want to move past the intangible stage to deal with the concrete
even more quickly. My major imperative is to spend the right amount of time at each stage
of this process to engage each of you appropriately and seriously.
There are a number of exciting opportunities that face us. But they are not for the faint
hearted and their success is not, by any means, guaranteed. We can let ourselves be
intimidated or immobilized by the scope and magnitude of the challenges and opportunities
ahead. Or, as someone said to me the other day, we can look at the current state of our
research funding – now over $105m – and consider why it is not $50-60m higher.
I believe we should be looking at all our activities in exactly the same way. This is precisely
what I expect Setting Directions will allow us to do.
Dr. Miriam
Levitt
Welcome to Miriam Levitt, our new Faculty Research
Facilitator. Miriam comes to us from the Institute of
Child Health where she served as Vice President,
Research, Policy and Programs. Dr. Levitt is a member
of the Easter Seals March of Dimes National Council
and is a member of the Expert Group for the Canadian
Institute for Health Information special report on
Canada’s Mothers and Babies: Their Health and
Health Care.
Dr. Levitt received her PhD in Politics and the Life
Sciences at Northern Illinois University. Prior to her
position at the Institute of Child Health she held
teaching and research positions at Northern Illinois
University, Mercer University School of Medicine,
Georgia Southern University and the University of Cincinnati.
As Research Facilitator, Miriam Levitt works in the Office of the Vice Dean, Research to
work closely with faculty members in the promotion and development of the Faculty’s
research capabilities through the preparation of competitive single and multiple investigator
operating grant applications to major funding agencies and provision of advice and
assistance to investigators in the preparation of grants to the Canada Foundation for
Innovation, the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, and for Canada
Research Chair and Premier’s Research Excellence Awards. She also will collaborate with the
University’s Technology Transfer and Business Enterprise to identify and develop
opportunities for research collaboration with industry and commercialization of research
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 2
discoveries. Finally, she will establish contacts with the Ontario Centres of Excellence, the
federal Networks of Centres of Excellence and similar organizations to enhance participation
of our faculty members in these funding opportunities.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Levitt to the Faculty of Medicine.
Awards of
Excellence
December 3, 2003 will see the annual Faculty Awards of Excellence in the Atrium/Foyer of
Pavillon Guindon. This annual awards ceremony was initiated in 1990 to recognize and
celebrate the outstanding contributions and achievements of our students, our colleagues
and our support staff. This year we will recognize the following individuals for their
contributions:
Awards of Excellence
Bonnie Landon, Department of Pediatrics
Martin Marion, MedEd, Faculty of Medicine
Diane Dinelle, Administration, Faculty of Medicine
Gordon Wallace, Department of Emergency Medicine, MedEd
Marie-France Tourigny-Rivard, Psychiatry
Leo Renaud, Department of Medicine
Young Professor
Shawn Aaron, Department of Medicine
Mentoring Award
George Wells, Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine
Architect Award
Susan Tolnai and Vladimir Sistek
Clinical Teacher Award
André Péloquin, Department of Medicine
In addition, the Faculty will salute the outstanding academic achievements of our
undergraduate medical students and recognize our graduate students who participate in the
Let’s Talk Science Program.
The
Complete
Picture
In September’s issue of Perspectives I briefly described some of the characteristics of the
entry class of 2003, Meds 2007. To introduce them a little further I present the following
observations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
there were fully 2,447 applications for the 123 MoHLTC positions at the University
of Ottawa
there are 85 (69%) women and 38 (31%) men in the MoHLTC funded part of the
class
while the majority (88%) of this cohort hails from Ontario, students also come from
Québec, Nova Scotia, Alberta and New Brunswick
our Centre national de formation en santé students come from New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, British Columbia and Manitoba
our final class is made up of 5 individuals from the armed forces. These individuals
hail from Ontario (3), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 3
The entry class is so large this year that
some lectures need to be given in the
atrium of Pavillon Guindon. Here, Jacob
Karsh explains the principles of
immunology.
7.
8.
81 (65.9%) of the entrants identified English as their first language. 29 (23.6%) of
the students identified French as their mother tongue while 13 (10.6%) indicated a
mother tongue other than French or English. When the 8 CNFS students are
added, fully 28.2% of the entry class are francophone, studying in French
Fully 30% of the entry class arrived after Master’s or PhD degree, an all time high
our MoHLTC students have a broad demographic background:
a. fully 41.6% of our 2003 entrants spent their adolescent years in
communities of less than 100,000. Only 22% came from cities larger than
500,000 population. Compare this to the Ontario averages of 35.8 and
32.5%, respectively. The University of Ottawa recruits students from
smaller communities.
50
45
40
% of 2003 entry class
6.
35
30
Ottawa
Ontario
25
20
15
10
5
0
SW
b.
Central
GTA
E
NE
NW
Not Ontario
these students come from all over Ontario. The University of Ottawa has
the highest recruitment from eastern and northern Ontario and the lowest
intake from the GTA.
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 4
Meds 2007 is an impressive group of young women and men. They come from different
backgrounds and from different places. They have indicated their enthusiasm for a career in
profession and they have shown their confidence in us as teachers to provide them with
the learning environment, with the tools and with the mentorship so that they, after their
four years of undergraduate medical education at the University of Ottawa, they will take
their rightful place as exemplary members of our profession.
Review of the
Department
of Radiology
In accordance with Faculty policies and those of the affiliated teaching hospitals, there will
be an external academic review of the Department of Radiology. Two external reviewers, Dr.
Patrice Bret, Radiologist-in-Chief at University Health Network and Professor of Radiology
at the University of Toronto and Dr. Richard Baron, Chair of the Department of Radiology at
the University of Chicago, have agreed to assist us in this endeavour.
The review will be chaired by Dr. Eric Poulin, Chair of the Department of Surgery. The
review will take place on December 10-11, 2003.
1st Annual
Innovations
and Best
Practice in
Postgraduate
Medical
Education
Forum
The 1st Annual Innovations and Best Practice in Postgraduate Medical Education Forum will
be held on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 in Amphitheatre B of Pavillon Roger Guindon,
451 Smyth Road from 14h00 to 16h00.
Registration is free and all faculty members, residents and fellows are invited. Please
contact the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education ([email protected] or 562.5413).
The program will include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
KOALA Project – Highlights of the project, Michael Fung-Kee-Fung,
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Timely & Relevant Education on End-of-Life Care, Pippa Hall, Palliative Care
Evaluation of the Resident in the Ambulatory Care Rotation, Stephanie Hoar,
Applying CanMEDS roles to the evaluation of teaching staff, Jolanta
Karpinski, Nephrology
Would residents prefer a central interview for PGY4 Nephrology training
positions?, Jolanta Karpinski, Nephrology
Awards will also be presented to the recipients of the 1st Annual Excellence in Postgraduate
Education Awards for their high quality and innovative postgraduate education. Recipients
are:
Pierre Cardinal, Critical Care
Jolanta Karpinski, Nephrology
Ronald Gerridzen, Urology
Centraide/
United Way
The annual campaign for Centraide/United Way has been very successful. Overall, the
University exceeded its target of $300,000 by over 2%. I am proud to say that the Faculty of
Medicine also exceeded its objective of $23,000 by a full 19.7%. Over $27,500 was
contributed by faculty members and support staff. To everyone who gave generously,
whether through the Faculty campaign or through other avenues, I want to express my
sincere thanks. I also want to express my appreciation to Heather Pardon (our Faculty
Campaign Coordinator), Josée Graveline, Shirley Purcell-Charron, Bruce Robin and Wayne
O’Brien. Finally, let us not forget the particular efforts of our medical students who mounted
a clothes drive for The Mission and St. Joe’s Women’s Centre.
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 5
Central Admin
Health Sciences
raised
Social Sciences
projected
Management
Science
Medicine
Arts
Alumni
0
10
20
30
40
$ (thousands)
Comparative performance of several University sectors in the 2003 United
Way / Centraide Campaign. The Faculty of Medicine was the 3rd largest
contributor to the University target.
Jennifer Soucie, VP Community Health of the
Aesculapian Society, and colleagues pull together
clothes for United Way/Centraide supported
agencies.
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 6
Doyen(ne)
adjoint(e),
Affaires
professionnelles
Appel de candidatures et déclarations d’intérêt
Le doyen adjoint ou la doyenne adjointe, Affaires professionnelles, occupe un poste clé
dans le cabinet du doyen et le titulaire doit posséder un style de leadership dynamique ainsi
que d’excellentes aptitudes à la communication. À titre de doyen adjoint ou de doyenne
adjointe, Affaires professionnelles, la personne retenue jouera un rôle prépondérant dans le
groupe du doyen. Elle devra élaborer et maintenir des relations étendues avec les autorités
internes et externes, y compris les présidents des départements et les hôpitaux affiliés.
Les affaires professionnelles englobent notamment la responsabilité pour tous les dossiers
relatifs aux membres du corps professoral. Le doyen adjoint ou la doyenne adjointe est
responsable de la politique de promotion et, de ce fait, doit collaborer à la promotion des
membres du corps professoral ainsi qu’à la mise en oeuvre continue du cheminement de
carrière qui a récemment été approuvé par le sénat de l’Université d’Ottawa pour le corps
professoral. Elle participera aux nominations au sein du corps professoral, aux comités de
recrutement, aux revues annuelles et au développement professionnel des membres du
corps professoral. Le Bureau des affaires professionnelles est responsable de l’application
de la politique sur la résolution de conflits. C’est en outre un des principaux services du
cabinet du doyen pour régler les plaintes, les litiges et les préoccupations relativement au
milieu de travail et d’étude.
Le doyen adjoint ou la doyenne adjointe, Affaires professionnelles, encadre le Bureau
d’équité en matière des sexes, le Programme de promotion de la santé à la faculté et le
Bureau de perfectionnement du corps professoral. Les trois directeurs et directrices
responsables de ces services relèvent du doyen adjoint ou de la doyenne adjointe qui, en
retour, relève de la vice-doyenne, Affaires scolaires.
Il est prévu que ce poste occupera entre 40 et 60 % de votre temps professionnel. Il s’agit
d’une nomination de 5 ans.
Les personnes intéressées sont priées d’envoyer leurs suggestions de nomination ou leur
curriculum vitae à Dre Rose Goldstein, vice-doyenne, Affaires scolaires, au plus tarde le 31
décembre 2003.
Assistant
Dean,
Professional
Affairs
Call for Nominations and Interest
Assistant Dean, Professional Affairs is a key position in the Dean’s Office and requires an
individual with dynamic leadership and excellent communication skills. As Assistant Dean,
Professional Affairs, the successful candidate will be a central member of the Dean’s Group,
and will be expected to develop and maintain extended relationships with internal and
external authorities, including Department Chairs and affiliated hospitals.
The portfolio of Professional Affairs includes responsibility for all issues related to
members of faculty. The Assistant Dean has responsibility for promotion policy, assisting
with faculty members’ promotions and on-going implementation of the Faculty Career Paths
which have recently been approved by University of Ottawa Senate. You will be involved
in faculty appointments, recruitment and search committees, annual reviews and career
development of faculty members. The Office of Professional Affairs has responsibility for
the Faculty’s conflict resolution policy, and is one of the major offices within the deanery to
handle complaints, issues and concerns related to the work and study environment.
The Assistant Dean, Professional Affairs oversees the Office of Gender and Equity Issues,
the Faculty Wellness Program, and the Office of Faculty Development. As such, the 3
Directors in these portfolios will report to the Assistant Dean. The Assistant Dean,
Professional Affairs reports to the Vice Dean, Academic Affairs.
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 7
This position is expected to entail a 40-60% of your full professional effort, and would be a
5 year appointment.
Suggestions for nominations and CV from interested faculty members should be sent to Dr.
Rose Goldstein, Vice Dean, Academic Affairs, on or before December 31, 2003.
Doyen(ne)
adjoint(e),
Recherche
Le titulaire de ce poste est responsable de l’évaluation interne des subventions, de
l’allocation d’espace, des installations animalières et de la technologie d’information au
Pavillon Roger Guindon, en plus de s’occuper des dossiers relatifs à la déontologie. Il
représente le Bureau de recherche en l’absence du vice-doyen de la recherche. Les objectifs
particuliers à ce poste comprennent la dotation relative à la conception de projets portant
particulièrement sur le mentorat, la préparation et l’évaluation interne de demandes de
subventions ainsi que la gestion de l’espace au PRG.
Les personnes chevronnées qui désirent participer au développement de la recherche au
sein de la Faculté de médecine sont invitées à communiquer avec le Dr Robert Haché, Vicedoyen désigné de la recherche, Faculté de médecine ([email protected]) de leur intérêt
avant le 10 décembre 2003.
Assistant
Dean
Research
Portfolio with responsibility for internal grant review, space, animal facilities and information
technology at Roger Guindon Hall as well as the ethics portfolio. To represent the Research
Office in the absence of the Vice Dean Research. Specific goals for this position include
provision for the development of specific projects in the areas of mentorship, grant
preparation and internal grant review and space management at RGH.
Experienced individuals with an interest in assisting in the development of the research
within the Faculty of Medicine in these areas should contact Dr. Robert Haché, Vice Dean
Research, Designate, Faculty of Medicine ([email protected]) of their interest by Dec. 10,
2003.
Doyen(ne)
adjoint(e),
Recherche,
Études
supérieures
et
postdoctorales
Assistant
Dean
Research,
Graduate
and
Postdoctoral
Studies
Le titulaire de ce poste est responsable de la surveillance et de la conception de
programmes de formation en recherche de deuxième et de troisième cycles à la Faculté de
médecine. Les objectifs particuliers à ce poste comprennent la direction de la conception et
de la mise en oeuvre de la planification stratégique en vue d’améliorer les programmes de
formation de deuxième et de troisième cycles de la faculté ainsi que la coordination du
transfert de diverses responsabilités administratives relatives aux programmes d’études
supérieures et postdoctorales de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales au
Bureau de recherche de la Faculté de médecine.
Les personnes qui participent à des programmes de recherche et qui seraient intéressées à
aider au développement de la recherche au sein de la Faculté de médecine sont invitées à
communiquer avec le Dr Robert Haché, vice-doyen désigné de la recherche, Faculté de
médecine ([email protected]) de leur intérêt avant le 10 décembre 2003.
Portfolio with responsibility for oversight and development of graduate and postdoctoral
research training programs within the Faculty of Medicine. Specific goals for this position
include leading the development and implementation of strategic planning aimed at
improving graduate training programs within the Faculty of Medicine and coordinating the
transfer of various administrative responsibilities for the graduate and postdoctoral training
programs from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to the Research Office of
the Faculty of Medicine.
Individuals with active research programs interested in assisting in the development of the
research within the Faculty of Medicine in these areas should contact Dr. Robert Haché,
Vice Dean Research, Designate, Faculty of Medicine ([email protected]) of their interest
by Dec. 10, 2003.
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 8
Conseiller(ère)
en recherche
clinique,
services de
santé et santé
des
populations
Le Bureau de recherche de la Faculté de médecine est à la recherche d’une personne
chevronnée pour conseiller le vice-doyen de la recherche sur des questions portant sur les
projets de recherche de la faculté dans les domaines clinique, des services de santé et de la
santé des populations. Ce poste offrira en outre des occasions d’élaborer des projets
particuliers en vue de faire avancer la recherche à la faculté.
Clinical,
Health
Services and
Population
Health
Research
Advisor
The Research Office of the Faculty of Medicine is seeking an experienced individual to
advise the Vice Dean Research on matters pertaining to the development of the Faculty’s
research enterprise in the areas of Clinical, Health Services and Population Health research.
There will also be the opportunity to develop specific projects to further the development
of the Faculty’s research enterprise within this portfolio.
Perspectives is a
publication of the Dean’s
Office of the Faculty of
Medicine at the University of Ottawa. It is
published monthly from
September through June
and is available by email
or on the web
(www.uottawa.ca/
academic/med).
To subscribe please
contact Julie Conrad at
562.5800.5643
Please send your
comments to:
[email protected]
Les personnes intéressées qui possèdent une vaste expérience de ces domaines de
recherche sont invitées à communiquer avec le Dr Robert Haché, vice-doyen désigné de la
recherche, Faculté de médecine ([email protected]) de leur intérêt avant le 10 décembre
2003.
Interested individuals with broad experience in these areas of research should contact Dr.
Robert Haché, Vice Dean Research, Designate, Faculty of Medicine ([email protected]) of
their interest by Dec. 10, 2003.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
JOYEUSES FÊTES!
Perspectives Vol. 9, No. 4, Page 9