MUNMED inside vol. 23 no.3 4 Graduation awards 2011 14 Graduate student achievements 24 New faculty 37 Medical Graduates’ Reunion Faculty of Medicine summer/fall 2011
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MUNMEDin
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evol. 23 no.3
4 Graduation awards 201114 Graduate student achievements24 New faculty37 Medical Graduates’ Reunion
Faculty of Medicinesummer/fall 2011
MUNMED news
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MUNMED is published by the Division of Marketing and Communications and the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
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www.med.mun.ca
Med students to develop rural medicine interest groupThe shorTage of rural family physicians is a critical issue across Canada, and it’s an issue that three medical students at Memorial are prepared to tackle.
William Stokes, Fady Kamel and Lindsey Ward have received a $2,500 grant from the Canadian Medical Association Leadership Innovation Fund to start a Rural Medicine Interest Group at Memorial.
“Our goal is to increase the presence of medical student leaders from rural backgrounds,” explained Mr. Stokes. “The group will target, and foster the leadership potential of, undergraduate students at Memorial from rural origins who are considering careers in medicine.”
The three students have brainstormed a number of ideas to make this project successful. They plan to create learning modules with tooklkits containing equipment such as sutures and IV blood collection so rural students can pursue medical activities in their home communities. “If we target rural student leaders already at Memorial, they in turn can mentor high school and junior high school students in their home communities interested in medicine,” said Mr. Stokes. “These toolkits will enable the students in rural communities to have a hands-on experience with medicine.”
The Rural Medicine Interest Group will build a social network of medical students and students interested in medicine. It will also include lectures from guest speakers and interactions with rural leaders within the medical community.
“By building a mentorship network we hope to motivate and inspire rural students into pursuing medical careers,” said Ms. Ward. “We hope that with this established network, our group will become a contributing factor in increasing the number of rural physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Mr. Kamel said research has shown that rural medical students are more likely to choose family medicine as a career and to practice in Newfoundland and Labrador, including rural areas. “Unfortunately, rural students are subjected to higher financial and social barriers in applying to medical school compared to their urban counterparts. Our group’s goal is to help alleviate these barriers by creating a medical support network.”
Mr. Stokes said the success of this initiative lies in its long-term sustainability. “By establishing an executive for this program that includes both undergraduate and medical students, we are ensuring the program will continue for years to come. Ideally, undergraduates that apply and are accepted to medical school will continue to contribute to this initiative as executive members.”
The medical students are very excited about the opportunity to develop a Rural Medical Student Society with the help of the CMA Leadership Innovation Fund. “By generating interest amongst university pre-medical students, we hope that they will return home during their breaks throughout the year and further promote medicine in their respective communities,” said Mr. Kamel.
Cover photo: Dr. Anna Sanderson and Dean James Rourke at Convocation. Dr. Sanderson received the Drs. James and Leslie Rourke Dean’s Convocation Award in Medicine for 2011, awarded to a student who has made an outstanding personal contribution to bettering the lives of others through volunteer work and humanitarian acts while maintaining high academic standing.
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Excerpts from the dean’s address to the 2011 graduating class good evening new docTors, families, friends, teachers – this is a day to celebrate significant achievements. To our newest MDs: Your graduation as doctors is not only a high point for you individually, your families and friends, but it is also a high point for the medical school.
Four years ago the medical school was reviewing hundreds of outstanding applications. The Admission Committee saw great potential in each of you and they decided to send the offer of admission to you. You came from such a wide variety of wonderful backgrounds and work and commitment and all of you demonstrated a track record of achievement and a commitment to work hard and a desire to help others.
In clinical skills in first year you learned to take a history even when it contained very personal and delicate information, you learned to examine people expertly and sensitively and your knowledge skills and commitment grew and flourished.
And then we sent you all over Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and beyond for your clerkship rotations. Not only did you find the ability to manage all the things we threw at you but many did additional volunteer work from Gateway to many other activities. You have developed the ability to listen to all patients, respect their stories, understand their community and respond to their needs. Mark Twain commented, “Kindness is a language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.”1 That still rings true today.
Each class is unique. One of the things we observed about Meds 2011 is your ability to work together, to help each other and to do good. Medicine should not be a competitive sport but requires strong teamwork. Just over 100 years ago, in 1910, in addressing the graduating medical class of Rush Medical College, Dr. William James Mayo, one of the brothers who founded the Mayo Clinic, commented: “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered, and in order that the sick may have the benefit of advancing knowledge, union of forces is necessary.”2 This remains true today. I have no doubt that you, the members of the class of 2011, will put the patient’s interests ahead of your own – but you have also learned to work in interprofessional teams to improve care and share the load so you don’t burn out.
And now as you enter into your residency programs, you occupy a very special place. You are now MDs, but not yet independently licensed physicians. As you demonstrate increasing knowledge, skill and commitment to patient care, you will earn the trust of your patients and your teachers and in the privilege of caring for patients you will be given increasing responsibility.
I consider this to be my golden rule for physicians: “Strive to care for others as you would want to be cared for if you were in their situation; and work to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to enable you to do so.” Whatever your chosen specialty, wherever you may practice, take what you have learned here and apply it to improve humanity.
Let me close with this: Our future is in your knowledgeable heads, skilled hands, and caring hearts. All of the faculty and staff at Memorial, your parents, your families, your significant others, your friends and your future patients wish you every success. Be the best you can be. As Minor Myers Jr. said, “Go into the world and do well, but more importantly, go into the world and do good.”3
1. Mark Twain. Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2011. 29 June 2011. www.quotes.net/quote/1650 2. Clapesattle, Helen. The Doctors Mayo, copyright 1969; p.323.3. Quote by Minor Myers , Jr., president of Illinois Wesleyan University. Closing line used at his annual graduation speeches.
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aT This year’s graduaTion dinner and Dance, held May 26 at the Holiday Inn, the Class of 2011 celebrated with an evening of music by the MUNMED choir, speeches, and awards to members of the graduating class. The following evening the new class of doctors assembled in the main auditorium of the Faculty of Medicine for the traditional Shingles Night. For these 65 young men and women, the two days of ceremonies marked the transition from medical student to resident. For many it was time to say good-bye to classmates and wish each other well in the future.
Dr. Jim Connor, John Clinch Professor of Medical Humanities and History of Medicine, was a guest speaker at the graduation dinner. He spoke to the graduates about the role of humanities in medical education and involving students in the learning process. As teachers learn from students, so doctors should learn from patients. He said, “By learning from your patients you can enjoy learning and your learning will keep on going.”
Graduation awards 2011
Dr. Lesley Doody received the Medical Practice Associates Scholarship, presented by Dr. Michael Paul. This scholarship is made available by Medical Practice Associates, the business entity of the Faculty of Medicine, and is awarded to an outstanding student in the clinical clerkship. Dr. Doody also received the University Medal for Academic Excellence and the Prize in Surgery.
The Drs. James and Leslie Rourke Dean’s Convocation Award in Medicine was presented to Dr. Anna Sanderson by Dean Rourke. This award is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. James Rourke, dean of medicine, and Dr. Leslie Rourke. It is awarded to a student who has made an outstanding personal contribution to bettering the lives of others through volunteer work and humanitarian acts while maintaining high academic standing.
Dr. Dipinder Keer received the Dr. Henry Gault Memorial Scholarship, presented by Dr. Michael Paul. This scholarship is made available by the colleagues of Dr. Henry Gault and is awarded to a student who has demonstrated both interest in clinical research and academic excellence within internal medicine.
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Dr. Benjamin Shieh, right, received the Dr. Patrick J. Dobbin Memorial Bursary, presented by Dr. John Collingwood. This bursary is awarded by the Atlantic Provinces Medical Peer Review in recognition of Dr. Dobbin’s contribution to medicine in Newfoundland as a family physician and administrator for over 30 years.
Dr. Amy Sheaves, right, received the Mary Honeygold Scholarship/Bursary, presented by Dr. Tanis Adey, associate dean of undergraduate medical studies. This scholarship/bursary was established in memory of Mary Honeygold and her family. It is awarded to a student who has stated or demonstrated an interested in practicing medicine in rural Newfoundland upon graduation.
Dr. Heather O’Reilly, right, received the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada Student Book Award, presented by Dr. Tanis Adey. This book award is made available by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an interest in gastroenterology.
Dr. Chris Little received the Merck Sharpe & Dohme Award, presented by Dr. Tanis Adey. This award is provided annually by Merck Frosst to an outstanding student in clerkship.
Dr. Mark Spurrell received the William and Frances Pound Scholarship, presented by Dr. Tanis Adey. This scholarship is the result of a donation by Dr. Bernard So, a graduate of Memorial’s medical school, in recognition of the kindness and generosity shown to him by Mr. and Mrs. Pound during his years as a student at Memorial University.
Dr. Erica Edison received the Dr. Robert B. Salter Award, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy, clerkship co-ordinator for Undergraduate Medical Studies. This award is made available from income derived from an endowment supported through a gift from Dr. Robert B. Salter, professor and head of orthopedic surgery at the University of Toronto. It is awarded to a student who best exemplifies the qualities of compassionate and competent patient care and is also an outstanding student in clerkship.
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Dr. Nicholas Sowers, right, received a Hunter W. Earle Memorial Scholarships in Medicine, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy. Dr. Sowers also received the award from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). This award consists of a one-year subscription to the SAEM newsletter and a one-year resident/medical student membership in SAEM.
Dr. Russell Dawe, right, received an Amgen Canada Memorial University Family Medicine Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy.
Dr. Kate Hadley, right, received an Amgen Canada Memorial University Family Medicine Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy.
Dr. Matthew Sheppard, right, received a Hunter W. Earle Memorial Scholarships in Medicine, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy. These scholarships are funded from proceeds of a memorial fund established by colleagues of the late Dr. Hunter Earle. They are based on the characteristics of leadership, sportsmanship and interest in student activities.
Dr. Heather O’Dea, right, received an Amgen Canada Memorial University Family Medicine Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy.
The Cooze Keinath Scholarship was presented to Dr. Renelle Butt by Dr. Paul Dancey. This scholarship was established by Dr. Derek Cooze, a graduate of Memorial, and his spouse Dr. Kim Keinath. It is based on academic standings in both years 3 and 4.
Dr. Renelle Butt, right, received the Donald and Elizabeth Hillman Prize in Pediatrics, presented by Dr. Anne Drover. This prize is made available by the Discipline of pediatrics and is awarded to the most outstanding student in pediatrics.
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Dr. Amy Pieroway, right, received an Amgen Canada Memorial University Family Medicine Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy.
Dr. Vaishaali Manga received the Dr. Janice E. Lessard Scholarship in Geriatric Medicine, presented by Dr. Paul Dancey. This scholarship is made available from income derived from an endowment donated by Dr. Janice E. Lessard, an alumna of Memorial University. It is awarded to a student who has demonstrated a desire to improve the functional and social well-being of the frail and elderly.
Dr. Natalia Pittman received the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation Scholarship, presented by Dr. Gerard Farrell. This scholarship, awarded annually by the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation, is presented to a student who demonstrates clinical proficiency and an interest in oncology.
Dr. Erika Hansford, right, received the Dr. Francis L. O’Dea Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynecology, presented by Oonagh O’Dea. This scholarship was established in memory of Dr. Francis O’Dea and his work in obstetrics and gynecology. It is awarded to a student who has done outstanding work in this field.
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Dr. Gregory Jenkins, right, received a Dr. John M. Darte Memorial Fund award, presented by Christopher Rusted. These awards were established by Mrs. J.M. Darte and Mrs. Frances Darte McCabe in memory of Dr. John M. Darte, the first professor and chair of pediatrics.
Dr. Erika Chafe, right, received an Amgen Canada Memorial University Family Medicine Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy. To be eligible, candidates must be full-time medical students in their graduating year who have been accepted into the Family Medicine Residency Program at Memorial.
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Dr. Christopher Dicks, right, received the Dr. David G. Greenland Memorial Bursary in Family Medicine, presented by Danielle Nichols. This bursary is awarded to a student with demonstrated financial need and in good academic standing who has demonstrated dedication to the practice of family medicine by indicating the intention to do a family medicine residency. Preference is given to students from central Newfoundland.
Dr. Laura Hogan, right, received the Dr. Laura Hiscock Memorial Bursary, presented by Dr. Cathy Mann. This bursary is awarded annually to the medical student who, in addition to demonstrated financial need, best demonstrates the following qualities Laura Hiscock embodied: passion for life, devotion to family, work-life balance, selflessness, supportive of others and good sportsmanship.
Dr. Kaitlin Penney, centre, received the Christopher and Donna Cox Scholarship, presented by Drs. Chris and Donna Cox. This scholarship is awarded to a graduating MD student who has a strong academic record and who has expressed an interest in specializing in oncology.
Dr. Robyn Wade received the Dr. Phyllis H. Madryga Scholarship, presented by Dr. Patrick O’Shea. This scholarship is provided by the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association and is awarded to a student from rural Newfoundland and Labrador in the final year of medical school with plans to practice rural medicine.
The Dr. Andrew Bagby and son Zachary Andrew Memorial Bursary was presented to Dr. Katie Barnes by Vera Griffin. This bursary is given to a student with an engaging demeanor who can relate with ease to people at all levels, as this was a unique characteristic of Dr. Bagby. In addition to demonstrated financial need, the student will demonstrate the qualities Andrew embodied: a positive, caring attitude, a sense of camaraderie, passion for life, supportive of others with a genuine concern for, and a desire to impact positively on the lives of their classmates.
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Dr. David MacDonald, right, received the Charles E. Frosst Medical Scholarship, presented by Dr. Jason McCarthy. This scholarship, made available by Merck Frosst Canada Inc., is awarded to a student who has shown the most promise in the field of therapeutics.
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The inaugural Dr. Harry W. Edstrom Scholarship in Medicine was presented to Dr. Karen Downton by Dean James Rourke. This new scholarship will be awarded annually to a medical student who has completed the clerkship component of the MD program, has a strong academic record and who demonstrates leadership during medical studies.
Dr. David MacDonald received the Dr. N.N. Isa Achievement Award, presented by Dean James Rourke. Dr. Isa established this prize in 2003 to encourage and reward excellence during the clinical clerkship rotation in Saint John Regional Hospital. David was one of three third-year medical students from MUN and one of 19 from Dalhousie University who did a core rotation in obstetrics and gynecology in Saint John during the 2009-2010 rotation year. The criteria include bedside manner and congeniality, academic performance, punctuality and dependability and going the extra mile.
The following awards are particularly significant because the recipients are chosen by their classmates.
Dr. Sean Doherty, right, received the Dr. Charles (Chip) Nardini Memorial award, presented by Dr. Lynn Dwyer (Class of 1986). This award goes to a fourth-year medical student who best exemplifies the characteristics of leadership, friendliness, good humour, and care and concern for fellow students and patients. The award was established by the Class of 1986 in memory of Dr. Chip Nardini, a medical student who died accidentally March 1, 1986, and who received his degree posthumously.
The Dr. Gregory Rideout Award was presented to Dr. Amy Pieroway, right, by Dr. James Michael. This award was established by Dr. Rideout’s classmates (Class of 2003) in memory of his heroic act that saved the life of a man who would have drowned but for Dr. Rideout’s intervention.
Dr. Melissa Smith received the Dr. I.E. Rusted Award, presented by Christopher Rusted. This award, named in honour Dr. Ian Rusted, the founding father of the medical school, goes to a fourth-year medical student who has made the greatest contribution to the graduating class.
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Eight graduates were named members of the Gold Humanities Honour Society, a society designed to recognize fourth-year medical students who demonstrated exemplary humanistic qualities essential to good doctoring: integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and service. This year’s recipients were, from left: Drs. Nicholas Sowers, Laura Hogan, Kate Hadley, Heather O’Dea, Katie Barnes-Prior, Erica Edison, Amy Pieroway and Matthew Sheppard.
Dr. Eric Stone, left, and daughter Dr. Erica Stone, enjoyed a special moment during the graduation dinner. The father and daughter gave the toast and response for the 2011 graduation dinner.
Dr. Alexandra Vihvelin, left, received a special acknowledgment from her classmates in recognition of her heroic activity, while on a class vacation in Mexico, in resuscitating a young girl in a swimming pool. Dr. Stacey Rogers presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
Members of the graduating class on the Dean’s List for clerkship:
RenelleButt
LesleyDoody
David MacDonald
ChrisLittle
KatieBarnes-Prior
KarenDownton
FraserClift
ColinMercer
MarkSpurrell
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GRADUATION 2011
wiTh The formal graduaTion ceremonies over, the Class of 2011 enjoyed the annual Shingles Night on May 27. Drs. Bill Eaton and Alan Goodridge were on board to entertain the audience of graduates and their families. Dr. Laura Hogan was chosen by her classmates to be valedictorian. Awards for staff and faculty valued by the Class of 2011 were presented. Each student received an individual Shingle, made by David Cross, to hang in their practice of the future.
Medical microbiologist Dr. Jim Hutchinson received the Sliver Orator Award, but was unable to attend Shingles Night. “I am so honoured to be selected for this award,” he said in a written message read by Dr. Erika Hansford. This award is given to the professor who has provided the finest lectures with respect to content, style, humour and aptness.
Dr. Jeff Cole of Grand Falls-Windsor, received the Community Physician Teaching Award. He was unable to attend but his thanks was read by Dr. Stacey Rogers. This award is given to the rural physician who has provided outstanding teaching and guidance to students during their clerkship.
Dr. Paul Campsall was selected to receive the Outstanding Intern/Resident Award. He was unable to attend Shingles Night but sent a message of gratitude to the Class of 2011, read by Dr. Depinder Keer, for choosing him for this award. This award is given to the intern/resident who has provided outstanding teaching and guidance to students during their clerkship.
Shingles Night
Dr. Marisa Chard, left, received her shingle from Dr. Tanis Adey.
The Honorary Order of the Killick was presented to Evelyn Skinner by Dr. Nick Smith. This award is to the person who has made an outstanding contribution to the graduating class of 2011 above and beyond the call of duty.
Dr. John Shik, left, received the Dr. D.W. Ingram Award, presented by Dr. Ingram. This award is presented to the physician who has provided outstanding clinical teaching, shown interest in students and their well-being and served as a positive role model.
New MDs recited the Oath of Hippocrates during Shingles Night
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Valedictory speechBy Dr. Laura Hogan
i’m honoured and humbled to be representing the MUN Medicine Class of 2011 as valedictorian. Preparing this address has been a great opportunity to reflect on the journey we’ve taken through the past four years, both as a unit and as individuals.
You know, most of us had already met before September of 2007. This was all thanks to a well-known social networking site. Within days of getting our acceptance letters, most of us flocked to this website and found the class group waiting there.
I think that the early formation of that group reflects the closeness of our class, our willingness to befriend each other and share with each other. At an exit luncheon with Dean Rourke a few weeks ago, it was brought up by a classmate how MUN medical students tend to build each other up – it is our instinct to help one another. I thought that was a very true sentiment.
When someone finds a repository of practice questions online, or a great reference book, or a volunteer opportunity, it quickly is circulated to the class. When starting a new rotation on the wards, a classmate already in service can always be counted on to give you the lay of the land. Suffice it to say, I’m so proud to be part of a class like this. Because you constantly show your compassion and integrity to each other, I think this means only good things for our future patients.
In reflecting on the last four years, I took the time to browse through some photos from the early days of our class. In particular I came across a set from the White Coat Ceremony in early September of 2007. For any of you who missed it, the White Coat Ceremony is an initiation of sorts, into the profession of medicine. There are speeches, we all sit in alphabetical order, and – you guessed it – we wear white coats. Short ones, to remind us that we are inexperienced learners and not doctors – yet.
Looking at the pictures, I noticed a few things. We looked shiny. We had fewer grey hairs and we had noticeably fewer wrinkles. This brings me to the topic of how medical school has changed us. The wrinkles started to arrive, perhaps, after the grueling exam week at the end of first year. The grey hairs sprouted one-by-one every time our pager went off in the middle of the night. And the reason we’re not so shiny anymore? Maybe it was the first patient whose life ended on our shift. Or the beautiful baby girl at the Janeway who received a diagnosis no little girl should ever get. Maybe it was the first patient you had who was suffering so badly, and there was nothing in the doctor’s bag of tricks to help.
But these are also the reasons we aren’t wearing those short white coats anymore. We have had a bit of experience in
medicine. We’ve lost some of our naivety. We know that there is a lot of gravity attached to the title of doctor. We’ve realized – and are not just paying lip service to the fact – that being a doctor isn’t about making money and it isn’t about being the boss. It’s about a work ethic. It’s about putting yourself in your patient’s shoes. It’s about making decisions when there is no one right answer but a hell of a lot of wrong ones. But through these four years, as we realized how tough this job was going to be, I think we also realized it was worth it.
I am a few years older than many of my classmates. I doubt if that makes me any wiser. Despite that, I have a few words of advice. After all, this is a big milestone in our lives. And I seem to have been given free reign over the podium.
First: be grateful. It’s so easy to focus on what we don’t have. And I think we all know how our class likes to complain amongst ourselves! But there is so much that we do have. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to become Canadian physicians. We are part of a renowned, historic, and yet ever-evolving profession. We have challenging jobs in which we can realize our full potential. We are granted the privilege of sharing in very important, poignant moments of our patients’ lives.
And secondly: stay curious. In my experience, the most interesting people are the most interested people. So stay curious and interested, both in your personal life and in your career. It’s obvious that we need to stay interested in medical advances, or we’ll be left behind in short order. And I think it is of utmost importance to maintain interests outside of medicine. If for no other reason than to give you something else to talk about at dinner parties besides bodily functions. I know my husband will always remind me of that, but this is my reminder to you.
So now I will close my remarks, and say farewell to this glowing group of people here before me. I truly wish you all the best of what’s to come.
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Associate dean goes to CIHRdr. Penny moody-corbeTT, associate dean for research and graduate studies (medicine), has moved to Ottawa where she is taking up the position of director of the ethics office with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She joins her husband, Dr. Dale Corbett, who is now working in Ottawa as the scientific director and CEO for the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery.
It was in 1999 that Dr. Moody-Corbett began as assistant dean for research and graduate studies (medicine). “I didn’t plan to stay for 12 years,” she commented. “During this time the position was changed from assistant dean to associate dean. I’ve watched the number of graduate programs grow during this time from four to nine, plus two diploma programs. All these programs are well recognized and students do well competitively.”
There has been a large increase in the number of graduate students and this means a large increase in the number graduating, noted Dr. Moody-Corbett.
The growth in graduate students is part of the overall growth in research in the Faculty of Medicine. “The genetics piece is obvious, but the biomedical and community health programs have also increased in numbers and prominence”, said Dr. Moody-Corbett. “I’ve enjoyed working with all areas of the Faculty of Medicine’s research community.”
Dr. Moody-Corbett said one of the nicest things about her work in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies has been working with staff members. “The office works well because everyone makes a contribution.”
Her new position as director of the ethics office with CIHR is a natural fit. “The move to the provincial Health Research Ethics Authority and Board from the Human Investigation Committee has been a huge part of the work of this office. I was the ethics representative for Genome Atlantic and the International Union of Physiological Sciences and my new job builds on the experience I have gained.”
Histology supervisor retiresarT Taylor, histology supervisor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Medical Education and Laboratory Support Services (MELSS), has retired after 31 years with Memorial. Art started his career at Memorial in 1980 in the Faculty of Medicine’s Immunology Department, and stayed there until 1994 when he transferred to the Department of Biology. After four years he returned to MELSS where he worked in the multidisciplinary laboratories; in 2003 moved to the histology lab, taking over as supervisor in February 2009.
Art has numerous outside interests, particularly in antiques. He was an appraiser for glass and china on the Antiques Roadshow when that show visited Newfoundland, and he was also involved in Kelly’s Island Antiques in Manuels until it closed six years ago. He is also an avid horror movie buff and said Evil Dead and Re-Animator are his top two favourites. As for the Night of the Living Dead film series, he said the first movie is the best.
Dr. Penny Moody-Corbett took advantage of an outdoor bench to briefly tower over colleagues and friends at the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. From left: Dr. Don McKay, assistant dean for graduate studies, Amy Carroll, Paula Browne, Angela Pope, Rhonda Roebotham, and Heather Dove.
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The 2010-2011 Graduate Student Achievement Luncheon was held May 4 in the Junior Common Room, R. Gushue Hall. It was an opportunity for graduate students, their supervisors and donors to come together to celebrate achievements during the year.
Dr. James Rourke, dean of medicine, spoke about the importance of research done in the Faculty of Medicine and the contribution of graduate students. He described the strengths of cross-disciplinary research and the Memorial model for clinical research which identifies the problem in terms of the patient, family and community, searches for the biomedical basis of the disease, and then develops the best clinical care approach while addressing the ethical issues and informing health policy.
Dr. Donald McKay, assistant dean of graduate studies, emceed the event and introduced the many graduate students and their supervisors who won awards throughout the year.
Jennifer LeMessurier, supervised by Dr. Catherine Donovan, received the Memorial University Medical of Excellence for a non-thesis M.Sc.
Two F.A. Aldrich Fellowships from the School of Graduate Studies were received by graduate students in the Faculty of Medicine. Daniel Duggan, supervised by Dr. Reza Tabrizchi, received a M.Sc. Fellowship. Melody Morton Ninomiya, supervised by Dr. Fern Brunger, received a PhD Fellowship.
The Colman PhD Award, established in memory of Genevieve and Roberta Colman was received by Lance Doucette, supervised by Dr. Terry-Lynn Young.
The Dr. Alfred T.H. Burness Graduate Award in Medicine was received by Jing (Jessica) Zhao, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang.
Graduate scholarships – doctoral awards
• PhD Dean’s Fellowships were received by Neva Fudge, supervised by Dr. Karen Mearow, and Melody Morton Ninomiya, supervised by Dr. Fern Brunger.
• Beth Halfyard, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang, received a research grant from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Breast Screening Program. She also received a research grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Cervical Screening Initiatives Program.
• Donna Murphy, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang, received a doctoral award from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
• Graduate Student Fellowships from the Evidence Informed Practice Council of Eastern Health were received by Sue Ann Mandville-Anstey, supervised by Dr. Diana Gustafson, and Lin Ling, supervised by Dr. Ed Kendall and Carl Wesolowki.
• Geoff Warden, supervised by Dr. Pat Parfrey, received a Mount Sinai Hospital PhD Studentship.
Graduate scholarships – M.Sc. awards
• CIHR Banting and Best Canada Graduate Scholarship were received by Alex Dancyger, supervised by Dr. Mani Larijani; Krista Gladney, supervised by Dr. Michael Grant; Kerri Smith, supervised by Dr. Ann Dorward; and John Bradley Williams, supervised by Dr. Thomas Michalak.
• Gioia Montevecchi, supervised by Dr. Diana Gustafson, received a CIHR Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Award.
• Kayla Harris, supervised by Drs. Michael Grant and Rod Russell, received a CIHR Fellowship – Research Training Program in Hepatitis C.
• Georgia Skardasi, supervised by Dr. Thomas Michalak, received a two-year M.Sc. Fellowship from the CIHR National Canadian Research Training Program in Hepatitis C.
• Rebecca Lethbridge, supervised by Drs. Qi Yuan and Carolyn Harley, received a NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Scholarship.
• Erica Clarke, supervised by Dr. Mike Woods, received a one-year Mount Sinai Hospital Studentship.
• Jing (Crystal) Wang, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang, received a Newfoundland & Labrador – Healthy Aging Research Program (NL-HARP) Award for 2010-2011.
• Dean’s Fellowships were received by Dr. Amin Shakhawat, supervised by Dr. Qi Yuan; Daniel Duggan, supervised by Dr. Reza Tabrizchi; and Heidi Morris, supervised by Dr. Rod Russell.
Program prizes
Immunology and Infectious Diseases • The Best Overall Award went to Alex Dancyger,
supervised by Dr. Mani Larijani.
Graduate Student Achievement Luncheon
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• The PhD Prize was received by Ahmed Mostafa, supervised by Dr. Sheila Drover.
• The M.Sc. Prize went to Krista Gladney, supervised by Dr. Michael Grant.
Applied Health Services • The M.Sc. Award was received by Mercy Dhlakama,
supervised by Dr. Martha Traverso-Yepez.• Cardiovascular and Renal Physiology• The prize was received by Kazi Haq, supervised by
Dr. Bruno Stuvyers.Cancer and Development• The Mary O’Neill M.Sc. Award went to Kerri Smith,
supervised by Dr. Ann Dorward.• The Mary Pater PhD Award was received by Mark
Kennedy, supervised by Dr. Ken Kao.Community Health and Humanities• The Jorge Segovia Scholarship Health Services
Research went to Taylor Ferrier.Neuroscience – Golden Synapse• The award for Best Overall Presentation was received
by Matthew P. Parsons, supervised by Dr. Michiru Hirasawa.
• The M.Sc. Award went to Craig Malone, supervised by Dr. Jackie Vanderluit.
• The PhD Award went to Kristopher Langdon, supervised by Dr. Dale Corbett.
Human Genetics• The M.Sc. Award was received by Erica Clarke,
supervised by Dr. Mike Woods.• The PhD Award went to Mohammed Uddin,
supervised by Dr. Proton Rahman.Master of Public Health• The first master of public health was earned by
A. James Quinlan, supervised by Dr. Catherine Donovan.
Travel awards
• Ali Atoom, supervised by Dr. Rod Russell, received the Dean M. Ian Bowmer Graduate Travel Award.
• Shelly May Greenway, supervised by Dr. Maria Mathews, received the Barrowman Travel Award Community Health and Humanities.
• Ahmed Mostafa, supervised by Dr. Sheila Drover, received awards for travel to the following three meetings: the Canadian Student Health Research Forum in Winnipeg; the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Annual Symposium in Halifax; and the De Nova Travel Award for the Canadian Society for Immunology Annual Meeting in Alberta.
• Craig Malone, supervised by Dr. Jackie Vanderluit, travelled to the Canadian Association of
Neurosciences meeting in Ottawa. • Heidi Morris, supervised by Dr. Rod Russell,
travelled to the American Society for Microbiology: ASM Conference on Viral Genome Replication.
• Kerri Smith, supervised by Dr. Ann Dorward, travelled to the Canadian Conference for Ovarian Cancer Research in Toronto.
• Kerri Smith, Lin Ling and Yun Zhu travelled to the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Cancer Research Symposium in Halifax.
• Farrell Cahill, supervised by Dr. Guang Sun, travelled to the Obesity Conference in San Diego, California in October 2010.
Distinctions
• Ahmed Mostafa, supervised by Dr. Sheila Drover, won Best Poster Presentation at the 4th Annual Canadian Cancer Immunotherapy Symposium in Lake Louise, NY, in April 2011.
• Kim Bonia, supervised by Dr. Diana Gustafson, received the Canadian Mental Health Association Mental Health Research Award.
• Rebecca Lethbridge, supervised by Drs. Qi Yuan and Carolyn Harley, received the Riken Summer School Fellowship in Japan.
• Mahmudul Hasan, supervised by Dr. Jackie Vanderluit, received a Canadian Stem Cell Network Trainee Bursary and attended the Advanced Multi-Colour Flow Cytometry workshop at the University of British Columbia in June 2011.
• Sue Ann Mandville-Anstey, supervised by Dr. Diana Gustafson, received a Sisters of Mercy Research and Scholarly Activity Award.
• Madelaine Gierc, supervised by Dr. Catherine Donovan, received a three-year Dean’s Scholarship at the University of Saskatchewan to pursue PhD studies starting in the fall of 2011.
• Lance Doucette, supervised by Dr. Terry-Lynn Young, was first author of a paper published in the European Journal of Human Genetics in 2010.
• Jing (Jessica) Zhao, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang, received a Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute Feature Trainee Award.
• Diana Deacon, supervised by Dr. Diana Gustafson, received a MUNSU Student Bursary.
• Lisa LeShane, supervised by Dr. Sheila Drover, was the blogger for the Canadian Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium’s 4th annual meeting.
• Zhuoyu Sun, supervised by Dr. Peter Wang, received the 2010 Graduate Students’ Union Award for Excellence in Research.
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• Mohammed Sarhan, supervised by Dr. Thomas Michalak, received Best Presentation at the 2011 Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver.
• A. James Quinlan, supervised by Dr. Catherine Donovan, received the Harris Centre Research Award from Memorial University.
• Gina Colbourn, an undergraduate student working on a Summer Undergraduate Research Awards project supervised by Dr. Leigh Ann Newhook in the summer of 2010, was supported through the Rising Researcher Support Training Program of the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program.
• Youlian Tzenov, supervised by Dr. Ken Kao, Cancer and Development, received a PhD Comprehensive Distinction.
• Kelly Monaghan, supervised by Dr. Natalie Beausoleil, Community Health and Humanities, received a Pass with Distinction for her PhD oral defense.
The graduate program co-ordinators are: Dr. Anne Kearney, Applied Health Services Research; Dr. Ann Dorward, Cancer and Development; Dr. John Smeda, Cardiovascular and Renal Sciences; Drs. Gerry Mugford and Sean Murphy, Clinical Epidemiology; Dr. Barbara Roebothan, Community Health and Humanities; Dr. Roger Green, Human Genetics; Dr. Sheila Drover, Immunology and Infectious Disease; Dr. Cathy Donovan, Public Health; and Dr. Xihua Chen, Neuroscience.
Dr. Cathy Donovan, left, and Jennifer LeMessurier
From left: Dr. Peter Wang, Zing Zhao and Brenda Burness
Dr. Kris Langdon and Dr. Jacqueline Vanderluit
Mohammed Uddin and Dr. Roger Green
Taylor Ferrier and Dr. Don McKay, assistant dean for graduate studies
Lin Ling and Dr. Ed Kendall
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Dr. Bruno Stuvyersand Kazi Haq
Kerri Smith andDr. Ann Dorward
From left: Dr. Mani Larijani, Alex Dancyger, Dr.Michael Grant, Krista Gladney, Dr. Sheila Drover and Ahmed Mustafa
From left: Dr. Rod Russell, Dr. Michael Grant, Kayla Harris, Georgia Skardasi and Dr. Thomas Michalak
From left: Dr. Rod Russell, Heidi Morris, Rebecca Lethbridge and Dr. Amin Shakhawat
From left: Dr. Don McKay, Dr. Cathy Donovan, Jennifer LeMessurier, Dr. Penny Moody-Corbett and Dean James Rourke
From left: Melody Morton Ninomiya, Dr. Fern Brunger, Dr. Karen Mearow and Neva Fudge
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Scholarship from Heart and Stroke Foundation awarded to grad student in medicineThe 2011 KeiTh griffiThs Memorial Heart and Stroke Foundation Graduate Scholarship was awarded June 30 to Shuo Li, a graduate student in the Faculty of Medicine. The presentation was made on the last day of June, which is recognized as stroke month in Canada.
In 2008 PhD student Jared Clarke received a scholarship funded by the family of Keith Griffiths and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Ms. Li’s award marks the first time the Keith Griffiths Memorial Heart and Stroke Foundation Graduate Scholarship has been awarded by Memorial University. The event was hosted by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Medicine.
The scholarship, valued at $1,000, was made possible through the generous contributions of members of the family of the late Keith Giffiths, in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to Tony and Dave Griffiths, brother Chris Griffiths contributes to the scholarship. Dr. Don McKay, assistant dean of graduate studies (medicine), thanked the members of the Griffiths family for their generous donation in setting up the scholarship in memory of their father, Keith Griffiths. Sons Tony and Dave Griffiths were at the ceremony to speak about their father.
After suffering his first stroke in 1993, Keith Griffiths made a remarkable recovery with the help of family, physicians, nurses and rehabilitation specialists in St. John’s. He dedicated the next 14 years of his life to promoting greater awareness of stroke, supporting stroke survivors and encouraging healthier lifestyles.
Ms. Li’s research is on vascular disease in China, including myocardial infarction and stroke. Although stroke has a genetic component, precise details of the genetic contribution remain to be determined. Ms. Li’s project is a genetic association study of ischemic stroke in the Chinese Han population, and her data support the identification of a specific location of the genetic cause.
Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine has strong graduate programs in cardiovascular and renal sciences, neurosciences and genetics.
From left: Dave Griffiths, Tony Griffiths, Shou Li and Steve Tessier.
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New training programThe firsT Pre-deParTure Training Program for medical students embarking on electives abroad was held May 14. This was a student driven initiative spearheaded by Angela Wareham, Theresa Lee and Allison Pridham.
The inaugural program was organized by Dr. Fern Brunger, Community Health and Humanities, and Dr. Jill
Allison, a postdoctoral researcher working in Community Health and Humanities. Presentations were given by Dr. Brunger, Dr. Allison, infectious diseases specialist Dr. Peter Daley, and student wellness consultant Dr. Michele Neary. Topics included cultural awareness and competency, ethical challenges in the field, personal safety, logistics and travel tips, common infectious and tropical diseases, staying healthy, vaccines and malaria prevention treatments, and emotional well-being and resources for social support before, during and after a placement away.
Dr. Allison said that cultural and political awareness allows students to account for the social determinants of health. “Having a readily available ethics toolkit can also provide a means for working out complex dilemmas and help students move forward in a problem solving mode rather than being emotionally paralyzed by the challenges they face. Information on the kinds of diseases, parasites and personal risks to health will help students be prepared to learn from colleagues, protect themselves from illness and understand the dimensions of a public health problem in under-resourced communities where they might be working.”
In addition to cultural, ethical and medical toolkits, the students were encouraged to collect the necessary resources and have a social support network in mind before they depart. Students were provided with an opportunity to attend a presentation by the JEMA Travel Clinic for information on access to vaccines and other information on healthy travel.
The students who participated are heading to places such as Peru, Brazil, Denmark and Eastern Europe. The program is designed to provide support for students going into any circumstance in which the culture, language, institutional setting and politics of health might be different from our own.
The program was funded through the Division of Community Health and Humanities and also featured a documentary titled First Do No Harm from the Global Health Office at Dalhousie University. The presentations were recorded on e-presence for future reference.
Immunology refreshment
wiTh The helP of a seed grant from the Instructional Development Office, Dr. Vernon Richardson, professor of biomedical sciences, has developed several Immunology Instructional Learning Units (ILU).
“Immunology has never been a very popular subject with the majority of undergraduate medical students, but its ever growing importance in medical practice certainly deserves a second visit by any residency training program,” said Dr. Richardson. “These ILU were designed to refresh the immunology knowledge of postgraduate medical trainees in a number of clinical disciplines and were formatted to be offered at distance by electronic delivery through the Internet using Desire to Learn (D2L). Each unit was designed to instruct and test the residents in areas of immunology that had been identified as lacking or in need of refreshing in the postgraduate medical trainee curriculum.”
This study was a preliminary investigation to evaluate nine ILU, to get some feedback from the trainees about the usefulness of these instructional units, and to determine if this format for refreshing their immunology knowledge could be applied successfully to upgrade areas of immunology that had been taught six or more years previously. All the data collected is now being evaluated and will be presented to the university later in the year.
As an incentive to participate in the evaluation process the trainees were entered in a prize draw to win a 13 MP digital camera. The successful winner of the prize draw and one of the two top evaluators was Alison Haynes, a 2008 medical graduate from MUN who is presently completing her third year of a pediatrics residency.
From left: Joyce Fewer, acting manager of the Instructional Development Office, Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support, Alison Haynes and Dr. Vernon Richardson.
Dr. Jill Alison
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Family Medicine Resident Forum Awards 2011each year the Discipline of Family Medicine gives out resident awards for research. Two of the recipients for 2011, Drs. Monica Kidd and Sara Sandwith, are also nominated for the Canadian Family Physicians of Canada resident research award competition. Dr. Kidd is nominated in the category of research award and Dr. Sandwith is nominated in the category of award for scholarship.
Research Days
From left: Mavis Newhook, representing Janssen Ortho, Dr. Thompson and evaluators Dr. Sarah Noble, psychiatry, and Dr. Sharon Buehler, honorary professor.
Psychiatry Research DayThe disciPline of PsychiaTry held a research day May 27, featuring the work of faculty members and residents. Dr. Karen Thompson, a fifth-year resident, received the Dr. Paul Janssen Excellence in Psychiatry Research Award for her presentation titled Does completion of an undergraduate psychiatry course help change medical students’ attitudes toward people with mental illness? From left: Mavis Newhook, representing Janssen Ortho, Dr. Thompson and evaluators Dr. Sarah Noble, psychiatry, and Dr. Sharon Buehler, honorary professor.
Dr. Kris Aubrey, resident research director for the Discipline of Family Medicine, presented Dr. Monica Kidd with the Best Presentation Award for her project titled Exclusive Breast-Feeding Rates Upon Discharge from Hospital in St. John’s, Newfoundland (2007-2008): A Chart Review.
Dr. Kris Aubrey, left, presented Dr. Sara Sandwith and Dr. Gordon Bargh with the Best Presentation Award for their projects titled Wilderness Medicine Education in a Rural Family Practice Residency: A Proposed Curriculum and Research in Medical Education; and Access to Care: Quantifying Road Travel Distance between Rural Residents and Family Physician Services in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Internal Medicine Resident Research Day 2011There were oral and poster presentations at this year’s Internal Medicine Research Day held on May 6. The three judges who participated in this year’s research day were Dr. Bridget Fernandez, acting chair of the Discipline of Genetics, Dr. Patrick Parfrey, associate dean for clinical research, and Dr. Johann Pitout, infectious disease visiting speaker. In addition to the winners in the photos below, the Cameron Raffard Award was presented in memory of Dr. Raffard, a second-year internal medicine resident who died January 13, 2008. This award is given to the resident who reflects Dr. Raffard’s values and exhibits an aptitude for health advocacy. This year’s award winner was Dr. Renee Lester, who was unable to attend the ceremony.
The Dr. David Hawkins Medical Resident Research Award was presented to Dr. Siddharth Kogilwaimath, centre, for his presentation on Dopamine versus Norepinephrine in septic shock: a meta-analysis. The award was presented by Drs.Wayne Gulliver and Kirsty Tompkins.
The Dr. Grenfell Adams Medical Research Award was presented to Dr. Joshua Mercer, centre, by Dr. Wayne Gulliver & Dr. Kirsty Tompkins. His presentation was Familial pityriasis rubra pilaris: a case report and review.
The Dr. Patrick Parfrey Medical Resident Research Award was presented to Dr. Miriam Shahidi by Drs. Wayne Gulliver, Patrick Parfrey and Kirsty Tompkins. Her topic was Higher dietary magnesium intake is associated with reduced insulin resistance in the NL population.
Dr. Krista Noonan, centre, was presented with the Dr. Harry Edstrom Medical Resident Research Award by Drs. Wayne Gulliver and Kirsty Tompkins. Her poster presentation topic was A population based analysis of patients with early stage HER-2 over expressing breast cancer treated with adjuvant trastuzumab: a Newfoundland experience.
This year the Dr. John Simpson Memorial Award was presented to Dr. Natasha Pardy by Dr. Kirsty Tompkins. This award is given to the internal medicine resident, chosen by his or her peers, who demonstrates excellence in teaching other members of the internal medicine house staff and medical students. The award is a tribute to Dr. Simpson, a former medical internist at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, who died in 1998 at the age of 46.
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Dr. Mohamed Ravalia presents special lecture
dr. mohamed ravalia, assistant dean for the Rural Clinical School Medical Education Network, presented the annual Carl Moore Lecture on April 14 at McMaster University. His topic, The Joys and Challenges of Rural Practice and the Perspective of Being From Away, covered his experience as an international medical graduate, a rural doctors and a preceptor.
The Carl Moore Lectureship, now in its 12th year, has grown in recognition and in its continued support. It is named in honour of Dr. Carl Moore, professor emeritus, who retired from McMaster University in June 1997. Dr. Moore began his professional career as a community based family physician in the Hamilton area. He was chair of the McMaster University Department of Family Medicine from 1975 to 1986. During his tenure as chair, he worked with the fledgling department and a group of committed community physicians to further develop family medicine as a recognized discipline in Canada. Throughout his career, Dr. Moore was on the forefront of innovation in primary care service, education, research and policy development.
Each year, the lectureship is awarded to an individual who has made an important contribution and who provides expertise in the topic area being presented, providing inspiration for reflection on complex issues and further the development of primary care.
Dr. Ravalia was born and trained in Zimbabwe and first came to Canada in 1984 to fill a family practice locum in Arcola, Saskatchewan. Later that same year he moved to Twillingate, NL, as a family physician and anesthesiologist at the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Hospital. He completed the residency program in anesthesia at Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine in 1988 and practiced in various communities in the province before settling in Twillingate where he is the senior physician and a popular teacher with medical students and residents. He has twice received the Community Physician Teaching Award from the graduating class of medical students.
Dr. Ravalia’s areas of interest include primary care reform, care of the elderly and chronic disease management. He has combined exemplary care for his patients with commitments to teaching and introducing innovative approaches to the delivery of primary care and family practice services in Twillingate for the past 25 years.
In 2004, Dr. Ravalia was honoured by the College of Family Physicians of Canada as one of 10 national recipients of the Family Physicians of the Year award. He is also a recipient of the Donald I. Rice Award, which recognizes an outstanding CFPC family physician member for exceptional contributions to teaching and leadership. Dr. Ravalia currently holds the position of family physician at the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Hospital in Twillingate and has also been featured on CBC Radio.
Monte Carlo cheques presented
Proceeds from the 2010 Monte Carlo Charity Gala were presented June 16. Six charities received cheques in the amount of $9,800. From left: Madonna and John Kavanagh of the ALS Society of NL; Derek Winsor of Bridges to Hope; Jim Kelly of The HUB (Physically Disabled Service Centre); Karen Bennett and Barbie Wadman of the NL Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre; Diane Molloy and Ruby Ellsworth of the NL Foster Families Association; as well as Monte Carlo 2010 organizing committee members: Amanda Marsh and Anil Imbulgoda (finance); Amena Ghumman and Lee Horgan (co-chairs); David Watton, Lorne Costello, and Theresa Lee (charity selection). Unavailable for photo: Ada and Herb Norris of the Corner Brook Shrine Club.
Dr. Mohamed Ravalia
Photo by Kathryn Wheeler
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Baffling disease identified using next generation genome sequencing tools researchers aT memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine have collaborated with BC Cancer Agency scientists to solve the genetic mystery of a disease affecting a local family. The research, published online in The Journal of Pathology, is an inspiring example of how new genomics tools may change the way families with rare genetic conditions can be managed clinically.
A significant number of distantly related individuals from a single family in Newfoundland and Labrador appeared to be affected by two distinct diseases, exhibiting numerous rare symptoms that were challenging to diagnose. A collaboration of researchers at Memorial University and at the BC Cancer Agency was able to utilize next generation sequencing of the whole protein-coding region of the genome, called the exome, to identify a specific gene mutation. The discovery clarified that what had appeared to be two diseases was one - caused by a single genetic mutation.
“Our close ties to the people in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador allows us to accurately characterize rare diseases, and to identify the genealogical connections that are necessary before next generation sequencing techniques can be used,” said Dr. Jane Green, professor in the Discipline of Genetics. “Combining the expertise in Newfoundland and Labrador with the expertise of our colleagues in British Columbia has allowed an accurate diagnosis for the family.”
Dr. David Huntsman, BC Cancer Agency, said, “Through a lovely collaboration with the team at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Faculty of Medicine, we’ve provided a first-rate example of integrating next generation sequencing into clinical practice -- resulting in a faster diagnosis, rapid expansion of disease phenotypes and better clinical management for the patient’s future.”
Dr. Intan Schrader, co-first author and a graduate student of the medical genetics residency at the University of British Columbia, said: “Through our confirmation that a specific genetic mutation is the basis of this family’s medical issues, we are thrilled to provide clarity that will lead to improved medical management for an entire extended family. We’ve also demonstrated the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing to diagnose rare genetic diseases.”
Dr. Schrader added, “We are now embarking on a new era of medical genetics where we can rapidly identify the causative gene in families with rare genetic diseases.”
Dr. Green said because of the specific genetic diagnosis recently identified, new investigations are recommended for monitoring family members and these are now being scheduled. “The information gathered through whole genome sequencing leads us to answers about why certain families have certain diseases. With clear information about the source of disease there may be improvements in clinical care.”
Dr. Schrader noted that the methods of using next generation sequencing to identify a genetic condition will have major implications when we expand into other areas of research, for example, when we are interested in identifying novel disease genes in families with hereditary cancer. This advanced technology allows researchers and clinicians to collaborate by identifying families or patients with distinct conditions and comparing their genes to identify underlying genetic cause.
“The information gathered through whole genome sequencing leads us to answers about why certain families have certain diseases. With clear information about the source of disease there may be improvements in clinical care.”
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dr. alexandermaThiesonAssistant professorDiscipline of Surgery
Dr. Alexander Mathieson earned his MD at Memorial in 2001 and did a residency in general surgery at Memorial from 2001-2007. After a year as a surgeon with Central Health
he became a staff general surgeon with Eastern Health before taking up a Fellowship in general surgical oncology at the University of Toronto from 2008-2010.
He worked in a short term locum position as a surgeon the Toronto East General Hospital for eight months before joining the Faculty of Medicine in June 2010.
Dr. Mathieson has a broad interest in general surgical oncology with a main focus on breast and gastrointestinal malignancy. He is a member of the General Surgery Residency Committee in the Faculty of Medicine.
His current research interests include the use of adjuvant therapy in elderly patients with colorectal cancer; the impact of isolated tumour cells in lymph nodes on outcomes in breast cancer; and resection of retroperitoneal recurrences of colorectal cancer. He is first author on a number of research publications, most recently a case control study on the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly colorectal cancer patients, presented at Canadian Surgical Forum in September 2010.
dr. william midodziAssistant professor of clinical epidemiology
Dr. William Midodzi brings new strengths to the Division of Clinical Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine. His main research themes focus on hospital outcomes studies, clinical epidemiology, rural health and
applied biostatistical method in clinical trials as it relates to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.
He received his bachelor of mathematics degree at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1997. He then attended the University of Alberta where he completed his master’s degree in biostatistics in 2001 and doctorate in medical sciences-public health sciences in 2007, with specialization in epidemiology. In 2010 he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical epidemiology at the
University of Alberta.Dr. Midodzi’s doctoral dissertation, published in the
Respirology Journal and the Journal of Asthma, explored early-life factors associated with development of asthma and wheezing among children. This is part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth examining more than 25,000 children across Canada.
In his professional activities, Dr. Midodzi has served as the analytical support and a senior biostatistical consultant on several national and international projects. In particular he has worked with the International Study of Differences in the Outcomes of Acute Coronary Syndromes, involving more than 24 countries around the world. He also did secondary analysis of the Alberta arm of the International Hospital Outcome Study, a multisite cross-sectional research consortium of nurses in adult acute-care hospitals in the United States, Canada, England and Scotland that examine the effects of nurse staffing and organizational support for nursing care on patients’ outcomes. He was also involved with the Knowledge Utilization and Policy Implementation program, a health research program funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research which focussed on nursing factors and research utilization in the nursing profession and its impact on patients’ outcomes.
dr. rebecca schiffAssistant professor (Aboriginal health)
Dr. Rebecca Schiff is the first faculty member at Memorial to be located full-time in Labrador. She joined the Labrador Institute recently as assistant professor (Aboriginal health) with the Division of Community Health and Humanities
in the Faculty of Medicine.Much of Dr. Schiff’s recent work has focused on
housing, homelessness and marginalized communities in the Canadian prairies. She is committed to community-based research that is rooted in collaborative, engaged and respectful inquiry. She is also engaged with research and practice in food systems and community food security. Her doctoral research focused on food policy councils – collaborative planning and policy organizations which advocate for changes to food policy in support of social and environmental justice. She is a steering committee member for the Canadian Association of Food Studies.
Dr. Schiff has degrees in music and environmental
New faculty
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studies from McGill University. In 2007 she completed a PhD in sustainable development at the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy in Perth, Australia.
Dr. Schiff said she sees it as her job to take direction from the community and she will work with groups in Labrador to determine research priorities.
dr. sTePhen raabProfessor of laboratory medicine
Dr. Stephen Raab has joined the Faculty of Medicine as professor of laboratory medicine, also serving as clinical chief of laboratory medicine with Eastern Health. He is also an adjunct professor of pathology with the University of Washington.
Dr. Raab comes to Memorial from Denver, Colorado where he worked with the Colorado Health Outcomes Program. He served as the director of anatomic pathology with the Department of Pathology at the University of Colorado from 2008-2010. He has also worked at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and as an adviser to the Pathology Department at the Ho Chi Minh City Cancer Hospital in Vietnam.
With over 190 refereed articles, Dr. Raab has an impressive publication record. His current research interests include pathology outcomes, surgical pathology, cytology, fine needle aspiration biopsy, health services and international cytology. Among his current projects he is looking at pathology errors and effects of error on patient outcomes, patient and clinical preference of pathology testing, quality assistance guidelines in anatomic pathology, measurement of bias in pathologic diagnoses, and the effect of immunohistochemistry on patient outcomes.
Dr. Raab earned his MD in 1988 at State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse, New York. From 1986-1987 he held a Dana Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in epidemiology. His postgraduate work was at Barnes Hospital, Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis; Pitt County Memorial Hospital, East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville; and the Department of Health Research and Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.
dr. guangju zhaiDiscipline of Genetics
Dr. Guangju Zhai joined Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine in May 2011 as an associate professor in population and statistical genetics.
He received his medical training in China and practiced for nine
years as a family physician before obtaining his M.Sc. in genetic epidemiology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a PhD in epidemiology at Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Australia. Before joining Memorial, he was a senior genetic epidemiologist at the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, U.K.
Dr. Zhai’s research focuses on identifying genetic factors for aging and age-related diseases, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. Over the last four years, he has been heavily involved in genome-wide association studies of complex traits. He is a member of several international consortia including the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology; the Reproductive Traits Genetics Consortium, Arthritis Research U.K. Osteoarthritis Genetics; Translational Research in Europe Applied Technologies for OsteoArthritis; and SpiroMeta, an international consortium.
Dr. Zhai is the lead author of a recently published paper in PLoS Genetics that identified eight common genetic variants are associated with serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS).
Using the unique resource of Newfoundland population, Dr. Zhai is going to set up a genetic study of osteoarthritis to identify genetic and epigenetic factors for development and progression of osteoarthritis in Newfoundland and Labrador. He will also be involved in genetic studies in other diseases in collaboration with other faculty members.
In Memorydr. clive mellor, retired faculty member of the Faculty of Medicine and former chair of the Discipline of Psychiatry at Memorial, passed away Aug. 24, 2011, in Agazzi, B.C. At Dr. Mellor’s request, no memorial services will be held.
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New assessment tool for clerkshipassessmenT of sTudenT knowledge, attitudes and skills is an essential part of any medical school curriculum. A tool known as the ITER – in-training evaluation report – is one component of a program of assessment that measures important aspects of medical student performance in the clinical setting.
The Undergraduate Medical Education Committee agreed in 2008 to adopt the CanMEDS roles for the undergraduate medical curriculum, and identified the need for a standard ITER reflecting these roles. Diana Deacon, an education specialist for student assessment with the Medical Education Scholarship Centre (MESC) and a member of the working group on student assessment, took on the task of developing new ITERs that would help faculty and preceptors provide more detailed feedback to students and clerkship leaders.
The formative and summative ITERs she developed incorporate the national CanMEDS competency framework, measuring the seven roles identified as being important to all physicians: medical expert, professional, communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate and scholar. Although the CanMEDS competencies were developed for postgraduate education, they were adapted for the undergraduate curriculum. The new ITERs were launched in all core clerkship rotations in fall 2010.
At the same time the family medicine rotation expanded from four to eight weeks, and the new ITERs proved a valuable tool for both mid-term and final evaluations.
“In preparation for the change Dr. Scott Moffatt and I developed a workshop for preceptors on how to evaluate,” explained Dr. Norah Duggan. “Most family medicine preceptors are based in rural areas and most are not full time faculty.”
At this point Dr. Steve Shorlin, a teaching consultant with MESC, became involved. “We wanted to find out the preceptors’ opinion of the ITER. I developed an on-line survey which was then filled out by rural family medicine preceptors who had used the ITER.”
Dr. Shorlin said the survey found that rural family medicine clerkship preceptors who had used the new ITERs feel that it is easy to use and useful to them in assessing students and providing feedback. “The items on the new ITERs are generally rated as helpful to the preceptors and no suggestions for improvement have been made.”
A poster on the project, titled Assessing CanMEDS roles in clerkships: Designing and implementing a new ITER for the rural family medicine clerkship, was presented in May at the Canadian Conference for Medical Education. Dr. Duggan said the poster attracted a lot of attention. “Nationally, there’s a tremendous interest in a distributed clerkship.”
Dr. Duggan said preceptors want additional professional development in the use of the new ITER and student assessment. Further work with preceptors will be carried out at the Fall Medical Education Forum in Steady Brook.
Caption: Dr. Steve Shorlin, Dr. Norah Duggan and Diana Deacon with their poster presented at the Canadian Conference for Medical Education.
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Ryan Caines, a Grade 9 Science Fair Student, working in a Level II Biosafety Cabinet to test the effects of household agents on the infectivity of hepatitis C virus.
Teenager benefits from experience inbiomedical labfor 14-year old Ryan Caines, working on a science fair project opened up a new world of hands-on experience in a molecular virology laboratory.
It all started two years ago when Ryan was developing a project for a Grade 8 science fair. His mother, Sherry Caines, who works in the Office of the Dean, made some inquiries about finding a research scientist interested in mentoring her son. Dr. Rod Russell, an assistant professor of biomedical science, was willing and met with Ryan to discuss the project.
Ryan was interested in doing a project on household bacteria – where they were most plentiful and how they could be destroyed. The project worked out well: the home bathroom turned out to be the area with the most bacteria, and anti-bacterial dish liquid turned out to be the best method of eliminating it. Ryan’s project came first place in his school and therefore was given an opportunity to compete at the Eastern Science Fair at the Marine Institute. He won a silver medal.
Based on Ryan’s great success, he was determined to go for gold the following year. Dr. Russell agreed to mentor him again. “I was impressed with Ryan’s work, he’s careful and motivated. When he suggested working with viruses – which is my area of expertise – I was certain he was capable of working in our lab.”
Ryan’s Grade 9 project involved working with human liver cells infected with the hepatitis C virus. First he had to determine how to kill the virus without killing the cell, and then he had to determine the best agent to kill the virus.
In this experiment, Ryan found Frank’s red hot tabasco sauce was an effective killing agent for the hepatitis C virus. Again, his project came first place at his school and went on to compete at the Eastern Regional Science Fair where he won a gold medal.
The project benefitted both mentor Dr. Russell and mentee Ryan. “It’s very rewarding in our busy schedule to reach out,” said Dr. Russell. “It was also of benefit to the students in my laboratory, who had the opportunity to do some teaching with Ryan, and share his enthusiasm for his project.”
Ryan, who starts at O’Donel High School in Mount Pearl this September, enjoyed working in Dr. Russell’s lab. Acknowledging that he is only young, he’s said he’s not committed to a science career yet but certainly intends on taking advanced science courses in high school to pursue this interest.
“The mentoring by Dr. Russell was a great experience and provided me with an opportunity to discover my potential in the field of science.”
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franK fagan, BA’79, MBA’82, was appointed Member of the Order of Canada on June 30, 2011. Mr. Fagan is recognized for his contributions as a volunteer, community leader and philanthropist. He and his wife, Pat, established the Frank and Pat Fagan Family Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Community Leadership in the
Faculty of Medicine, the largest annual scholarship award in the Faculty of Medicine to date.
dr. Paul harT, class of 1973, has been honoured by the Massachusetts Medical Society with its 2011 Senior Volunteer Physician Award, an honour recognizing a senior member of the society who has shown a dedicated commitment to volunteerism and to sharing experience and medical expertise. The award, presented June 29 at a meeting of the board of
trustees of the Medical Society, honours Dr. Hart for his effort to provide health care for the uninsured and underserved in the commonwealth and around the globe.
dr. michael harTman, a fourth-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology, will receive the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society’s 2011 Resident Award. The award, which includes a cash prize of $750, will be presented at the society’s 57th annual meeting in Toronto Sept. 21-24. Dr. Hartman will present four original research projects during the meeting.
angela hyde, a MD/PhD student, received honorable mention in the 2011 Arnold P. Gold Foundation essay contest. The Gold Foundation holds this annual contest for medical students on an assigned Humanism in Medicine topic. This year, the topic was how a role model taught or influenced the student. Angela wrote about the influence of her grandfather, Dr. Nigel Rusted,
in her essay titled Passing on Compassion. There are about 300 entries to this competition each and only three Canadian medical schools have recently been represented.
Of note
Alumni newsClass of 1990
Dr. Don Belbin and his wife, Alison Greene, welcomed Nathan Dustin Belbin, born April 14 at St. Michael’s in Toronto, weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. The happy parents had Nathan christened at the United church in New Melbourne, Trinity Bay, on July 10.
CorrectionsIn the spring 2011 issue of MUNMED, the obituary of Dr. David Gordon Landells identified his name incorrectly as Gordon David Landells.In the article Award winning interprofessional teaching module part of curriculum renewal, the name of one of the team members was not included. Ann Hollett is also a member of the team that helped develop the teaching module.
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New initiatives to support open access publishing By Shannon Gordon Public services librarianHealth Sciences Library
The oPen access (OA) publishing model is huge in the health sciences. According to the Directory of Open Access Journals, there are 700 plus Health Sciences OA journal titles, which represents one-tenth of all OA journal publications in the world. This is impressive, and is a number guaranteed to grow. Given the relevance of OA publishing, MUN Libraries, including the Health Sciences Library, is now offering several exciting OA initiatives to support your OA publishing.
Publishing in an OA journalHave plans to publish in a BioMed Central (BMC), Hindawi, or Public
Library of Science (PLoS) OA journal? If so, keep in mind that if your article is accepted by any of these publishers, MUN Libraries will now be invoiced directly for your author’s fee (also called author’s fees or page fees). This means zero cost to you as an author as MUN Libraries will cover the cost. The only requirement is that your MUN affiliation be clearly indicated at the time of submission. MUN Libraries is also launching an OA Author’s Fund this fall. This fund will provide financial support for MUN researchers wishing to publish in OA journals having author fees that are published by other OA publishers. Stay tuned for details on applying to the fund.
Creating a new OA journal MUN Libraries also has an e-journal hosting service to support faculty and student OA journal publishing. The service
provides support for article submission, peer review workflow, journal layout, reader access, and long-term archiving. Current MUN journals include Analecta Hermeneutica, Journal of Macrodynamic Analysis, Mapping Politics, and at the EDGE. It would be wonderful to add a health sciences title to the mix. All of these MUN produced journals use Creative Commons licensing, which means authors retain the right to re-use and share their work. Better yet, all journal issues are freely available online, and can be easily found using Google. Learn more at http://journals.library.mun.ca/ojs/.
Health Research RepositoryUse the Health Research Repository (HRR) to showcase and preserve your published research output. A joint initiative
between the Health Sciences Library and the Faculty of Medicine, one major benefit of the HRR is that it helps researchers comply with OA funding agreements. In particular, the HRR offers a solution to the 2008 CIHR Policy on Access to Research Outputs. Learn more at www.med.mun.ca/ResearchRepo/home.aspx. The Memorial University Research Repository at http://research.library.mun.ca/is also an option for subjects across campus.
WorkshopsAn introductory OA workshop is taking place at the Health Sciences Library this fall. Open Access for Health Sciences
Research is happening 1-2 p.m. on Oct. 18, with a repeat on Nov. 8. To attend, sign up at www.library.mun.ca/hsl/instruction/workshops.php. Scheduling a customized OA workshop for your department or group is also possible.
Your OA ContactHave a question? Contact Shannon Gordon ([email protected]) for information on any of these options.
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Editorial reflections on Medicine in the Remote and Rural North, 1800-2000An interview with Dr. Jim Connor, John Clinch Professor of Medical Humanities and History of Medicine.
MUNMed: What’s the book about?
JTHC: It’s a series of 13 scholarly essays that examine medical practice in rural and remote regions in what we identified as the North. There are discussions of healthcare delivery in Norway, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Greenland, Scotland, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and northern British Columbia. The geographical sense of location or place helps tie together all the contributions, but so do the recurring themes of challenge and personal satisfaction experienced by doctors, midwives, and nurses working in these regions over the last two centuries. Notions of isolation and dealing with extreme weather conditions often figure in many of the historical analyses in the book.
MUNMed: Who should read Medicine in the Remote and Rural North, 1800-2000?
JTHC: The target audience is scholars, especially medical and social historians. But other academics such as geographers or cultural anthropologists might also benefit from reading it. Having said that, I truly believe that anyone who has any connection with northern regions or to rural medical practice will learn something from the book. Current practitioners might recognize themselves in their professional ancestors who worked under difficult conditions to better the lives of their patients – a lot of the technology has changed, but a careful reading of the doctors’ and nurses’ and midwives’ accounts from the past contained in the book might resonate with today’s rural healthcare practitioners.
MUNMed: Where did the idea for the book come from?
JTHC: When I was appointed to Memorial in November 2004, I quickly realized how important was rural and remote medical practice to the mandate of the Faculty of Medicine; and the significance of the historiography of
Newfoundland. Yet I was frustrated by the fact there had been little real attempt to connect the two and to contextualize them on a broader, international basis. So I decided to organize an international conference around these ideas from which I hoped a book would emerge – conferences come and go and can be useful, but to really make a difference there needs to be a lasting outcome, which for scholars, is a book. I approached my colleague in the Department of History, Stephan Curtis who also co-edited Medicine in the Remote and Rural North, 1800-2000, and together we drew up a list of established and emerging scholars that we would invite to St. John’s to participate. The conference took place in May 2007 and consisted of intense workshop sessions in which pre-circulated draft papers were discussed, as well as a session open to the general public which attracted quite a few people to the Faculty of Medicine. For several reasons not all who participated in the conference ended up in the book, but I believe that the final printed volume captures nicely the essence and goal of the conference.
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MUNMed: Who funded this project?
JTHC: We were fortunate to get support from several sources. The main funder was Associated Medical Services Inc. in Toronto, which is a philanthropic agency that through its Hannah Conference program enabled us to bring people from Europe and Canada to Newfoundland; this agency also provided a publication grant. The dean of medicine was also generous, as was then university president Axel Meissen. Even the City of St. John’s kicked in some support – we had then Mayor Andy Wells address our guests (without incident!). The Faculty of Arts also helped, as did the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research. Everyone is acknowledged in the book.
MUNMed: The conference was held in 2007, but the book did not appear until 2011 – why the delay?
JTHC: Publishing in the arts and humanities always takes longer than in medicine or the biosciences. Our respective fields are much smaller and resources tighter, so patience and tenacity are required – a gap of several years between concept and publication is not unusual. No disrespect to my science colleagues, but the shelf life of arts and humanities scholarship is typically much longer than that of scientists – our work tends to be cited over several generations, while scientific
publications (unless, of course, they are classics) often are stale within five years. Thus we take the long view on these publication matters. But I don’t deny that we encountered a few editorial challenges that slowed as down a bit. In addition to the time needed for the necessary peer review process, we had to do a lot of silent editing as many of our contributors were not native English writers. Initially, we were working with six languages in addition to English so smoothing out different writing styles and literal translations was interesting. Also, we opted for a British publisher which meant that its house style followed English conventions and not those of North America – many, many typographical devils were in the punctuation and textual details.
MUNMed: Who published Medicine in the Remote and Rural North, 1800-2000?
JTHC: We were fortunate to have this book appear in the Studies for the Society for the Social History of Medicine series published by Pickering & Chatto of London. This is prestigious – and by going with a publisher such as Pickering & Chatto, which is recognized for its contributions to the history of medicine and science, we hope that the book will be available to a broader, international audience. You can check them out at www.pickeringchatto.com/monographs/medicine_in_the_remote_and_rural_north_1800_2000.
Diabetic ketoacidosis project launchedThe firsT meeTing of the Newfoundland and Labrador Diabetic Ketoacidosis Project was held July 14. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a major complication of Type 1 diabetes and cases of DKA account for a significant number of hospitalizations among patients with diabetes in the province. Led by Dr. Leigh Anne Newhook (right end of the back row), the project focuses on improving DKA prevention and management. The main goal of the project is to reduce provincial rates of hospital admission for DKA; from the patient perspective the goal is to create and implement resources that will assist families and children living with diabetes in taking proper steps towards DKA prevention. The group attending the inaugural meeting included physicians, nurses, researchers, patients and community group representatives.
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Thousand Thousands pin for lifetime donordr. sandy macdonald (Class of 1986) is a generous donor to the Faculty of Medicine, and his lifetime giving of over $10,000 was formally recognized in late July when Dean James Rourke presented him with a special gold Thousand Thousands pin and card of thanks. Dr. Macdonald was nearly 30 when he decided to apply to medical school, and he said he feels grateful that Memorial accepted him as a medical student on his own merits. “The education I received at Memorial was excellent and I give back to Memorial’s medical school because it started me on my career.”
Dr. Macdonald’s career has also been one of giving back to marginalized areas of Canada. He’s worked at the University of Manitoba’s Northern Medical Unit, the L’Ardoise Medical Clinic and Strait-Richmond Hospital in Nova Scotia and the Hudson Bay Hospital Centre, Povungnituk, Quebec. From 1993-1998 he worked as a staff family physician and anesthetist at Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital, Sioux Lookout, Ont. From 1998-2000 he worked as a general practitioner and anesthetist in Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Moose Factory and Iqaluit. In 2001 he was appointed director of Medical Affairs with the Department of Health and Social Services, based in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. In this position he is responsible for recruitment and retention of physicians in the Territory, quality of care, and physician services both in the Territory and with Southern Service providers in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Yellowknife.
The Thousand Thousands Challenge is our special annual giving program for Faculty of Medicine alumni. It recognizes donations from all alumni and can be self-directed towards furthering academic excellence in the Faculty of Medicine. Ultimately the goal is for alumni to make annual $1,000 leadership level gifts – one thousand gifts of $1,000 every year – one thousand thousands. For further information on giving to the Faculty of Medicine contact Margaret Miller, development officer, 709 777 8289 or email [email protected].
“The impact of alumni support cannot be underrated. Along with championing research and faculty activities, your gift allows us to provide scholarships, bursaries, and student awards. Alumni giving is vital to building the Dr. Ian Rusted Founder’s Chair in Medical Education, our Medical Research Fund and the Student Contingency Fund.”Dean James Rourke
The Thousand Thousands Challenge was started by the Medical Graduates’ Society in 2005, with the original goal of raising $1 million for the Dr. Ian Rusted Founder’s Chair in Medical Education. To date over $225,000 has been donated and a further $92,000 has been pledged. Donations to help build the fund to endow the first chair for the Faculty of Medicine (in memory of our founding dean) are still one of the priorities of the Thousand Thousands Challenge. Alumni can also designate their annual gifts to scholarships, bursaries, student awards, the Medical Research Fund and the Student Contingency Fund.
The Dr. Ian Rusted Founder’s Chair in Medical Education will:
• Serve as an expert resource for curriculum development and innovation
• Stimulate interest in educational research and development
• Advance the field of health professional education through scholarly activity
• Ensure that research informs educational practice
• Enhance our education connections to the community
Dr. Sandy Macdonald received a gold Thousand Thousands pin from Dean James Rourke.
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Ingram award goes to medical historianThe medical graduaTes’ Society 2011 Dr. Wallace Ingram Award goes to Dr. J.T.H. Connor, John Clinch Professor of Medical Humanities and History of Medicine.
Dr. Connor is the co-ordinator of Humanities, Ethics and Law in Medicine (Clinical Skills 2) and faculty lead of the Medical Humanities and Professionalism Unit, Medical Education and Scholarship Centre (MESC). His project is Medical Professionalism in the Canadian Context: Learning, Teaching, and Doing It.
Dr. Connor notes that new accreditation standards state that medical schools must ensure that the learning environment for medical students promotes the development of explicit and appropriate professional attributes in attitudes, behaviours and identity.
With the help of $10,000 funding from the Dr. Wallace Ingram Award, Dr. Connor will examine what the phrase professional attributes means in a specifically Canadian context. “The overwhelming bulk of the literature on medical professionalism has emanated from the United States during the last couple of decades and has been written by American practitioners,” he said. “It is the goal of this project to develop a preliminary set of values, guides, topics and readings that will resonate with our medical students and, hopefully, their colleagues across Canada.”
Dr. Connor is a leading medical historian in Canada who has been studying the development of medicine and health care delivery in both the United States and Canada for over 30 years. “Through this project it is likely that Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine could be seen as an educational leader in this area,” said Dr. Connor. In this project he will be able to build on the strengths of an informal team consisting of Dr. Christopher Martin of the Medical Education Scholarship Centre who is also a post-doctoral fellow supervised by Dr. Connor (through the Arts and Medicine faculties) along with Faculty of Medicine colleagues Dr. Natalie Bandrauk, intensivist and internal medicine, and Dr. Jennifer Connor, medical humanities.
Dr. Connor has held the position of John Clinch Professor of Medical Humanities and History of Medicine since 2004 and is cross-appointed to the Department of History at Memorial.
The Dr. Wallace Ingram Award was established in 2004 by the Medical Graduates’ Society (MGS) to honour Dr. Wallace Ingram, professor emeritus, internal medicine, for his outstanding contributions to medical education throughout his careers. Funded entirely through the MGS Annual Reunion Class Giving program, the award focuses on the support of medical education research and scholarly activity.
ALUMNIMATTERS
At the 2011 MGS Reunion, Dr. Jim Connor was presented with the Ingram Award. From left: Dr. Bridget Picco, MGS president, Dr. Connor, Dr. Wallace Ingram and Dean James Rourke.
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Ingram award supports projectThe medical graduaTes’ Society 2011 Dr. Wallace Ingram Award will also support a project to develop web-based research skills training for medical residents.
A grant of $7,500 goes to a project team headed by Dr. Leigh Anne Newhook, pediatrics, with team members Dr. Roger Chafe, director of the Janeway Pediatric Research Unit; Dr. Anne Drover, pediatrics; Dr. Krisztina Bajzak, research co-ordinator for the Discipline of Obstetrics and gynecology; and Dr. Christopher Martin, Medical Education Scholarship Centre.
There are about 200 residents enrolled across a number of disciplines at Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons requires that all residency programs meet certain teaching objectives in medical research.
“While providing instruction in this area is a requirement, the residency curriculum for medical scholarship is often unstructured and haphazard,” said Dr. Newhook. “In a recent review of the training pediatric residents receive in medical research we found that although all pediatric residents have at least one four-week rotation devoted to research, the individualized apprenticeship structure of the residency program makes class-based instruction difficult to implement.”
To address this problem, the project will develop, apply and evaluate a program of web-based research training modules for residents which can be completed by the resident independently during his or her research rotation.
The Discipline of Pediatrics has partnered with the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynecology to determine if a single computer-based training program could be adopted by multiple residency programs.
From left (back): Drs. Roger Chafe, Leigh Anne Newhook and Christopher Martin. Front: Drs. Krisztina Bajzak and Anne Drover.
ALUMNIMATTERS
Speaker: Erika Dyck Ph.D.
Dr. Dyck is an associate professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in History of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. She is an Associate member of the Department of Psychiatry. She has written Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus (2008) and is currently writing a monograph called Facing the History of Eugenics for the University of Toronto Press, that looks at the lives of men and women who were institutionalized for psychiatric disorders or ‘feeblemindedness’ in Alberta, and who were sexually sterilized under its eugenics program, 1928-1972.
Main Auditorium, Health Sciences CentreMemorial University of NewfoundlandFriday, November 18, 2011Noon-1 p.m.
Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD Experimentation andthe Post-Second World War Pharmacological Revolution
Dr. Nigel Rusted Lectureship in Medical Humanities 2011
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Class of 1976 reunitesThe class of 1976 had a good showing at the 2011 MGS reunion. From right: Drs. Bob Butter, Ted Callanan, Don Morrison, Heather Foster, Alan O’Reilly, Heather Foster, Bill Maloney and Linda (Bowers) Hudson.
Calgary area alumni host tribute eveningon aPril 29 an intimate dinner was held to celebrate the contributions of two of Memorial’s most treasured faculty members in the medical school, Dr. Wallace Ingram and Dr. Nigel Duguid. Co-chaired by Dr. Josh Foley (Class of ‘83) and Dr. Sam Lee (Class of ’78), the evening at Silver Springs golf and country club in Calgary, AB was a special experience for all who attended. Stories were told and experiences remembered with much laughter; the evening concluded with a sing along and closed with the Ode to Newfoundland.
Clockwise from upper left: Dr. Josh Foley, Dr. Sam Lee, Dr. Rob McTaggart Cowan, Dr. Nigel Duguid, Dr. Katherine Kavanagh, Dr. Conor Maguire, and Dr. Wallace Ingram. Unavailable for photo: Dr. Carla Coffin.
“Very rarely in one’s career does somebody get the opportunity to meet someone of the professional stature of Dr. Wallace Ingram. In particular, his devotion to teachers, colleagues amd his students, as anyone who has had the privilege of working with Wally will attest.”Dr. Josh Foley
Alumni profileDr. Darroch MooresClass of 1976
Specialty: I’m a thoracic Surgeon in Albany NY,Place of practice: Albany, NYHobbies: golf, skiing and fly fishingFavourite wine: Cake Bread Nappa cabernetBook that you are reading: I read fiction, non-stop. I love Jack Reacher novels By Lee Childs.Music that you relax to: rock and rollFamily: Three children. Joanne, age 33 is an economist; Neal, age 29, is a surgery resident and Craig, age 28, is also a surgery resident.
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ALUMNIMATTERS
Bridget’s ColumnBy Dr. Bridget Picco
The 2011 mun Med School reunion was a blast. The weekend commenced with a mixer on Friday night in the med school foyer. Classes from the years of ’76, ’81, ’86, ’91, ’96 and 2001 became re-acquainted and the wonderful excitement drowned out any attempt at speeches and the lovely piano music.
The speeches included a warm welcome from yours truly. Dean Jim Rourke then spoke about the construction of the new medical school. Dr. Jim Connor was awarded the Ingram award for 2011 for research promoting professionalism as part of the medical school curriculum. The amazing Dr. Wally Ingram then told the chatterers at the back of the room – by the bar – to shut up and listen to his speech. And they did! He then reminisced about how he and Dr. Sandy McDonald would sing at work years ago. Revellers then headed downtown where April Wine was playing.
Saturday morning began with the annual general meeting of the Medical Graduates’ Society (MGS), with stellar attendance. Dr. Alan Goodridge, Class of ‘77 was voted in as the new MGS president, effective immediately. Alan promises free membership and welcomes your input. Dr. Lynn Dwyer Class of ‘86 was voted in as a new board member.
This year’s CME had official Mainpro credits for the first time ever, for both specialists and family docs. Andrew and Allison Furey, class of ‘01, presented slides and a discussion about their travels to Haiti since the earthquake. Andrew had recently returned from his second trip, leading a group of Eastern Health docs and nurses who worked at a hospital in Haiti.
Dr. Angie Pickles, class of ’96, presented on radiation exposure and CT scans, especially in children. The responsibility of ordering unnecessary CT scans and the risk to the patient should be considered. Dr. Karen Woolfrey, class of ’91, presented the new Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) guidelines. She is on the international panel for deciding the 2010 guidelines. Basically, CPR is in – you’ll have to read Circulation November 2010.
Dr. Sandy MacDonald, class of ’86, enlightened the audience about practicing in Inuvik and the challenges of remote medicine. He spoke about a distressed infant in a very remote community who required air transport to a tertiary pediatric hospital and the challenges of air transport, of teamwork, and of weather and fatigue.
Coffee and conversation flowed. The class of ’76 wondered why they did not have a ceiling tile. Hopefully, their plan of signing a ceiling tile at their dinner party on Saturday evening worked. Dean Rourke mentioned that the ceiling tiles will be transferred to the new medical school and arranged in an artistic manner — any ideas? I am sure Dr. Rourke will welcome your thoughts. The ceiling tiles appear to be a focus of every re-union, so they do deserve a special place in the new medical school.
Dr. Peter Collingwood, class of ’81, spoke about radio frequency ablation of hepatic tumors and finally, Dr. Ted Callanan, class of ’76, described the new initiative involving psychiatry and inter-professional education at Memorial.
After such a cerebral marathon, we were all starved. Luckily, Dean Rourke had prepared a scoff for us and our families at North Bank Lodge; tents, tablecloths and a beautiful catered buffet. Kids were entertained with games and crafts. All of the reunion classes attended their own dinner parties Saturday night.
As outgoing president, I would like to welcome Dr. Alan Goodridge as the MGS president. He has been a tremendous supporter of the medical school and has been on the MGS board for four years. A special thanks to Dean Rourke for his great support of and interest in the medical alumni.
Cheers for now!
BridgetDr. Bridget Picco
“Dr. Alan Goodridge, Class of ‘77 was voted in as the new MGS president, effective immediately. Alan promises free membership and welcomes your input.”
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