A warm welcome
Schulich Medicine’s Class of 2019 week-long welcome was capped off for Windsor Program students with the Meet & Greet event.
The annual reception provides first year students in Windsor with an opportunity to mix and mingle with upper year students and faculty as they get their feet firmly planted in the program and community.
Gerry Cooper, associate dean, Windsor Program welcomed students, faculty and staff to the event and back to a new academic year. He was joined in sharing well-wishes by Dr. Gary Tithecott, associate dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, Dr. Mark Awuku, assistant dean, Faculty and Governmental Affairs, and Alan Wildeman, PhD, president, University of Windsor.
Alex McDougall, Medicine Class of 2018, vice-president, Hippocratic Council shared some encouraging and inspiring words with the incoming class as they begin this next phase of their life.
The event was extra special this year, as faculty, staff and students also recognized and thanked Dr. Mark Awuku for his many contributions to the Windsor Program, as he steps down from his decanal role. It was an emotional tribute that celebrated the much loved and respected physician and teacher.
Dr. Margaret Steele, vice dean, Hospital & Interfaculty Relations, and Drs. Catherine Yanchula and Dale Ziter recognized Dr. Awuku’s caring and patient-centred approach to care, thoughtful leadership, enaging educational style, and humility.
A special statue commissioned by the Program and bearing a likeness to Dr. Awuku, was presented to the Awuku family and will remain in the School as an ongoing reminder of Dr. Awuku’s commitment to the Program.
Historic White Coat Ceremony
This year, the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry celebrated its first combined White Coat Ceremony since the tradition was established in 1996. Putting on the white coat is a powerful moment for all involved. It marks a bond with the students’ chosen vocation and the beginning of a new professional identity.
248 new classmates in medicine and dentistry were surrounded by proud loved ones, and soon-to-be lifelong colleagues and friends for the first time as they were welcomed into the Schulich Medicine & Dentistry family.
The 2015 Ceremony included 38 students from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry – Windsor Program, 56 Schulich Dentistry students and 20 students from the Internationally Trained Dentists (ITD) program.
Dr. Michael J. Strong, dean, addressed the fresh and eager faces of the School’s newest members. But he had a surprise up his sleeve, forgoing the formal podium speech and stepping off stage to be in their midst.
His message was optimistic and thought provoking, as he articulated the significance of a career in modern health care and the meaning of the white coat. “When you put on your white coat, I want you to understand that this is not symbolic. This is your first gig as a physician or dentist,” he said.
The connection between medicine and dentistry was also an important theme.
"While it is unique to have a combined school of both medicine and dentistry, it is intuitive,” said Dr. Strong before the Ceremony. “So many of our modern day illnesses find their origins in oral diseases and so much of our practice of medicine needs to consider the individual as a whole, that bringing together both medical and dental students for this truly memorable event is just a natural first step in their careers.”
Please enjoy a selection of photos from 2015 White Coat Ceremony. Can’t see the slideshow below? Click here to view online.
Community Day – Exploring our region
First-year Schulich Medicine students also participated in Community Day on August 26, their first day of medical school. The experience gave them an opportunity to learn from health care providers in rural and regional communities across Southwestern Ontario.
Community partners supporting the event included Woodstock General Hospital and Woodstock and Area Community Health Centre, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and Central Community Health Centre in St. Thomas, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Chatham Kent Community Health Centre and Thamesview Family Health Team. In Sarnia, community partners include Bluewater Health and Rapids Family Health Team and in Petrolia, Central Lambton Family Health Team and Bluewater Health.
Take a look at some photo highlights from the day. Can’t see the slideshow below? Click here to view online.
