Awards: Medical education mentors honoured
Congratulations to Lorelei Lingard, PhD, and Sayra Cristancho, PhD, recipients of the 2019 Early Career Medical Educator (ECME) Awards.
ECME is a nation-wide community of engaged and collaborative scholars in medical education and aims to grow and support the community of medical and health professions educators in Canada.
Lingard, professor and founding director at the Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI), was honoured with the ECME Mentor Award, recognizing a mid to senior career faculty member who, through their advocacy, role modelling and mentorship advances the growth, success, and recognition of early career medical educators.
“I think I spend some part of each and every day mentoring. Those conversations are some of the most deeply satisfying work I do, so I feel really honoured to have that work recognized with this award,” said Lingard.
She says medical education is still a relatively young scholarly field, but one that is fast-growing and vibrant.
“It can be a difficult field to survive in, with many people balancing both clinical and academic roles, and both professional and personal duties. I believe mentorship is essential to support young faculty through these complexities, to inspire them as researchers when things are difficult, to advocate for them as people, and to help them make strategic decisions about their careers and lives,” she said.
Cristancho, an assistant professor and scientist at CERI, was doubly honoured to see her own mentor recognized and to win an award herself.
“Personally, I have been fortunate to have had great mentors along the way, with Lorelei being the most influential in my career so far. Because I have experienced it first hand, I can appreciate the pivotal importance of mentors, especially in your junior years,” said Cristancho who was one of two recipients of the ECME Champion Award. The Award celebrates contributions to the field of medical education with an emphasis on the advancement, amplification, support, promotion and mentorship of medical educators.
“Being recognized as one of those who can help junior researchers in their path to success is a real honour. This award will have a special place in my heart,” Cristancho said.
The awards will be presented at the Canadian Conference on Medical Education in Niagara Falls on April 13, 2019.
