Meet & Greet event caps off new approach to Orientation Week

Students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members gathered at the MEB Building for the annual Windsor Program Meet & Greet event capping off an exciting week-long orientation for our first year undergraduate medical students.

"The event provides the perfect ending to Orientation week for our Windsor Program students," said Gerry Cooper, associate dean, Windsor Program. "There is so much excitement with the arrival of a new cohort of students and not everybody has a chance to interact throughout the early part of the week. The event provides just that for our first year students. It also gives our students from the senior years, graduates who are now Family Medicine Residents in Windsor, faculty, staff and community colleagues the opportunity warmly welcoming these new learners to the Windsor Program. We want our learners to know how appreciated they are to be part of our family."

Schulich Medicine Orientation Week 2013 was one like no other; for the first time this year students were given the opportunity to really experience and prepare for what the next chapter in their lives will bring. In addition to some traditional events such as White Coat Ceremony and Mission Day, students were provided the opportunity to visit health care settings in the region and learn more about what their future experiences will include. "We saw these visits as an opportunity to bolster that part of the School's vision which speaks to active engagement with our community. What better way could there be to actively engage our community colleagues than their helping to inform the world view of our medical students within their first few days of their medical education?" said Cooper.

The Orientation team which included the School's associate deans, representatives from Learner Equity and Wellness, the UME office and the Windsor program worked for months to develop a new orientation program that provided learning, celebration and many opportunities for students to bond with fellow classmates.

Check out some great photos from the Meet & Greet and White Coat Ceremony. Click here to watch the Orientation week video.