School values figure prominently at annual events
Social accountability, cultural awareness, and interprofessionalism were front and centre as students and faculty enjoyed the annual White Coat Ceremony and Meet & Greet events, kicking off the 2017/18 academic year.
White Coat Ceremony
It’s a tradition that dates back decades – Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s White Coat Ceremony held on August 29, was an emotional and celebratory event that focused strongly on the School’s values while welcoming incoming medicine and dentistry students.
Amanda Myers welcomed guests with a traditional Indigenous greeting, and incoming students received heartfelt remarks from Jennifer Branch, Dentistry, Class of 2018 and Brian Robertson, Medicine Class of 2020 – the School’s student leaders. Each student was presented with their white coat, a symbol of the beginning of their medical and dental education journeys.
Jumping off the stage with microphone in hand, Dr. Michael Strong had a conversation with the students. His informal position didn’t lessen the strength of his message to the future physicians and dentists.
He spoke about responsibility and how we, as a School, are entrusting our students with the health of society. He emphasized that by living the values of the School and adopting the four pillars of professionalism, students will help to make Canada a stronger and healthier nation, while eliminating the health inequities that exist today.
Dr. Strong also reminded the students that though the weight of this responsibility may feel heavy at times, they will be given the tools to achieve the goals set before them, and they will never be alone – there are mentors here to support them.
The Medicine and Dentistry Classes of 2021 will be the last cohort to complete their four years of undergraduate studies during Dr. Strong’s decanal leadership, a fact that was not lost on the dean.
Dr. Strong concluded his remarks by reminding the students about the symbolic nature of the event. “This is more than just a visit and a wonderful day to celebrate. Today, you are starting the rest of your life.”
View the photo gallery from the event. Can't see the slideshow below? View online here
Meet & Greet Event
The Medicine Class of 2021 enjoyed an official welcome to the Schulich Medicine-Windsor Campus at the Meet & Greet event on September 7. This year, medical students were joined by their colleagues in nursing for the first time at the event, putting a bit of a twist on this much enjoyed tradition.
Gerry Cooper spoke very passionately about the relationship between the medicine and nursing programs, and how having nurse practitioner students join the event is a great introduction to an approach to interprofessionalism.
“We are trying to locate opportunities for members of these health care professions to communicate with one another,” said Cooper, speaking about the approach he and Linda Patrick, Dean of Nursing, hope to see more fully develop. “Better communication will result in improved patient care, and better communication is more likely to occur if relationships are forged early in one’s training and mutual respect is the climate in which these relationships grow,” he added.
Patrick agrees. “The value of bringing the incoming medical and nurse practitioner students together for this event is an example of both our schools valuing interprofessional education and collaboration,” she said. "As the medical and nurse practitioner students enter their programs this fall, we want them to value the future relationships that they will have with each other in practice and respect each other's scope of practice.”
During the events, students heard from educational leaders at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and the University of Windsor, and had an opportunity to enjoy the company of their peers, and meet faculty.
With students already sharing learning, studying, socializing in spaces, and taking part in IPE Day, Copper and Patrick are keen to build on existing interprofessionalism opportunities for medicine and nursing students.
“We are in the beginning stages of finding opportunities to bring students together academically,” said Patrick
View the photo gallery from the event. Can't see the slideshow below? View online here
