Dean's Message
We are now two years into the global pandemic, and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has not only held strong – we’ve made an even greater impact on our region and the world.
This year, the Schulich Medicine & Dentistry community developed a new Strategic Plan and together we have leaned on the plan – and each other – for support, guidance and direction. We are already seeing strong momentum in many areas. For instance, during the past year:
- Our Peers for Peers program, a first of its kind in Canada, doubled in size and expanded across Canada. We now have 50 Wellbeing Leads in London and Windsor, and more than 60 physicians have been trained across Canada, including British Columbia and Saskatchewan;
- We launched a progressive, new track called MD+, which offers medical learners the opportunity to pursue a second degree or certificate in a wide variety of subjects. For example, a Master of Public Health or Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, or an MA in History at University College London;
- Our dental clinics contributed to the health and well being of the community through more than 24,000 adult, child, emergency and oral surgery patient visits, frequently serving the most vulnerable populations;
- Researchers have garnered more funding than any previous year, including unprecedented success rates through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada awards;
- Our global health influence has been further enhanced through stronger relationships with Uganda’s Joint Clinical Research Centre. This provides learners critical international perspective through first-hand experience with research and clinical training in a country with health challenges vastly different than Canada; and
- We’re investing to accelerate our impact with a new randomized trials platform with a goal of helping researchers efficiently execute their study concepts.
Our School has adapted in amazing and creative ways, and I have never been more inspired by our community.
As we forge ahead, we will continue to invest in ground-breaking research with a goal of improving human health and the health care system for all, and we will continue to deepen our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization (EDID) under the leadership of a new EDID office.
While change is underway, one thing remains constant – Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s strength is its people – learners, faculty, staff and you, the School’s alumni. Rapport Magazine is an opportunity to highlight and keep you up to date on the School’s people, accomplishments, milestones and developments that have been made in the past year.
I want to thank the team who produces the magazine – they put a tremendous amount of time, effort and care into this. Please enjoy the 2022 edition of Rapport Magazine.
