I am involved in a wide range of activities both on and off campus;. I meet with everyone from students to alumni to Manitoba’s Health minister; perform the administrative functions of running a faculty with a $40 million operating budget; chair numerous committees and organizations – and in my spare time,  I continue my clinical pediatric practice. 

Why? Because I care. I want our medical school to be the best it can be. I want our students to leave here with the highest quality education and residency training to practice anywhere in the world, and I want our grads to have a sense of their role  as physicians in service to  our community, and I want them to consider the research endeavour.

We are just over six-weeks into our new academic year and the memories of the white coat ceremony are still fresh for our Class of 2014.  The  110 students bring with them enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn and grow in Medical School. It is hopeful and satisfying to meet our students and discover their goals and dreams.

Across the Faculty we were busy throughout fall preparing for our UGME Mock Accreditation Survey visit. From Oct. 3 – 6, we had a team of very accomplished physicians and a student conduct a “mock” survey of  Undergraduate Medical Education. They assessed all of the 126 rigorous standards we must adhere to and it was a very eye-opening, helpful process.

 I want to particularly thank all of the students for their participation and insight that they offered to the accreditors, and to our accreditation task force. The surveyors identified that the commitment of faculty, staff and students to the accreditation process was a strength of the Faculty. While we have much to be proud of, we also have much work to do in the coming months. We are all in this together and my hope is that we can learn from the Mock Accreditation experience and support one another to achieve our goal of successful accreditation in April 2011.