Welcome Class of 2016

August 28, 2012 at 12:00 pm

View Dr. Kopelow\'s keynote address

Last week, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine held its Inaugural Day exercises and White Coat ceremony for the Class of 2016. Each year I am impressed by our latest crop of medical students….they are enthusiastic and eager to learn. This incoming class is a diverse group of students from across Manitoba. Some speak multiple languages, some are athletes, some have military backgrounds, and some are the first of their family to go to university or to become a MD.

The Class of 2016 is comprised of 106 Manitobans and four out-of-province students. Some 44 students (40%) of the Class of 2016 have rural attributes which include rural roots, rural work experience or rural volunteer experience. Four are self-declared Aboriginal.

A variety of speakers shared their wisdom with the first-year students including Health Minister Theresa Oswald and CPSM Registrar Dr Bill Pope. David Chartrand, President of the Manitoba Métis Federation, set out some high expectations for our incoming class.“My people, we’re very, very proud of you,” he said. “You are entering the most prized profession in the world and I truly will say openly that you are our future. Our health care in this country is the best in the world and we need to make sure that we also have the best doctors in the world. As we say in our families, in our culture, you’re the healers of tomorrow.”

This year’s inspiring keynote address was given by alumnus Murray Kopelow [MD/78], Chief Executive with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) in Chicago. Prior to his current role, Dr. Kopelow practiced general, critical care and emergency pediatric medicine just next door at the Children’s Hospital.

“Be worthy of the opportunity you have been given,” he told members of the Class of 2016 and stressed the importance of balancing professional duties and family life as a physician. 

“Yes, you need to care for your patients, and you will care for your patients. My personal opinion is that you should not ever let your spouse, your children, or your family, tell you that your patients are more important to you than they are. It’s a dance that you’re going to have to dance your entire life.”

How do you balance your professional and personal lives?