Congratulations to the 107 University of Manitoba College of Medicine graduates in the Class of 2015 who had their MD degrees conferred upon them at a convocation ceremony last week.

I am proud to say that 77 graduates (72 per cent)are staying in Manitoba for their residency training at U of M. We also have 47 graduates entering family medicine -including 34 at U of M family med residency programs. Nineteen will be embarking on residencies in rural and northern medicine.

Nine self-declared Aboriginal students graduated in the Class of 2015  – the highest number in the last five years and an important sign as we endeavor to admit a diverse student body which reflects our province’s population. Thirty-eight of this year’s graduating class have rural attributes.

Within the Faculty of Health Sciences, we have strived to emphasize inter-professionalism between the health care disciplines. As we know, the world of health care is never static and we need to embrace change. It is my hope that we have prepared our graduates to lead a world where inter-professionalism is an increasingly accepted part of primary care.

We are also incredibly proud of our graduating MDs for exemplifying our faculty’s tenets of compassion, professionalism and community service. As Manitoba’s only medical school, we have an important responsibility to educate and train physicians who will serve our communities around the province.

The 2015 class has embodied social accountability through its participation in the Habitat for Humanity build; the Rich Man, Poor Man dinner; Jacob Penner Park and many other community-based initiatives.

The U of M presented an Honorary Doctor of Laws to André Picard at this year’s convocation. For 30 years, Mr. Picard has been a leader in health care journalism in Canada. Throughout his career he has given a voice to the voiceless, defended the truth and challenged our thinking and we were honoured to have him address our graduates.

In his remarks, Mr. Picard echoed some of my own sentiments in the College of Medicine’s approach to health care and medical education as he quoted from the Hippocratic Oath:

“Whatsoever house I may enter, my visit should be for the convenience and advantage of the patient.”

He also advised graduates, “Do you know what people really long for? Personal medicine, not personalized medicine. The very best medicine you can offer your patients is a listening ear. The very best treatment you can offer them is a compassionate heart.”

I sincerely congratulate the graduates, their families and friends on their remarkable achievement and hope that they will always do their utmost to put their patients first.

What is your message to this year’s U of M MD Class of 2015?
Check out our photo gallery from Class of 2015 Convocation here.