At our sixth annual Teacher Recognition and MMSA Teaching Awards Dinner last week, our students reinforced the crucial role our faculty members play in preparing them to become future physicians. The Teacher Recognition dinner gives University of Manitoba medical students the opportunity to recognize the outstanding teachers who have made significant contributions to their education through the Manitoba Medical Students’ Association teaching awards.

Julia Mayba, an awards presenter and Med II student, acknowledged the important role of leaders and teachers at the U of M.

“We were lucky to be taught by a number of inspirational physicians, ones who get us excited about putting our many hours of study to use in the real world,” she said. “We were also taught by physicians who continually try new things to make traditional lectures more engaging. Furthermore, there were physicians we met who would go the extra mile outside of lecture to provide mentorship and professional guidance to students.”

Keynote speaker Ovide Mercredi, a highly respected lawyer, activist and former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, spoke about the need for reconciliation in Canadian society and how much we have to learn from each other.

“Nothing moves forward unless there is some knowledge, and nothing moves forward unless there’s understanding, and nothing ever moves forward unless there’s action. It is in our individual benefit if the issue of racism was eliminated from every institution in the country,” he said. ”We have to do it together. I think that’s the formula for better health in First Nations communities in this province and in this country.”

Mercredi also spoke about the importance of healers in Indigenous culture and reminded us that healers treat the entire person not just their physical ailments.

“Teachers and elders are held in high standing in my community,” he said. “Doctors in my culture were also people who could be psychologists or psychiatrists. Healing was not just about herbal medicine, it was about the psychology of the person and how you attend to the emotional needs of a human being.”

Hearing these words I was reminded of the interdisciplinary approach to medical education we are incorporating in the Faculty of Health Sciences. It is my hope that we can teach our students to use a multifaceted approach to treat the whole patient when they are out in the field.

Teaching is a privilege to our exceptional students who will become our province’s future caregivers. Thank you to all faculty members for your dedication and commitment to teaching and imparting your knowledge to the next generation.

How has a faculty member made a difference to you?

Check out event photos on the MMSA Awards page

Read more about the event in UM Today