To all members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
With the Winter session well underway, I would like to take a few minutes to share my goals and aspirations for the Faculty in the coming months.
But first I would like to say, Thank you. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week in Quebec. Teaching is at the heart of our work as a Faculty, whether instructing in the classroom, supervising in the clinic, coaching a graduate student, or mentoring a colleague. Our trainees also play much-appreciated teaching roles, in their own right. On behalf of the Faculty’s leadership, thank you, all, for your contributions to our teaching mission. February also marks Black History Month, a chance to reflect on and celebrate the diverse communities that strengthen and enrich our Faculty, and that we are entrusted to serve in our education and research missions.
The coming year will be a year of action, as we work together to meet our societal responsibilities to improve the health of Quebeckers and people around the world. It is especially important that we have a shared understanding of our vision, mission, values and priorities to guide us in these challenging times. We are in the last stages of finalizing the Faculty’s new Strategic Plan: Together for Better Health. To everyone who provided their reflections – faculty and staff, students and trainees – during Faculty Council meetings, through the Faculty-wide survey and at the many meetings that took place – thank you. Your insights and input have been critical in shaping the plan and will inform us as we put the plan into action.
The Strategic Plan is organized around four themes:
- Outstanding education for outstanding learners
- Collaborative research and care for better health
- Delivering with our communities for our communities
- An efficient, mission-focused organization
You can read more about the plan on the Faculty website, and we will present an update at our next Faculty Council meeting on February 19. I hope to see you there.
After meeting with so many of you during the strategic planning exercise and in my year and a half as Dean, I am impressed and encouraged by our collective strengths, talent and dedication. Every day, faculty, staff, students and trainees demonstrate creativity, innovative thinking and resilience in our classrooms, labs, work spaces and healthcare settings. We work together to find novel solutions, support each other and advance our mission, as we have throughout our history.
Thank you, everyone, for all you bring to the Faculty, the academic mission, each other and our patients.
Sincerely,
Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-President (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
P.S.: If you have not yet had the chance to thank a teacher, supervisor, coach or mentor this week, click here!