Dr. Denis Sasseville, Professor of medicine (dermatology) at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine was named recently as the recipient of the 2015 Practitioner of the Year Award from the Canadian Dermatology Foundation.
Throughout his distinguished career Dr. Sasseville has greatly enriched the field of dermatology through patient care, teaching, research, and leadership. Dr. Sasseville is world-renowned for his expertise in contact dermatitis, is a founding member and first president of the Canadian Contact Dermatitis Society and has been a very active member of both the North American and European Societies.
“I am extremely honoured to be deemed worthy of this distinction by my peers,” says Dr. Sasseville of the award. It made me realize that I had been practicing medicine for 42 years, and 26 of these as teacher and mentor in academic settings. I am also aware that I owe a lot to my own teachers, mentors and colleagues, to my supportive wife, and most of all to the cohorts of dermatology residents who trained in our division because their youth and enthusiasm have always made me strive for excellence.”
Dr. Sasseville completed his medical school at Université Laval in 1972 and practiced general medicine until 1976. He then returned to residency training in dermatology at McGill. After spending nine years as a solo dermatologist in Rivière-du-Loup, he returned to McGill and the Royal Victoria Hospital in 1989 to develop the contact dermatitis clinic. He was director of the division of dermatology of the McGill University Health Centre from 2000 to 2011. He has published over 125 articles and 20 book chapters, mostly in the field of contact dermatitis or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Congratulations Dr. Sasseville!