To all members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Welcome to the new academic year. I hope you have had a great summer. It’s wonderful to see all the new faces and familiar faces returning to our two campuses. Thank you for bringing your energy, curiosity and talents to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) community.
No matter where we work, teach, learn, conduct research or provide care, we are united by a common mission: to improve health. That mission continues to guide our decisions and priorities as we move forward together in a rapidly evolving landscape for higher education, healthcare and research.
Thanks to the thoughtful work undertaken across the FMHS to align resources with priorities, we are strengthening our ability to navigate challenges and focus on the areas where we can have the greatest impact.
Since the launch of our strategic plan, Together for Better Health, members of our community have been translating ambitious goals into meaningful action. Across our campuses, affiliated sites and partner organizations, these efforts are making a difference. Here are just a few examples:
FMHS welcomes two world-renowned investigators in strategic research areas: RNA biology researcher Phillip Zamore and medtech developer Sameer Sonkusale, who join from the US as part of Canada’s $1 billion Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs program, chose McGill for the exceptional opportunities to advance cutting-edge research that can have immediate clinical impact.
Record number of medical students training in Montreal and Outaouais: We have worked closely with our clinical partners to increase cohorts at both campuses to historic levels, to help meet the growing healthcare needs of Quebecers.
Unique-in-Quebec online BNI making university-prepared nursing education more accessible to learners across the province with the goal of assuring nursing expertise wherever it is needed.
State-of-the-art teaching and research facilities for physical and occupational therapy: The upcoming move will provide a modern teaching and learning setting to support the talents and ambitions of School members, and allow us to welcome a larger cohort of learners.
Innovative educational programs in priority areas: These include the BA in Population and Global Health, offered in partnership with the Faculty of Arts, which is welcoming its first cohort this fall; the Interdisciplinary Cancer Sciences PhD Program; and the Graduate Certificate in Health Data Analytics; to name but a few.
These programs, and many others, are preparing our students to respond to complex challenges by working effectively together, across disciplines and professional fields.
I know that the creative, brilliant, and dedicated students, staff and faculty who together comprise our FMHS community will continue to deliver outstanding fundamental and applied research and training to improve health in Quebec and around the world. The needs are great; I have every confidence in our collective capacity to respond. Thank you for all that you do to advance our shared mission.
Have a fantastic fall term.
Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-President (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences