Two receptions to honour the recipients of the newly established Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) Teaching Excellence Awards for the 2023-24 academic year were held on the Montreal campus on March 26 and Campus Outaouais on April 24. These awards, replacing the Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP) Awards, celebrate educators who have gone the extra mile to help shape the next generation of medical professionals.
The Montreal ceremony, attended by over 40 guests, including families, faculty leadership and special guests, opened with remarks from Lesley Fellows, MDCM, Vice-President (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Mélanie Mondou, MDCM, Associate Dean of UGME.
“We are here tonight to honour those who have gone above and beyond to inspire and mentor our students,” Dr. Fellows told attendees. “These awards reflect the dedication, passion, and commitment these educators bring to their teaching, shaping the future of healthcare.”
At Campus Outaouais, the awards ceremony was celebrated in the presence of this year’s graduating students, as well as faculty and administrative staff.
Danyèle Lacombe, MD, Associate Dean and Director of Campus Outaouais and Marion Koch, MD, Director of the UGME Program at Campus Outaouais offered opening remarks. “Tonight, we honour exceptional individuals who have made a significant impact on our students’ academic lives through their remarkable dedication,” said Dr. Koch. “These awards recognize not only excellence in teaching but also the passion, kindness and rigour with which these educators guide the next generation of healthcare professionals.”
Added Dr. Lacombe: “At the heart of the learning experience offered at Campus Outaouais is the exceptional commitment of our clinical educators. These physicians, deeply rooted in the reality of our region, share their passion for medicine with remarkable generosity. Through their rigorous mentorship, their humanism and their capacity to inspire, they cultivate in students a profound sense of professional responsibility. Their pedagogical expertise transforms each clinical moment into a meaningful learning opportunity, fostering a unique closeness between teachers and students. This is why our students wanted to recognize these physicians with the UGME Teaching Excellence Awards.”
On behalf of the Campus Outaouais leadership team, Dr. Lacombe expressed her sincere gratitude to these dedicated educators who, through their commitment, actively contribute to the campus’ social responsibility mission and help shape a future workforce that is competent, anchored in its community and ready to respond to the needs of the local population.
At the Montreal ceremony, Sabrina Fallavollita, MDCM, Assistant Dean of UGME, provided an overview of the new awards, emphasizing their importance in recognizing teaching excellence across the four components of the MDCM program curriculum. The recipients, she explained, were chosen for their dedication to fostering student development and to promoting excellence in teaching, as both faculty members and residents.
“I’d like to thank the students here, as these awards were voted on by them,” Dr. Fallavollita added. “Your thoughtful feedback and nominations truly highlight the dedication of these educators.”
The student-driven nature of the awards was further emphasized by the presence of class presidents from both campuses, who were invited to speak at the ceremony and who underscored how deeply these educators impact their learning experience.
Congratulations to all the UGME Teaching Excellence Award laureates!
Award Recipients for the 2023-24 academic year
Montreal campus:
Fundamentals of Medicine and Dentistry
Dr. Fraser Moore, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery
Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience
Dr. Laurie Musgrave, Department of Family Medicine
Physicianship
Dr. Roger Ghoche, Department of Family Medicine
Transition to Clinical Practice
Dr. Jason Patrick Bayne, Department of Surgery
Dr. Ruxandra Bunea, General Internal Medicine
Dr. Alexander Ni, General Internal Medicine (resident)
Dr. Marius Ionut Diaconescu, Department of Radiology (resident)
Clerkship
Dr. Preetha Krishnamoorthy, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Goldie Marmor, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Ari Meguerditchian, Department of Surgery
Dr. Michael Golod, Department of Psychiatry (resident)
Dr. Sarah Bouhadoun, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery (resident)
Dr. Andrew Meng, Department of Surgery (resident)
UGME Teaching Excellence Award in Family Medicine – Ken Marshall Award
Dr. Francis Morin, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Katerine Charbonneau Perry, Department of Family Medicine
Campus Outaouais:
Fundamentals of Medicine and Dentistry
Dr. Rafid Haidar, Department of Internal Medicine
Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience
Dr. Sylvie Brousseau, Department of Family Medicine
Physicianship
Dr. Julie Cournoyer
Transition to Clinical Practice
Dr. Karine Leduc, Department of Neurology
Dr. Luc Moleski, Department of Internal Medicine
Dr. Vanessa Bisson-Gervais, Department of Family Medicine (resident)
Clerkship
Dr. Dorothée Leduc, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Stephen Hanley, Department of Surgery
Dr. Apoorv Sharma, Department of Family Medicine (resident)