CHAIR'S COLUMN
The Plan Remains the Same
James Rutka
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Now that we are mid-way
through our Strategic Plan –
Transforming Surgery: Beyond
the cutting edge – I thought it
would be opportune to review
the progress we have made in
each of our strategic directions.
To remind you, the six strategic
directions for our plan are:
1) Research; 2) Education; 3)
Faculty Development; 4) Best
practices/Quality; 5) Global Outreach and Integration;
and 6) Innovation. Of these, the Innovation pillar was
one that we set in place after the plan was launched, and
is being led by Shaf Keshavjee as Vice-Chair Innovation.
In the Research realm, I was delighted to appoint
Michael Fehlings recently as Vice-Chair Research. Michael
has quickly moved into action picking up where Ben
Alman left off, and leading numerous exciting initiatives
and meetings. Michael held a “Town Hall” Meeting for
all faculty engaged in research at the Peter Gilgan Centre
for Research and Learning at Sick Kids Hospital. The various
themes of research were underscored, and excellent
discussion points were made by the scientists and surgeon
- scientists in attendance. Michael has also recently organized
an information night for PGY1-2 residents about
to embark on their research training. Numerous faculty
actively involved in leading their own research programs
were there to present to the residents to let them know the
extent and breadth of research opportunities that are available.
Finally, Michael facilitated a meeting of all residents
in the Department of Surgery, so that they could learn
about the Surgeon-Scientist Training program in considerable
detail. Research rounds for the Department of
Surgery have been renamed as the “Ben Alman Rounds”
to acknowledge Ben’s many seminal contributions over
the past 7 years as the previous Vice-Chair of Research.
I was particularly pleased to note that research funding
in the Department of Surgery was at an all-time high at
$46.9 Million. In addition, of the 20 top authors in the
entire University of Toronto over the time period of 2009-2013, 6 have come from the Department of Surgery!
In Education, Vice-Chair David Latter continues to
oversee an amazingly robust enterprise. There have been
some significant changes made to the “Fundamentals
Course” for PGY1’s & 2’s. Now, the course is being condensed
into a 1 year all-inclusive course where residents will
spend more time on Tuesday’s each week, but will complete
all their learning regarding the Principles of Surgery within
1 year instead of two. Maurice Blitz has been appointed as
the new course director having taken over from Dr Bob
Mustard. Oleg Safir is leading the new and comprehensive
“Prep Course” for PGY1’s which brings residents from all
Divisions together to learn basic techniques in OR etiquette,
surgical techniques, and ICU/Emergency room procedures.
The course has been highly regarded and rated by
the residents. Finally, with the success of the Orthopaedics
Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) which is now
accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons, we are moving
towards implementation of Competency Based Assessment
Programs in all Divisions beginning this year.
In Faculty Development Ori Rotstein and Paul Grieg
have created a Mentoring Program which is now active
on the Department of Surgery website. In addition, Ori
and Robin Richards are developing principles for late
career transitioning of surgeons.
In Quality and Best Practices, Robin McLeod is leading a
highly engaged group of faculty on a project analyzing readmission
rates for various index procedures in all Divisions
of Surgery. It is hoped that identifying factors leading to
early readmission will enable us to put systems in place
to prevent unscheduled returns to hospital. In addition,
Najib Safieddine, Tim Jackson and Joe Pappia are in the
final stages of developing and implementing a Quality/Best
Practices Curriculum for all residents in Surgery.
In Global Outreach and Integration, Avery Nathens
and colleagues are working towards creating an academic
pathway for residents who wish to pursue a Masters in
Global Health by studying abroad. Numerous surgeons
are embedded in surgical initiatives throughout the
world including in Botswana, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Niger,
Ukraine, and Columbia. A Global Outreach prospectus is
being created to illustrate the extent to which surgeons at
UofT are committed to helping out worldwide.
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Finally, in Innovation, Shaf Keshavjee is preparing
a prospectus to highlight the many innovative projects
that Department of Surgery faculty at UofT are engaged
in at present, from the design of new implants for arthroplasty,
to the use of nanotechnologies in the operating
room, to the treatment of patients using MR-guided
focused ultrasound techniques, it is clear that innovation
is alive and well in the Department of Surgery.
In summary, I am pleased to report that midway
through our strategic plan cycle, we are on target to complete
what we set out to do at the outset. I would like to
thank the leads of each of the pillars and all faculty for
their engagement in the process, and for strengthening
all aspects of our core values.
James T Rutka,
RS McLaughlin Chair, Department of Surgery
DR. TREVOR YOUNG ANNOUNCED
APPOINTED AS NEW DEAN OF FACULTY
OF MEDICINE
Trevor Young
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Following an international search
which was completed in the fall
of 2014, Dr. Trevor Young has
been named the next Dean of the
Faculty of Medicine, effective
January 1st, 2015. Dr. Young
has been serving as the Cameron
Wilson Chair in Depression
Studies and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at
UofT since 2010. He is a clinician-scientist and maintains
an active research program in the molecular basis
of mood disorders. Dr. Young is a graduate of medical
school from the University of Manitoba, and received
his PhD from the Institute of Medical Science at UofT.
His residency in psychiatry was undertaken at UofT and
McGill University. Dr. Young has also held academic
appointments in Psychiatry at McMaster University
and the University of British Columbia. While Chair of
Psychiatry at UofT, Dr. Young had a highly successful
record of fundraising in mental health and psychiatry.
He was a lead in the formation of the Medical Psychiatry
Alliance, a $20 M partnership between the MOHLTC,
UofT, Sick Kids, Trillium Health Partners, and CAMH.
The Department of Surgery congratulates Dr Young in
his new role, and looks forward to working with him
over the years ahead.
DEAN CATHARINE WHITESIDE, FIRST
AMONG EQUALS
Catharine Whiteside
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Dean Catharine Whiteside
will be stepping down as Dean
of the Faculty of Medicine
on December 31st, 2015 after
having served an 8 year term
as the first woman Dean at the
University of Toronto. Dean
Whiteside will be remembered
for her many numerous initiatives
including her recent Strategic Plan: Integration—
Innovation—Impact which is now in its 4th year of
implementation. Dean Whiteside organized the office
of advancement in the Faculty of Medicine towards
higher goals and achievements. She worked closely
with the TAHSN hospitals to strengthen relationships
between the University and the separate institutions. She
procured several new large donor gifts to help advance
the University’s mission. She established the Office of
Strategic Communications and External Relationships
(OSCER), and brought a highly professional and corporate
approach to the Faculty of Medicine. During
her tenure as Dean, Dr Whiteside was President of the
Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. She oversaw
the expansion of the medical school to the Mississauga
Academy, and helped form the Office of Integrated
Medical Education which facilitates the distributed
education model in the GTA. She successfully led the
Accreditation of the Medical School by the LCME
and the CACMS, and two separate Royal College
External Reviews of post-graduate educational programs.
A clinician-scientist and nephrologist by training, Dr.
Whiteside has devoted her entire career to activities at
the University of Toronto since her graduation from
Medical School in 1975. Dr Whiteside plans to spend
the next year working on large gift advancement opportunities
with Universities and Governments in other
countries. The Department of Surgery thanks Dean
Whiteside for her tremendous support of Surgery, and
for her tireless efforts to improve the operations and
function of the Faculty of Medicine.
James T Rutka,
RS McLaughlin Chair, Department of Surgery
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