Celebrating the Next Step

Nature has some pretty amazing transformations. Every year, the transition from winter into spring seems to happen quickly, giving way to an explosion of growth. But one of my favourite annual transformations happens every year around this time on our campus. It’s that very special moment when our students step on stage, take their degrees, and step off the stage again having transformed from students into our colleagues in medicine.

It’s a proud moment for families and friends of the individual graduates, who made this achievement with the help of their supporters. A debt of gratitude is owed to them for their encouragement and support. It’s a proud moment for us as faculty members, too. This is, after all, what we do. We educate. We try to inspire. And, when the time comes, we see our students off as they begin the next phase of their professional lives.

Of all the good work we do as a Faculty of Medicine – this is the work I find the most rewarding.

This year’s convocation ceremony marked a milestone for our Faculty as the first graduates from the Mississauga Academy of Medicine crossed the stage to receive their diplomas. It was also the first time I participated in convocation as Dean. In all, nearly 260 students from our four Academies graduated from our MD program, including a group of newly minted clinician-scientists who completed our MD/PhD program. We’re also proud to celebrate the graduates of the Physician Assistant program as well as our joint degree programs, such as the Medical Radiation Sciences Program offered by our Department of Radiation Oncology and The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences.

I’m proud of our new graduates – young women and men who are among the best in the world. They’re tremendously skilled, ready to help save lives and improve health for people here at home and around the globe. They may feel their time in education is drawing to a close, but in reality, it’s just beginning.

Ultimately, convocation doesn’t mean an end so much as a beginning. We’re fortunate to welcome some of our new graduates back to the Faculty for Postgraduate Medical Education. After this, there’s residency and, for some, further specialist work or graduate work. We’re proud to offer education and training in almost 80 accredited, specialty and subspecialty programs. With the help of our partners, we’re able to offer these experiences at 27 affiliated teaching and community hospitals as well as many other clinics and community sites. Some may go on to get supporting degrees – like an MBA, a PhD, or maybe even a new designation that hasn’t even been created yet – and all doctors go on to do continuing professional education throughout their careers. This could also include career and leadership development though our Centre for Faculty Development, which supports the academic development of faculty in Health Science Faculties at U of T and beyond.

That’s the marvelous thing about the health professions – they’re a great home for lifelong learners. Few other jobs give people the opportunity to challenge themselves and educate themselves almost daily.

So, for our new grads – who stepped off the stage yesterday – this is only the next step.  One of many in a truly exciting, rewarding and inspiring journey.

To all our new graduates from all your colleagues in the faculty of Medicine: congratulations! And welcome!