Finding Our Balance

The University of Toronto today announced its plans for re-opening our campuses, starting on February 7, 2022, following a shutdown necessitated by the Omicron variant. An essential component of the University’s plan is allowing for faculty-specific approaches that recognize the different needs of our programs and the critical partners with whom we closely work. In announcing our plans within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, we are moving with care and caution as we slowly expand our on-campus activities. 

The pandemic has forced individuals and institutions to make complex and nuanced choices. It has been a constant struggle to strike the right balance, especially in the face of uncertainty caused by our evolving understanding of this disease and the emerging mutations. Within Temerty Medicine, we strived to continue our educational and research operations while responding to public health directives. We know that sudden shifts to online learning and teaching or reduced access to clinical learning environments can be stressful and frustrating. We know that reduced capacity limits in labs can impact research projects. And we know the huge burdens members of our community are facing as clinical practitioners and as family members trying to support loved ones during this pandemic.

We have aimed to ensure we don't have a generation of learners, faculty, and staff who see their progress interrupted by this pandemic. We need to ensure that learners are able to complete their programs on time and to enter the health care system, which is in critical need of support. We can't stop the vital research undertaken within Temerty Medicine, especially research related to COVID-19. We also want to see faculty and staff able to advance their careers through opportunities for advancement and promotions. Yet, we also can’t pretend that everything is normal. 

We have been working to respond to the real needs of our learners, faculty, and staff while also recognizing the other priorities they have outside their U of T roles. Our Toronto Academic Health Science Network colleagues have been informing our planning throughout this pandemic. While we don’t want to deprive a generation of opportunities, we also can’t allow a generation to burn out over too many competing demands. It is why we have support services for students, Post MD learners, faculty and staff. We have also sought to be flexible in how programs are delivered to the limits necessitated by accreditation and regulatory requirements while ensuring academic integrity. We have adjusted timelines for annual processes like faculty promotions to be more accommodating and flexible to our current reality.

I understand some may feel we have not struck the balance right in every circumstance, but I can assure you that is not due to a lack of effort or understanding. I want you to know how much we appreciate your flexibility, support, and resilience in the face of the ongoing challenges and constraints caused by the pandemic. The other leaders and I within Temerty Medicine do not take that for granted. We cannot stop our work at the University, but we can always be creative in identifying solutions that support the health and wellbeing of our community while meeting our commitments to society.

I know you’re tired and frustrated as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. I know how much you have already given and sacrificed to meet your obligations as learners, teachers and employees. Please know that your efforts are recognized and appreciated. We will overcome these challenges, and until then, we will continue to be here for you — just as you have been there for others. 

Patricia Houston
Acting Dean and Vice Dean, Medical Education
Temerty Faculty of Medicine