Welcome to the 2023-2024 academic year! We would like to thank the learners, instructors, educators, facilitators, researchers, staff and many others who contribute to educational excellence across McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. We are excited to begin this new semester and to build on the many successes and innovations in education in the past year.
One such innovation was achieved at the Ingram School of Nursing, which celebrated the first graduating class of the Bachelor of Nursing (Integrated) Online stream in the last academic year. As McGill’s first fully online program and the only online BNI in Quebec, it meets the critical need for baccalaureate nurses in our province. It is also an accessible opportunity for learners across Quebec, particularly those living and working in rural communities. We are excited to see the contributions that these graduates will make as they further their careers in nursing!
Another major accomplishment was the approval of the new PhD in Health Sciences Education, the latest graduate program offered by the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE). This unique program is designed to prepare students to become researchers and to produce compelling evidence that will shape how we teach the next generation of healthcare providers.
In many cases, learners have been at the forefront of the educational advances of the past year. Members of McGill’s iGEM team played a key role in the development of a new course at the School of Biomedical Sciences (MIMM 302: Introduction to Synthetic Biology) and its inclusion in a larger synthetic biology program that is in ongoing discussions between the FMHS and the Faculty of Science. In addition, the Graduate Certificate in Translational and Biomedical Research, which a group of passionate learners helped to design, was officially launched in Fall 2022.
Of course, these achievements and many others would not be possible without the amazing educators in our Faculty, who continually go above and beyond to provide the highest level of teaching, mentorship and support. Whether you teach in a classroom, in a lab or research setting, online, in a simulation centre or in a clinical environment, your dedication to preparing the next generation is truly appreciated. Your tireless efforts have been central to McGill’s reputation for educational excellence and its ranking as the top medical-doctoral school in Canada by Maclean’s Magazine for 18 years straight. We are immensely thankful for your commitment to our educational mission.
We are also grateful to the many learners in our Faculty whose leadership, bright ideas and perspectives help to shape curricula, programs and educational innovations – you motivate us to continuously learn and improve.
Alongside successes in education, the Faculty has continued to expand the Our Words Matter initiative. The FMHS is fortunate to have a multicultural and diverse learning environment, but we all have a role to play in improving on how we ensure all feel equally welcomed, respected and safe. These principles of are at the heart of educational excellence. If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage you to avail yourselves of the many excellent resources available online.
As we start this new academic year, we wish you all the best in your educational efforts!
The Office of the Vice-Dean, Education