Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Pediatrics at McGill University, one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS). Our members provide clinical care, and drive innovation in health professional education, research, and clinical practice. We focus on the critical, early phase of the lifespan: conception to young adulthood. Our mission is to optimize the health and wellbeing of children and to support families allowing every child to achieve their full potential.

Members of the Department of Pediatrics are based at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Jewish General Hospital, with associates throughout the community. With more than 190 members across 14 divisions, clinical services span the full range of pediatric subspecialties and complex general pediatric care. Experts in patient safety and quality improvement contribute to the smooth operations of our clinical programs; this expertise continues to grow.

Education is a strength of the department. Our members contribute to teaching medical students throughout the core curriculum. The undergraduate curriculum in Pediatrics is consistently among the highest rated in the FMHS. We offer residency training programs in general pediatrics and the pediatric subspecialties. We also lead and participate in the training of pediatric nurse practitioners. Members of the department supervise graduate students through partnerships with the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, the Division of Experimental Medicine in the Department of Medicine, and other graduate training programs at McGill.

Excellence in clinical care and education is fuelled by a strong commitment to high quality research. Fundamental, clinical, and translational research is carried out by our members at the Centre for Translational Biology (CTB), the Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM), the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), the hospital, the community, and around the world. Research focusing on improving medical education is also carried out in our department. Investigators in the Department of Pediatrics are well-funded by Tri-Council and other major funding agencies.

The advocacy mission of the department is a growing and important area of activity in which we expect significant expansion in the coming years. With guidance from Indigenous families and leaders, we hope to extend our longstanding efforts to improve care for Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples. Work to improve social inequities both locally and globally is ongoing through several innovative programs in the fields of social pediatrics and global health.

Clinical care, education, and research are equally valued and interact synergistically to guide us on our path to realizing our mission. This website highlights our activities in these domains, with links to more detailed information about our people, our partners, and our programs. Explore what we have to offer.

Beth Foster
Chair, McGill University Department of Pediatrics