VoxMeDALTHE VOICE OF DALHOUSIE MEDICAL ALUMNI

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THE VOICE OF DALHOUSIE MEDICAL ALUMNI

COMEBACKto yourMedicalSchoolThe Businessof Medicine

DMAAAwardsGala DinnerBook your classtable now!Sept 24Lord Nelson Hotel902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Research is everything.

www.mollyappeal.ca

The Molly Appeal is proud to support the world-classresearch happening right here in the Faculty of Medicine.

Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation 902.494.3502 Toll-free 1.888.866.6559Suite 1-A1, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, 5850 College Street, Halifax NS B3H 4H7

S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 TABLE OF CONTENTSVoxMeDAL

On our cover:Students celebratingMed Ball 2008

Cover photo: Kerry DeLorey

If you've noticed a new look tothe photography of VoxMeDal, itis due to the efforts of our newphotographer, Kerry DeLorey.Kerry works with CalnenPhotography. Its website iswww.calnenphotography.com.

FEATURESSOURCES OF DMAA FUNDING8 Why the DMAA needs your support

9 2008 DMAA scholarship winners: the

beneficiaries of alumni donations

DMAA INITIATIVES/CELEBRATING 50 YEARS12 Alumni celebrated with special awards

12 What’s new on the DMAA scene

13 Ross Langley reports on the gala experience

14 Alumni tours take over campus

18 In the eyes of a resident: finding balance

19 Post practice: life after retirement

THE BUSINESS OF MEDICINE20 Taking care of business

22 Doctors Nova Scotia’s new Navigator Program

22 Electronic medical records: leaving paper

behind

GLOBAL HEALTH PRACTICES23 Alumni and faculty around the globe

DMSS STUDENT INITIATIVES24 What makes a medical school meaningful:

student projects funded by the DMAA

30 The journey: life before med school

Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement #40601061

Editorial BoardDr. Margaret Casey, President DMAA

Joanne Webber, Executive Director, DMAAPaulette Miles-LeBlanc, Executive Assistant, DMAA

Board of Directors,Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association

ExecutiveDr. David Fraser ’58 Honorary President, DMAADr. Margaret Casey ’68 Past President, DMAA

Dr. Vonda Hayes ’71 President, DMAADr. David Young ’73 Steering Cte Head, Endowed Chair

Members at LargeDr. Robert Anderson ’54

Dr. Alfred Bent ’73Dr. Don Brown ’59

Dr. Douglas Brown ’57Dr. Kim Butler ’03

Dr. Janice Chisholm ’2000Dr. Lori Connors ’05Dr. Tim Dean ’75Dr. D.A. Gillis ’53

Dr. Dennis Johnston ’58Dr. Emerson Moffitt ’51

Dr. Allan Purdy ’74Dr. Dan Reid ’70Dr. Merv Shaw ’65Dr. David Young ’73

Dr. George Flight Chair in Medical Education CommitteeDr. David YoungDr. Allan Purdy

Dr. Robert AndersonDr. D.A. Gillis

Executive Ex-OfficoDr. Harold Cook, Dean of Faculty of Medicine

Dr. Gillian Bethune PARI-MPShane Hawkins, DMSS President

Ian Murray,Director of Alumni & Donor Relations, External Relations

Charmaine Gaudet,Director of Communications FoM

Joanne Webber, Executive Director DMAA

Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association1st Floor Tupper Building, 5850 College St.

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4H7Tel: (902) 494-8800 Fax: (902) 494-1324

Website: alumni.medicine.dal.ca/

DEPARTMENTSWelcome

4 DMAA President’s Message

5 DMAA Executive DirectorMessage

6 Dean’s Message

7 Voice of Alumni

Updates34 NEWS & NOTES

39 AWARDS

42 REUNIONS

42 IN MEMORIAM

VoxMeDAL is published twice a yearby Metro Guide PublishingPublisher: Sheila Blair-Reid

Associate Publisher: Patricia BaxterManaging Editor: Trevor J. Adams

Editor: Janice HudsonDesign: Reuben Hall, Gwen NorthAdvertising Sales: Mary Jane CoppsProduction Coordinator: Laura Sears

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On behalf of the Board of theDMAA, I welcome you to thisedition of VoxMeDAL. I amalso delighted to extend a

personal welcome to our new President,Dr. Vonda Hayes, who will lead theDMAA into its second half-century. Awidely respected physician and educator,Dr. Hayes brings experienced leadershipto this role and we enthusiastically lookforward to working with her.

Over the past year, during which wecelebrated the 50th anniversary of theDMAA and the contributions of medicalalumni, we have made significant progressin implementing strategies that will bothensure sustainability and allow us tosupport student initiatives and scholar-ships. These strategies emerged from ameeting in October, 2007, when 40members of the Association met to discussthe future of the DMAA. At that meeting,there was a strong endorsement of themandate of the DMAA: “to support theFaculty of Medicine and the initiatives ofmedical students and to provide a connec-tion for alumni to the Faculty.”

It was determined at that meeting thatthe Association should continue as anorganization under the direction ofmedical alumni and that strategies shouldbe implemented to attain financialsustainability and to increase the engage-ment of alumni. As noted above, we haveachieved success in both of these areas. Weare indebted to Dean Harold Cook whoseoffice provides funds for operational costsand I want to express our appreciation forthis essential support. We are also mostappreciative of the generousity of alumniin supporting fundraising events and indonating to student-run projects. I ampleased to report that the DMAA has been

able to give $20,000 to students and resi-dents during the past year, supportingprojects, research prizes, convocation galatickets, gold and silver D awards. This isan expression of the important connectionthat exists among generations of physi-cians and our young future colleagues.

A further example of this connection isa mentorship program now being devel-oped by the Dalhousie Medical Students’Society (DMSS) in collaboration with theDMAA. We expect that this opportunityfor alumni to provide support to studentswill be enthusiastically received.

At the Annual General Meeting, heldJanuary 30, 2009, reports on fundraisingevents, reunions and financial status weresubmitted, all indicating that we have metthe goals set at the beginning of the year.Proposed strategies for the comingmonths are:

• Increased involvement with N.B. andP.E.I. alumni

• Increased interaction with andassistance to residents

• Collaboration with Doctors NovaScotia and the College of Physiciansand Surgeons on issues of generalinterest to physicians

• Develop a strategy to move forwardwith the George Flight Chair inMedical Education

Under the leadership of ExecutiveDirector Joanne Webber, VoxMeDALcontinues to evolve as a vibrant statementabout alumni interests, student activitiesand developments in the Faculty ofMedicine. In this issue, Dr. Ross Langleyreports on the 50th Anniversary GalaDinner where the annual awards werepresented: Honourary President, Dr.

David Fraser; Alumnus of the Year, Dr.Rod McInnes; Young Alumnus of the Year,Dr. Heather Scott; and Family Physician ofthe Year, Dr. Anita Foley. As always,recognition of our outstanding alumniinspires admiration and pride. We salutetheir accomplishments as well as theexcellence of their contributions.

A new section in this edition is theBusiness of Medicine where varying viewsare expressed. There is also a shortdescription of the recently implementedDoctors Nova Scotia Navigator Program.Also, we welcome your comments on anysubject in the Voice of Alumni section onpage 7.

I would like to express appreciation onbehalf of the entire DMAA membership toExecutive Director Joanne Webber whosededicated and creative work has beenlargely responsible for the significantsuccesses of the past year. In addition toimplementing the strategies we haddesignated, she has organized the 50thAnniversary Gala Dinner and a secondfund raising event, edited VoxMeDAL andarranged 13 class reunions. She andExecutive Assistant Paulette Miles-LeBlanc, who is equally dedicated, haveworked unstintingly to advance theinterests of the DMAA.

Finally, as I leave the position ofPresident, I want to thank the members ofthe Board for their support. It has been agreat honour for me to work with themand a privilege to be associated with thetraditions of the DMAA. I have enjoyedevery aspect of my involvement and ampleased that together we have been able torealize some of the potential of theAssociation. I look forward to workingwith all of you towards greater success!

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Farewell message fromthe PresidentIt has been an honour and a privilege to serve our alumni

By Dr. Margaret Casey ’68President, Dalhousie Medical Alumni Association

W E L C O M E DMAA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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W E L C O M E MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Setting new standardsThe DMAA implements grassroots engagement strategies

By Joanne WebberDMAA Executive Director

As we wind down this fiscal year,the vibe of our organization isupbeat as we are setting newstandards and trends within

our Alumni Association. It’s a time torecognize our enhancements, to showcaseour students and graduates and to reflecton the achievements and inspiring careersof our outstanding alumni. This yearrepresents a special milestone celebratingour 50th anniversary. In essence, it hasbeen a very memorable year.

This issue will showcase our manygrassroots initiatives and projects. Wehave many successes to report. Reunionsare in full swing, with 15 class reunionscelebrated in 2008. Our new website nowoffers three informative DVDs, includingan excellent DVD by Dr. Jock Murray onthe history of Dalhousie Medical School.Our collaboration with the DalhousieSociety on the History of Medicine willassist us in providing historical medicalinformation on our website.

Dr. Ross Langley, class of ’57, provides avery special overview of our 50thAnniversary Gala Dinner. Our guest listexceeded more than 280 alumni andfriends to share in this very specialoccasion. Thank you, for the many phonecalls, emails and letters of appreciation,reflecting the interest and loyalty that ourgraduates have for their medical schooland their Alumni Association.

There is increasing involvement inparticipation of our alumni tours. Weinvite you “back to your medical school”and have introduced a new tour thisSeptember: the Skills Surgical Lab AlumniTour. The interactive Anatomy Lab Tourand the Research Tour have been verypopular. Please look for further detailsprovided in this issue. These tours offeralumni and class reunions opportunitiesto see firsthand the exciting researchgoing on at the medical school. We arealso exploring the interest of alumni inbringing their children back to campus as

an extension of Bring Your Kids to WorkDay: Medical Tour. Please let us know ifyou would like to sign up.

With the generous donations from ouralumni, the DMAA has once againprovided $20,000 in funding to ourmedical students. The details of ourfunding are provided in this issue ofVoxMeDAL. In closing, the successfulimplementation of our strategic objectiveshas enabled us to achieve our targetedgoals. Our very best resources are ouralumni and we cannot achieve our goalswithout your involvement. I would like tothank Paulette Miles-LeBlanc for heroutstanding organization and creativecontribution to the DMAA office. I wouldlike to personally thank Dr. Margaret Caseyfor her sincere commitment and dedicationin support of my work, the DMAA projectsand her countless hours of servicededicated to enhancing the learningexperience for medical students.

Dear AlumniPlease take some time to look over our vendor advertisements in each issue of VoxMeDAL and

support these businesses. These companies generously support VoxMeDAL and its workto allow us to provide your magazine with minimal costs.

For information on becoming an advertisercontact Mary Jane Copps, Project Manager, VoxMeDAL

902-404-3290 | maryjane@metroguide.ca

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An honour and pleasureto serve as DeanWhat we’ve achieved to date

In my previous column, I reported thatour Faculty of Medicine is in themidst of unprecedented growth andchange. The momentum continues as

we expand on exciting new initiatives thatare changing the face of our medical school.

Thanks to an infusion of funding fromthe Nova Scotia government, wewelcomed our largest-ever incoming classin September 2008: 102 students, anincrease of eight from the previous year.The province also funded two graduatesfrom international medical programs for

entry into third year.The Dalhousie Medical Education

Program in New Brunswick (DMEP-NB)will further add to overall enrollment.Currently, we admit 20 New Brunswickstudents each year into the Halifax-basedprogram. When the new program opensin New Brunswick in September 2010, itwill admit 30 students all based in NewBrunswick.

Accordingly, we anticipate total first-year enrollment of 120 to 122 by the fallof 2010 or 2011, with a proportionalnumber of new post-graduate (residency)training positions to align at the appropri-ate times. We are excited about theadditional students because we have longrecognized that more physicians areneeded in our region and across Canada.

The first two years of the DMEP-NBwill be based in Saint John, NewBrunswick, using renovated and expandedfacilities at the University of NewBrunswick in Saint John (UNBSJ) and atthe nearby Saint John Regional Hospital.To prepare for the program’s launch in2010, renovation activities are ramping upin Saint John as well as in Halifax. We willdeploy full-motion, high-definition,video-conferencing technology at theHalifax and UNBSJ sites and at the fourprincipal clinical locations in Saint John,Fredericton, Moncton and Miramichi.

Construction is well underway on theLife Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) atthe corner of Summer and College Streetsin Halifax. The Premier of Nova Scotiaannounced that InNOVAcorp’s newBioScience Enterprise Centre will come onboard as a tenant of the LSRI. Theprovince committed $1.6 million per yearfor 20 years to fund the initiative.

The BioScience Enterprise Centre, now

located on the Halifax waterfront, isexpected to have a major, long-lastingimpact on knowledge transfer and appli-cation from a variety of ongoing researchprojects throughout the LSRI-Tupperresearch complex; the true benefit of themove will be closer proximity toDalhousie researchers and students in theLSRI. The LSRI will house the BrainRepair Centre and should be completed inthe spring of 2011.

We continue to work with the facultiesof Health Professions and Dentistry, andwith Dalhousie External Relations, onplanning and fundraising for a majorinter-professional education buildingproject destined to be part of Dalhousie’sCapital Campaign.

I am completing my term as Dean at theend of June, 2009, so this will be my lastcolumn for VoxMeDAL. It has been anhonour and a pleasure to serve as Deanthese past six years. A highlight has beenthe opportunity to work with the DMAAand with so many wonderful alumni. Icontinue to be impressed by the commit-ment and enthusiasm that the DMAAapplies to its many worthwhile initiatives,particularly those involving support ofstudents. I have also been inspired by themany distinguished alumni I have met inthe Maritimes and beyond.

There is no greater asset for our medicalschool than a strong and engaged alumniand I urge you to lend your talent,enthusiasm and support. With your help,we will continue to build on the excellentreputation of Dalhousie Medical School byeducating new generations of outstandingphysicians who will be a credit to ourschool and our community of Dalhousiemedical alumni. Thank you for yourcontinuing contributions!

By Dr. Harold CookDean, Faculty of Medicine

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V O I C E O F A L U M N I

A Place for Alumni to ConnectAt medical functions there have oftenbeen discussions about the desirability ofhaving a place or lounge at Dalhousie. Afacility that would house the medicalalumni office, a place where medicalarchives specific to the Maritimes andDalhousie could be displayed and inparticular would have a lounge settingthat would welcome alumni. It could alsodisplay historic items from our twomedical fraternities which played suchimportant roles in medical school life.I picture a place where doctors from intown and away could drop in, have a cupof coffee, browse through journals, talkwith friends and solve Dal’s and theworld’s problems. This could be a wonder-ful haven for our many active and retireddoctors and would allow them to becomemore involved with our medical school.Indirectly such a facility could be adefinite benefit to Dalhousie.Dr. Ed Rafuse ’61

Fifty years and counting…Recently I returned to Halifax to celebratethe 50th reunion of the medical schoolclass of ’58. This experience provided mewith an opportunity to reflect upon thepast, celebrate the present of this out-standing university and envision thedynamic future that Dalhousie promisesto achieve in its quest for excellence.

It was thrilling to walk the halls of theTupper Building and see the state of theresearch laboratories and to hear presenta-tions given by prestigious scientistsrepresenting their respective fields ofendeavour.

I am proud to be a graduate ofDalhousie and I congratulate each of youwho have contributed to the glory of mydear alma mater.Dr. Irwin J. Nudelman ’58

Gala was a great experience for medstudentsBeing able to attend the DMAA GalaDinner was a great experience. As a newmember of the medical community, it

provided me with the opportunity toconnect with others within the commu-nity while seeing first hand the ongoingalumni support and involvement atDalhousie. Also, being able to witness Dr.Ivar Mendez’s presentation was excitingand inspirational. I am so appreciative ofreceiving an invitation to attend!Thanks again!Katherine Quackenbush ’12

VoxMeDAL captures excellence of ourmedical schoolI want to congratulate you on the excel-lence of the latest volume of VoxMeDal.The content and layout were exceptionallystrong and give an effective sense of theexcellence of our medical school.Dr. Harold CookDean, Faculty of Medicine

Celebrating 50 Years!What a pleasure to attend the annualDMAA Gala Dinner and awards presenta-tion where so many enthusiastic alumniwere present. To greet alumni who camefrom far and wide speaks very well for theregard the alumni have of their associationand medical school. I sincerely hope thatthis will never change as everyone contin-ues to strive for a stronger and vibrantorganization. I had a wonderful timerenewing friendships and enjoying thefellowship that such a function presents.To the award winners, a special congratu-lation and to the staff, a special thank youfor making the event so enjoyable.Barbara BlauveltFormer Sernior Administrative Officer& DMAA Executive Director, 1948–1992

Sustainability of health careI’d like to express my sincere appreciationfor having the opportunity to be part ofthe DMAA Gala Dinner on October 2. Itwas truly a memorable evening! I wasextremely impressed with the demonstra-tion by Dr. Ivar Mendez, who is definitelya pioneer in the groundbreaking initiativesaround robotic technology. It was amazingto see first-hand the unique work that will

ultimately impact health care and enhancethe future sustainability of our health-caresystem. These types of initiatives areclearly redefining health care as we knowit today and I look forward to what thefuture holds.Honourable Chris d’EntremontPast Minister of HealthProvince of Nova Scotia

Class of ’63 sincere gratitudeOn behalf of the class of 1963, I wish toextend our sincere gratitude for the seam-less arrangements that you and your staffmade for our 45th reunion. The addressby Dr. Mendez at the Thursday banquetwas spellbinding. Our guided tour of theresearch facilities was a real eye-opener onthe cutting-edge advances on several fronts.Dr. Rollie Langille ’63

DMSS thanks alumni and DMAAThe DMSS would like to personally thankthe DMAA and medical alumni for thekind and generous funding that youprovide. We couldn’t do our studentprojects without your support. We havejust allocated our winter project funding.The project coordinators are lookingforward to developing their projects.Andrew Moeller ’11, Treasurer, DMSS

Thank you once again for yourgenerosityWe would like to thank you for thegenerous donation the DMAA has madeto student projects, especially yourcontribution to the Diversity in MedicineCommittee. We will use our funds to hostDiversity of Medicine events. We areparticularly excited to be holding aseminar featuring a public showing of thedocumentary Easy Street, which focuseson issues pertinent to accessing medicalcare for persons living on the street andthose living on limited incomes. It willpromote awareness of the plight of peopleliving below the poverty line, impartinggreater insight into the issues facing thehomeless. It is our hope that this willincrease medical student sensitivity to theperspectives and needs of this patientpopulation.Robyn Jackson and Natalie Parks,Co-Chairs, Diversity in MedicineCommittee

We want to hear your opinions on topics of debate or interest. We want to provokeconversation amongst our alumni. We want to hear your opinions. You too can bepublished in these pages. Please email medical.alumni@dal.ca.

F U N D I N G F E A T U R E

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Revenues for operations come from:• $125,000 funding from the Dean of Medicine• Donations from alumni and fundraising events• Administrative cost recovery fees for reunions

Funding $125,000 covers basic operating costs:• Reunion costs; 12–16 individual class reunions are held

annually; registration fees are necessary to recoup costs ofadministration and service expenses.

• The DMAA directs donated funds to assist medical student’sinitiatives such as the Mentorship Program and InternationalClinical Experiences.

• Without your support and participation in DMAA fundraisingevents, we would not be able to provide resource enhancementsto Dalhousie medical students.

Following longstanding tradition, the Dalhousie MedicalAlumni Association continues to support the DalhousieMedical Student Society.• Funds raised through DMAA initiatives provide resources which

enhance the learning experience of our medical students.• The following support is not included in the DMAA Operational

Budget and can only be provided through donations andfundraising. Your continued generosity and support allows theDMAA to continue the traditional support:

• Funding to DMSS $10,000For a variety of students projects such as:

• Diversity in Medicine• Lifestyles in Medicine• Interprofessional Learning Scope• Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest Group

• Political Advocacy Committee• Everest Project Global Health Conference• For the Health of it• Dal Med Foot Clinic• Emergency Medicine Interest Group• Universities Allied for Essential Medicines• Aboriginal Health Interest Group• Mentorship Program—Lectures• Code Red HIV/AIDS Awareness

• Convocation Ceremonies $7,000• Convocation Dinner tickets• Gold and Silver D’s• Resident Teaching Award• Silver Shovel Award

• DMAA Entrance Scholarship $11,400Three winners in 2008, generated from the DMAAentrance scholarship fund• Resident Research Prizes $2,000• Orientation luncheon for medical students $1,000

The DMAA provides support to the following:• Dalhousie Academy of Medicine• Tupper Band• Alumni, medical community and individual special initiatives:

Requests are granted if we have the funds to support theinitiatives.

For further information, email the DMAA atmedical.alumni@dal.ca or call (902) 494-8800

Why the DMAAneeds yoursupportAs an alumni directed registeredsociety, the DMAA funds its activitiesfrom a variety of sources

DMAA Presidentpresents $10,000 onbehalf of alumni toDMSS President

DMAA Gold D recipients DMAA Silver D recipients

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I would like to thank the DMAA for awarding me and my classmates with this scholar-ship. It is meaningful to have the Alumni Association so supportive of first-year studentsbecause it shows that we are entering a dynamic profession that engages its membersfrom the onset. Having a chance to meet alumni at the Gala Dinner and hear about theirprofessional projects provides a jolt of excitement as we pour over a mountain oftextbooks. This award is much appreciated and I cannot thank the Association enoughfor this welcome to Dalhousie.Mary England ’12

I am extremely pleased to receive a scholarship from the Dalhousie Medical AlumniAssociation. Having the support of the DMAA as I (and my wife and daughter) movedback to Halifax from Boston is something I sincerely appreciate and will never forget. Itwas a particular pleasure to attend the Gala Dinner and meet the alumni who directlyplay a role in supporting my education.Jason Emsley ’12

Change in life can be stressful and when that change encompasses the start of medicalschool, it can be even more nerve-racking. Having a support system in place can greatlydiminish this stress, which is why I am so grateful to have received an entrance scholar-ship from the DMAA. It not only reduced the financial burden of first year but allowedme to experience first-hand the support the students have from the medical communityat Dalhousie. I look forward to contributing to this organization that has stronglysupported myself and my classmates in the initial phase of our medical careers.Katherine Quackenbush ’12

2008 DMAAscholarship winnersThe beneficiaries of alumni donations

Left to right: Mary England ’12, Jason Emsley ’12, Katherine Quackenbush ’12

D M A A S C H O L A R S H I P R E C I P I E N T S

C A L L F O R N O M I N A T I O N S

DMAA Annual AwardsCall for Nominations

Lord Nelson Hotel, September 24, 2009

Join our nomination committee:• Honourary President• Alumnus/a of the Year

• Young Alumnus/a of the Year• Family Physician Alumnus/a of the Year

These awards recognize outstanding accomplishments and contributions of Dalhousie MedicalAlumni in four categories. This is an opportunity to celebrate the excellence of our graduates andwe encourage you to nominate classmates, friends and colleagues. Descriptions and criteria foreach award are outlined below. Nominations should be sent to the DMAA office no later thanJune 30, 2009.

Among your classmates there may be individuals who should be considered for theseawards. We encourage you to submit your nominations and book your class table now!

Honourary President:This award was first made in 1958 at the inaugural DMAA meeting. Priority in selectionwill be given to nominees who are senior local alumni, past or present members of theFaculty of Medicine who are highly respected and whose careers and service in thepractice of medicine have been outstanding. This does not exclude consideration, ifwarranted, of non-local, non-faculty nominees.

Alumnus/a of the Year:Awards have been made annually since 1968 and the intent from the beginning has beento recognize the unique and major contributions made by a retired or active physician toclinical practice, teaching and/or research at a national level. International recognition,publications and participation in national professional and academic societies constitutean expected profile for nominees for this award.

Young Alumnus/a Award:Instituted in 2002, this award recognizes a physician in the first two decades of his/hercareer, whose work in clinical practice, teaching and/or research is already significant andwidely known. Recipients of this award work in academic settings, have appointments ina Faculty of Medicine, are teachers and mentors to residents and medical students andhave a number of publications.

Family Physician Alumnus/a Award:The broad intent of this award inaugurated in 2007 is to recognize the contributions tomedical practice and to communities by family physicians. The impact of the lifetimework of those physicians who practice in small and rural communities is often notacknowledged. The DMAA wishes to honour a family physician who exemplifies goodmedical care, is a role model in the practice of family medicine, is a teacher of under-graduate medical students and residents and is an advocate for the health of his/hercommunity. Alumni who practice in the Maritime Provinces are the focus of this award,however non-local nominees will be considered.

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DMAA Alumnus of the Year,Dr. Roderick McInnes ’70PhD, FRCPC FCCMG, FRSC

DMAA Honourary President,Dr. David Fraser ’58MD, FRCPC

DMAA Young Alumnus Award,Dr. Heather Scott ’88MD, FRCSC

DMAA Family Practitioner of the Year,Dr. Anita Foley ’75MD, FCFP

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DALHOUSIE MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

2009 AWARD NOMINATION FORM• Honourary President• Alumnus/a of the Year• Young Alumnus/a Award

• Family Physician Alumnus/a Award

Nominate a Classmate! • Book Your Class Table Now! • Lord Nelson Hotel, September 24, 2009

Date: _________________________________________

Nominee’s Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Address (Business): _____________________________ (Home): _________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Phone (B): ____________________________________ (H): _____________________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________ Position: _________________________________________________

Please refer to the criteria and explain in a letter (maximum of two pages) why this candidate should be chosen to receive this award.Include aspects of the candidate’s life and career that qualify him/her for the award.

Enclose a curriculum vitae or brief biography, including any of the following information that is relevant to this candidate’s nomination:positions held (both professional and voluntary); local, national or international recognition; and philanthropy.

Nominations will be considered for two years. The nominator is responsible for updating supporting information as needed.

Submitted by (please print): ______________________________________________________________________________________

Signature: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone (B): ____________________________________ (H): _____________________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________

Affiliation with Dalhousie (if applicable): ____________________________________________________________________________

Nominations must be received before 4:30 p.m., June 30, 2009An award in each category may not be granted each year

Submit nominees to:Dalhousie Medical Alumnic/o Nomination CommitteeSir Charles Tupper Medical BuildingRm 1C1, 5859 University Ave, Halifax, NS B3H 4H7

For more information:(902) 494-8800Or Fax Forms to:Fax: (902) 422-1324medical.alumni@dal.ca

C A L L F O R N O M I N A T I O N S

W H A T ’ S N E W O N T H E D M A A S C E N E

President Travis presented Dr. and Mrs.George Loh ’58 with the President CircleAward in recognition of their donation of$1,000,000 to the Faculty of Medicine. Thesefunds will provide bursaries to undergraduatemedical students.

The class of ’58 with the Honourable Mayann E. Francis, O.N.S., DHumL, Lieutenant Governor ofNova Scotia.

Delighted to participate in 50th celebrationI was delighted to host the 50th reunion of the Dalhousie Medical School class of 1958 on October17, 2008. It was a wonderful evening spent reminiscing about the challenges of medical school andmarvelling at the changes in medicine over the last half century. It was a pleasure to meet you and Isend you my best wishes for the future.–The Honourable Mayann E. Francis, O.N.S., DHumL Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Jason Meisner, Co-Chair in NeuroscienceSociety and Dalhousie PhD Candidate,participated along with Image Consultant FredConnors in a professional transformation at theWhat Not To Wear event hosted at theKenneth Rowe Management Building. Theevent was a success! Witnessing the fourtransformations, Dalhousie students learnedabout appropriate dress for interviews,networking and the work place.–Amy Endert, Alumni Relations Officer

What Not To Wear

Before After

Dr. Nudelman ’58 received the President CircleAward in recognition for his contribution thatenabled the Faculty of Medicine to establish theIrwin J Nudelman MD Medical Bursary.

The Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, SirCuthbert Sebastian GCMG, OBE, MD,participated in his class of ’58 reunion andalumni tour.

Med student Patti Kibenge ’11DMAA 50th Gala.

Medicine is a family affair for the Leightons. Dr.Ross Leighton ’79 and Dr. Peggy Leighton ’77are both doctors and daughter Jennifer ’12 is inyear one of medical school.

Robot makes rounds: Dr. Mendez sharesimplantation devices and robotic neurosurgeryprogress with alumni at DMAA 50th Gala.

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T H E D M A A C E L E B R A T E S 5 0 Y E A R S

On June 14, 1958 a Dalhousie medical alumni dinnerwas held, chaired by Chester B. Stewart, Dean of theFaculty of Medicine. Initiated by Dean Stewart, it wasthe organizational gathering for the creation of the

DMAA. Now, 50 years later, the President of the DMAA, MargaretCasey, and Dean Harold Cook welcomed a gathering of 280people to the Commonwealth Room of the Westin Nova ScotianHotel for this much-anticipated event.

The master of ceremonies for the occasion was Dr. Allan R.Purdy, Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine. Heexpertly guided the evening through many events, including thefollowing:

Special MD Class Reunions: This year, the MD classes of ’43,’48, ’53, ’63 and ’68 joined the DMAA in holding reunionscommemorating their 65th, 60th, 55th, 45th and 40th yearssince graduation. The class of 1958 had celebrated their 50thanniversary on October 16, 2008 in association with the generalDalhousie alumni reunion.

Student Awards: The DMAA awarded three scholarships tofirst-year medical students in the class of 2012. The awardeeswere Jason Emlsey ’12, Mary England ’12 and KatharineQuackenbush ’12. These scholarships are given on the basis ofoutstanding academic performance in the undergraduate programpreceding entry into medical school.

DMAA 2008 Alumnus of the Year is Roderick McInnes, MD,PhD, FRCPC FCCMG, FRSC (class of 1970). Dr. McInnes is a

Clinician Scientist and Professor at the University of Toronto, aProfessor in the Department of Pediatrics and a Professor ofMolecular Genetics holding the Tanenbaum Chair in MolecularMedicine. McInnes received an honourary LLD from DalhousieUniversity in 2007.

DMAA Honourary President 2008 is David Fraser MD, FRCPC(class of ’58), previously Professor and Head of the Department ofRadiology and currently Emeritus Professor of Radiology.

DMAA Young Alumnus Award is Heather Scott MD, FRCSC(class of ’88), recognizing her work in reproductive medicine.

DMAA Family Practitioner of the Year is Anita Foley MD, FCFP(class of ’75). Foley was recognized for her decades ofdedicated service in the community of Guysborough.

Dr. Ivar Mendez, Professor and Head of the Division ofNeurosurgery gave a stimulating lecture on new horizons inNeurosurgery. He gave an awe-inspiring audiovisual demonstra-tion, featuring his creative work in intracranial implantationdevices and robotic neurosurgery as carried out locally andthrough satellite units elsewhere in the province and in Saint John,New Brunswick. Requests for linkages with Dr. Mendes programare now being received from medical centres around the world.

Please visit the Dalhousie Medical Alumni website atalumni.medicine.dal.ca for transcripts of award winners’introductions and acceptance speeches. You can also see DeanChester B. Stewart’s talk at the 1958 DMAA gathering along withother items of historical interest to the DMAA.

Alumni come togeerElegant evening a wonderful tributeto our golden anniversary

By Dr. Ross Langley ’57

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D M A A I N I T I A T I V E S A L U M N I T O U R S

Come back and visit your medical school

NEW Skills Surgical Lab Alumni TourJoin us September 26, 2009 for our first Dal Medical Alumni Tour.The Skills Learning Centre trains professionals in a simulation suite,practising different surgical and suturing techniques and working as ateam to serve patients.

The DMAA invite alumni to participate in three new interactive medical tours. Book your class reunion and tour now!

� NEW Skills Surgical Lab Alumni Tour � Alumni Interactive Anatomy Lab � Alumni Research Tour

Surgical Skills Learning Centre

Alumni InteractiveAnatomy LabThe Alumni and Med StudentInteractive Anatomy Lab continuesto bring students and alumnitogether to share past with presenteducational practices. First-yearmedical student, Nick Costain ’12,shares his experience:

Proudest MomentHow a grandfather’s experience shapes his grandson’s educationHearing the stories of Dalhousie Medical School 55 years prior from my grandfather is anexperience that I am grateful to have. His successes and failures as a physician haveshaped the medical education that I am now receiving. Being with him in the anatomylab during my first semester at Dal was and forever will be one of the proudest momentsof my medical career!–Nick Costain ’12

Dr. Robert Forsythe’53 and grandsonNick Costain ’12participatetogether in DMAAInteractive AnatomyLab.

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D M A A I N I T I A T I V E S R E S E A R C H T O U R S

Alumni research toursAn excellent opportunity to acquaint alumni with the rapid advances in researchunderway at the Faculty of Medicine

• Alumni visit labs in small groups• Tour is 1.5 hours long

The Brain Repair CentreThe Brain Repair Centre has a critical mass of basic and clinical researchers who arefocused on investigating novel brain-repair strategies to treat incurable neurologicalconditions. We have basic science laboratories in the Tupper Building and state-of-the-art clinical facilities at the Halifax Infirmary. The Brain Repair laboratories will beconsolidated into three floors of the new Life Sciences Research Institute (LSRI) thatis currently under construction. The LSRI will house the Spinal Cord and CellRestoration groups and will also contain a modern animal-care facility that will beshared with the Faculty of Medicine.

The brain repair team has been recognized on national and international levels as apioneer in neural transplantation in humans. The neural transplantation programremains the only program in Canada and one of only four programs worldwide. TheHalifax protocol for cell implantation is considered the gold standard for neurosurgicaltransplantation of cells into Parkinson’s patients.Dr. Ivar MendezProfessor and Head, Division of NeurosurgeryChairman, Brain Repair CentreDalhousie University

Harnessing the immune system tofight diseaseThe Atlantic Centre for TransplantationResearch (ACTR) is engaging in cutting-edge research that seeks to betterunderstand transplant rejection anddevelop novel therapeutic agents toprolong graft survival. The most recentstatistics of the International Heart andLung Association, for example, haveshown that more than 50 per cent ofcardiac transplants fail within 10 years.ACTR is engaging in seminal research thatis elucidating the elements of the immunesystem that do not respond to currentimmunosuppression and is nowdeveloping novel agents to harnessthese rogue responses.

ACTR also has interests in enhancingthe immune system and has discovered anovel agent that helps prevent breastcancer metastasis as well as limiting thegrowth of tuberculosis. Since tuberculosishas emerged as the major cause of death inHIV infected individuals, ACTR isexploring ways to provide immune-enhancement treatment to individuals insub-Saharan Africa co-infected with HIVand tuberculosis.Dr. Tim LeeDirector of Research TransplantationLaboratoryDepartments of Microbiology andImmunology, Surgery and Pathology

Dr. Mendez’s research students, standing left to right: Brett Barrow, Karim Mukhida,Matthew Bishop, John Ballantyne, Meghan Beddington. Seated left to right: ChristopherHaughn and Krizia Sadi.

Dr. Tim Lee

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Laboratory for Retina and Optic Nerve ResearchThe Laboratory for Retina and Optic Nerve Research, housed on the 15th floor of the Sir Charles TupperMedical Building, is home to six scientists and their staff and trainees from four different departmentswithin the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. The work pursued in the lab runs the gamut,from basic research seeking to understand fundamentals of retina and optic nerve function, to studies ofretinal and optic nerve diseases, such as retinal degeneration and glaucoma.William (Bill) Baldridge, PhDProfessor, Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Cancer Biology LaboratoryThe laboratory focuses on two differentareas of cancer research. The first areainvolves the use of a naturally occurringhuman virus, called reovirus, as an anti-cancer agent. This virus specificallytargets and kills cancer cells whilesparing normal cells. Reovirus iscurrently undergoing phase I/II clinicaltrials in the U.S. and the U.K. We arenow trying to understand, in molecularterms, why this virus is so effective attargeting and killing cancer cells.

The other research area focuses on atumour suppressor protein called p53.Mutations of the p53 gene are found inover 50 per cent of all human cancers.The p53 protein jumps into actionwhenever the cell is subjected to anykind of stress, including damage to theDNA. We are studying the mechanism ofaction of this protein with the objectiveof understanding and controlling cancer.Our research is supported by CIHR,NCIC, CCNS and CBCF.Dr. Patrick Lee, PhDProfessor and Cameron Chair in cancerresearch, Department of Microbiologyand Immunology

Anatomical Sciences Learning CentreThe new Anatomical Sciences Learning Centre on the 14th floor of the Sir CharlesTupper Medical Building houses the old Anatomy Museum and provides new studyspace for anatomy students in the Faculties of Medicine, Health Professions,Dentistry and Science. Dr. Ron Leslie, Head of Anatomy and NeurobiologyDepartment, examines one of the teaching models in the Learning Centre; thesemodels, along with plastinated dissections, other preserved human prosections andcomputer-based study materials, augment the traditional student dissection labora-tory as a learning resource for our anatomy classes.Ronald A. Leslie, PhDDr. D. G. J. Campbell, Professor and Head, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology

D M A A I N I T I A T I V E S R E S E A R C H T O U R S

Dr. Ronald Leslie, AnatomicalSciences Learning Centre

Dr. William Baldridge facilitating an alumni labtour of Retina and Optic Nerve laboratory.

Dr. Patrick Lee leading a researchtour of the Cancer Biology Lab.

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Motor Control LaboratoryThe challenges faced by those sufferingwith disorders of movement such asspinal cord injuries, ALS or nervedamage affect overall quality of lifethrough a loss of independence. TheMotor Control Laboratory is home to anumber of talented researchers using anassortment of cutting-edge technology touncover the fundamental rules of howthe spinal cord generates movement.This knowledge is critical to identifyingthe most effective strategies that willenable the restoration of a full range ofmotion to those suffering disorders ofmovement.Dr. Robert BrownstoneProfessor of Surgery and Anatomy,NeurobiologyAssistant Dean for Research-ClinicalDepartment of Faculty of MedicineDirector of Research, Division ofNeurosurgery

Viral Oncology LabViral infections are responsible forapproximately 15 per cent of cancersworldwide. The McCormick Lab isdedicated to investigating the molecularunderpinnings of virus-induced cancers.Our primary focus is on Kaposi’s sarcoma,an AIDS-related malignancy caused by arecently discovered human herpesvirus,KSHV. We are also actively investigatingthe links between hepatitis B virus andhepatitis C virus infection and the genesisof liver cancer.Craig McCormick, PhDDepartment of Microbiology andImmunology

Confocal microscopy and digitalimagingThe Cellular and Molecular DigitalImaging facility is a multi-user coreresearch facility within the MedicalResearch Development Office in theFaculty of Medicine. The goal of thefacility is to provide state-of-the-artmulti-user microscopy equipment,software, technical support and training(digital imaging and microscopytechniques) for researchers in a cost-effective manner. The Cellular andMolecular Digital Imaging facility hasbeen operating since the fall of 1998with the installation of our firstlaser-scanning Confocal microscope.Stephen WhitefieldCellular and Molecular Digital ImagingFacilityMedical Research Development Office,Clinical Research Centre

We had our 30th medical class reunion onboard and will certainly recommend Sea Courses to future classes. Vance Logan MD

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Dr. Craig McCormick facilitating analumni tour of the Viral Oncology Lab.

Tuan Bui,academic post

doctoral fellow inthe Motor Control

Laboratory

Stephen Whitefieldbringing members ona tour of the Confocalmicroscopy and digitalimaging lab.

N E W A L U M N I

In the eyes of a residentDr. Martha Linkletter ’08 is a resident in the pediatrics program at DalhousieUniversity. She has agreed to share her residency experience with VoxMeDALreaders for the duration of her program

Ihad no idea what I was getting myself into when I wrote theMCAT. That fateful day in August of 2000, as I scanned verbalreasoning passages, I couldn’t have imagined the reality ofcompleting medical school and being a PGY-1. Sure I’d

thought about medical school interviews—I’d even imagined myproud graduation—but I had no concept of this time-warp periodthat is incomprehensible to non-medical folk called residency.

If someone had explained the CaRMS matching process, Iwould have thought they were pulling my leg. If someone hadtold me that medical knowledge would be a minor part of what Iwould learn in the first months of my residency, I would havethought them daft. If someone had warned me that balance—something I’d thought I was particularly adept at maintaining—would be my major challenge, I would not have believed it.

Balance is an omnipresent theme day-to-day and month-to-

month as a first-year resident. Trying to achieve balance betweenhospital responsibilities and personal life is difficult in a profes-sion that considers a 26-hour workday normal. Careful balanceshave consistently represented themselves to me over the past sixmonths of residency. The balance between autonomy in clinicalsituations and supervision: there is no better stimulus for learningthan being the person responsible for making decisions.

But does the safety and security of calling the staff to doublecheck a decision undermine that learning? The balance betweenbeing a “good resident” (as one of my senior residents stated,“Knowing how to get the pat on the head at the end of a rota-tion”) and attaining my own personal learning goals, possibly atthe expense of a less-than-glowing evaluation. And there is anespecially graceful balance that needs to be established in rela-tions with the other members of the allied health team. I am ayoung, unproven physician writing orders to be carried out bymany more experienced staff people.

I expect that I will continue to grapple with issues of balancethroughout my residency. And I remind myself that I’ll only be aresident for four short years to appreciate this amazing time ofintense learning, support, collegiality with co-residents andgraded responsibility. That boosts my spirits after a particularlyrough call schedule, feeling like a bumbling fool in the hospital ora day of trying to shake the belief that with an MD behind myname, I should know more than I do. I’m sure these four yearswill fly by and chances are good that I’ll wish them back once I’mfinished!

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By Dr. Martha Linkletter ’08

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P O S T P R A C T I C E

Retirement is not the end of something. It is an opening of oppor-tunities for future activities, achievements and endeavours—a timefor things you always wanted to do but have had to postpone.

When I retired from the Dalhousie Faculty in December 1996, Iput away my stethoscope and prescription pad. This providedmore time for rejuvenation, writing and research to pursue myspecial interest.

I had been using medical hypnosis in my family practice forover 44 years. It all started in Amherst when a patient was in forher fifth prenatal visit and asked me to teach her to use hypnosisfor the delivery of her second child. She had had a difficultforceps delivery with her first child.

She did so well that I began offering hypnosis to all my obstet-ric patients. At one time in rural practice, I was delivering over100 babies per year at a rate of 50 per cent with no drugs and noneedles—just hypnosis for comfort and energy. A few years later, Irealized that using hypnosis in a busy family practice offered metime and prevented stress in the attending physician.

These past 12 years, I have been doing a medical consultanthypnosis practice by referral only. Every patient I see is taughthow to do self-hypnosis. The advantage of that is they can do itfor the rest of their lives. They are able to develop their own stressprevention and stress management program, diminishing painand discomfort.

Retirement has also made it possible for me to edit and producea book on hypnosis, Advances in the Use of Hypnosis for Medicine,Dentistry and Pain Prevention/Management. This book waspublished in January of this year. I have been very impressed withwhat patients can achieve and do with hypnosis. This is a veryexciting area of practice and research.

Improving health care ina rural communityDr. Rollie Langille is keeping busy in retirementwith fundraising projects

Dr. Rollie Langille, class of ’63, former AssociateProfessor of Neurosurgery, highly recommendsretirement. He retired to River John, a smallvillage on the Northumberland Strait, and neverhas a boring moment. In addition to gardening,fishing, genealogy and local history, he is Vice-Chair of the North Shore Health ServicesFoundation.

In 2008, the group raised and donated$97,100 for equipment in the small localhospital. The group is improving health in otherways and donated $3,500 to the TatamagoucheFire Department for a defibrillator.

Langille is also co-chair of a group of fourthat raised $500,000 to support renovations tothe local hospital. Finally, he enjoys the friendshipof other retirees at weekly meetings in the LiarsClub to help solve the problems of the world.

Medical hypnosisMedical hypnosis can provide patients with lasting pain relief

By Dr. Donald C. Brown ’59

Life after retirementThe DMAA would love to hear about the important work of our alumni after retirement; please write us and share your story.

They may understand the complexities of medicine andpatient care but many new doctors struggle with thebasics when it comes to running a successful practice.With no training in business, finances or human

resources, doctors starting their professional lives with heavy debtoften add to it through bad financial decisions.

Dr. Merv Shaw, past President of the Medical Society of NovaScotia (1985), says it’s been a problem since he graduated in1965. “There was nothing when I went through,” he says. “Thereneeds to be more financial planning for medical students.”

When he was with the financial committee of the MedicalSociety, his committee staff reported receiving calls from doctorswho had trouble managing their money and, despite havinghealthy practices, were hitting the wall

“One of the reasons was their naiveté,” Shaw says. “When youcome to the doctor’s office as a patient, the doctor expects thatyou’re going to be telling the truth. That trust automaticallyextends out to everybody. When somebody says, ‘Look, doc, giveme $10,000 and I’ll double it in three months,’ or some othersuch scheme, the doctor automatically assumes the guy is tellingthe truth.”

This intensifies around tax time, when new doctors routinelyfall for schemes offering big tax deductions. The doctors oftendon’t understand the fine print and end up worse off than before.Some must even borrow money just to cover their income taxes.

“A lot of doctors fell for that and got into pretty serious trouble,”says Shaw. “They didn’t have that amount of money on hand topay for it because they were running so close to the wire.”

He thinks a few basic business courses could go a long way toavoiding these situations. “I think what happens is, a doctor goesto school, goes through high school, gets summer jobs, etcetera,goes to university, gets summer jobs, then goes into med schooland really doesn’t have to face a lot of finances until they’refinished,” says Shaw. “All of a sudden, they have to learn tomanage that money.”

When it comes to establishing a practice, a whole new range ofmoney challenges can come into play. “You may have to buy intoa clinic or you may want to furnish your own office and thenyou’ve got to buy a house and by then you may have a family,”Shaw says.

He proposes a course that would explore the nuts and bolts ofrunning a practice. How do you set up a practice? What shouldyou do with the money? What should you think about when youinvest and where should you invest?

“A doctor has a great deal of difficulty trying to run a busypractice and trying to run a business on the side,” Shaw says. “Hecan’t devote time to both. Maybe if he had better managementskills, he might be able to.”

Shane Hawkins, President of the DMSS, says financial advice ismissing from the curriculum. He’s in a better position to knowthan most students, as the second-year medical student has abusiness degree. “I feel very confident about managing

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B U S I N E S S O F M E D I C I N E

Drowning in debtThough most lack formal financialtraining, medical students start off theircareers with an average debt of $158,000,according to a 2007 study by theCanadian Association of Interns andResidents. That’s about four times morethan their British counterparts.

“Debt is an unfortunate necessity facedby most medical students in Canada,”says Blair Williams, class of ’11 and theNova Scotia representative of the DMSS.“Increased living expenses and the cost oftuition have been important contributorsto the growing debt.”

At Dalhousie, tuition more than

doubled over the past seven years: from$6,670 in 1999 to $13,818 in 2006.“Paying down such a debt is a dauntingtask that is faced by nearly all medicalstudents,” Williams says. “Anotherchallenge facing newly trained physiciansis setting up and managing a practice.This has consistently been identified bymedical alumni as a major gap in ourmedical education.”

While financial counselling for debtrepayment and practice management areavailable through the Canadian MedicalAssociation, Williams says they are

important topics that should be formallyaddressed in medical school.

Kathleen Broad, Vice-President ofMedical Education for the DMSS, sayseasy access to credit and long years oftraining are adding to the financialburden. Upon graduation, new doctorsdon’t want to spend their 20s and early30s living as paupers. While some dowaste money, Broad says in most casesdebt is the result of buying a home andstarting a family. “It’s a constant strugglefor students to strike the right balance,”she says.

Welcome to the new business section of VoxMeDAL. Read hereabout groundbreaking trends, new technologies and importantpolicies that are affecting you in the health-care sector. We’reinterested in your reactions to the ongoing changes in health care.

Taking care of businessDo many doctors lack adequate business training and moneymanagement skills to run their practices effectively? By Jon Tattrie

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the business aspect of the practice but thetypical medical student doesn’t havemuch knowledge about running abusiness,” he says.

The advice students receive normallycomes from banks and other financialinstitutions. “Their offering is generic,”says Hawkins. “They don’t have financialadvice tailored to undergraduate medicalstudents or new practising physicians.” Inhis own case, Hawkins opted to go themilitary route, exchanging four years ofpost-graduate service to cover his costs.“It would have taken me six years or moreto pay off my debt,” he says. “I waslooking at coming out with a quarter-million of debt.”

He says learning to manage debt isessential. Students graduate knowing theirdebt level and their earning potential.“You can figure out how much incomeyou’re going to clear at the end of everymonth and how much is left after youmeet your debt obligations,” Hawkinssays. “I think very few students have hadsomeone sit down and do that math withthem. Very few students know how littlemoney will be left over.”

Kathleen Broad, Vice-President ofMedical Education for the DMSS saysmedical students are struggling to keeppace. “There aren’t any formal opportuni-ties for students to learn about the businessaspect of medicine in the curriculum,” shesays. Students learn what they can throughmentoring with experienced doctors and

other informal methods.“Already, our curriculum is so full and

we keep on adding more things in, likeethics and communications skills,” Broadsays. “It’s a shame that business doesn’tmake its way into the curriculum but Ican understand why.”

For now, students must learn businessskills on their own. And with the emphasisin medical school on learning the basics ofmedicine, that won’t happen until they areout in the field.

Help is on the way, though. DoctorsNova Scotia is starting a series of Lunchand Learn seminars. The informal classeswill offer business advice in a medicalcontext. “We just presented that proposalto the faculty and I think there was goodreception,” Broad says. “They understandthat we need that training.” The seminarseries will shape itself around requestsfrom students. “It might be setting upyour practice or negotiating a contract oreven tax tips for physicians,” Broad says.

In the meantime, taking care of businessis left to the students. Hawkins acceptsthat time constraints may preclude addingextra courses to core medical training.“There doesn’t need to be business coursesthat are included as a core component toan undergraduate degree,” he says. “I thinkgood, well-prepared instruction on issuesof financial management and practicemanagement should be accessible tostudents.”

B U S I N E S S O F M E D I C I N E

The Physician Navigator Program is a new resource for doctorsgoing through an investigation by the College of Physicians andSurgeons of Nova Scotia. The investigation process can be difficultand it affects the lives of physicians on many levels.

Doctors Nova Scotia President Dr. Don Wescott says hisorganization is committed to the health of its members and thisnew program is offering them advice and information to helpreduce the stress of the investigation experience.

The “navigators” are eight physicians, representing a number ofspecialties in urban and rural practices around the province.Respected by their peers, these physicians are able to offerobjective advice about the process. There is no patient/physician

relationship and the interaction can be anonymous. There is nodiscussion about the specific case and no identifying records arekept. This approach is to provide advice that will allow physiciansto work their way through the process without bias.

The navigators also provide advice about the details of theprocess; for example, the meaning of potential outcomes such ascounsel/caution. If there is concern about the health of thephysician, the navigator may suggest he/she consult theProfessionals’ Support Program, which offers confidential help tophysicians experiencing any range of problems. Contactinformation for the navigators is on www.doctorsNS.com in the“benefits and services” section.

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Doctors Nova Scotia launches PhysicianNavigator Program

There’s been a lot written in recent months about electronicmedical records (EMR), electronic health records (EHR) andpatient health records (PHR). It can be confusing for manyphysicians who just want to deliver high-quality, reliable care totheir patients.

One in 10 respondents to the 2007 National Physician Surveyis using electronic medical charts instead of paper to keep patientrecords. Twenty-six per cent are using a combination of electroniccharts and paper, while nearly 58 per cent continue to use papercharts in their main patient setting.

Across the country, the rate of adoption to electronic methodsvaries by province or territory, with higher use in jurisdictionsthat provide a broad range of change-management incentives andfinancial support to physicians.

In Nova Scotia, general practitioners and family-medicinespecialists usually focus on electronic medical records (EMR). Bydefinition, EMR is a practice-based system that contains all theinformation of a paper record but organizes it better. A doctor ornurse can obtain the electronic information quickly and it’sdisplayed in an efficient and readable way.

Physicians use EMR to improve their patient care, businessefficiency and clinical decision-making abilities. EMR technologycan enhance medical-record security and privacy, save time,improve data quality and search/reporting ability.

The ability to interface with other health-care systems is imper-ative for EMR. Based on feedback from physicians, it’s known thatlab results, diagnostic imaging reports and access to medicalimaging systems, such as picture archiving and communicationssystems (PACS), are success factors that benefit doctors andpatients alike.

Looking to the future, primary-care physicians and practice-based EMRs will play a crucial role in populating provincialelectronic health records (EHR) with selected patient informationreferred to as a “core data set.”

In Nova Scotia, work is underway to develop a provincial EHR,known as the Secure Health Access Record project (SHARE). Thefirst phase will come on stream in the latter part of 2009. Thedecision to implement an EMR is a “bet your business” kind ofthing. Physicians must be willing to invest, as it takes time,research, discipline, collaboration between staff and colleaguesand the support of patients. All of this must be done, of course,on top of physicians’ day-to-day demands.

Despite the challenges of leaving paper behind, manyphysicians across the province and throughout Canada aremaking the switch to EMR and want to realize the benefits theysee for their patients, their practices and their futures.

Physicians contemplating the implementation of an EMRsystem can take advantage of resources specifically developed toassist them in their decision making. Doctors Nova Scotia, theprofessional association of medical doctors in the province, hasconsiderable and helpful information on its password-protectedwebsite (www.doctorsNS.com). Visit the Canadian MedicalAssociation website (www.cma.ca) for the principles it developedfor EMR adoption.For more information about EMRs, please contact:Steve Anderson, Director of InformationTechnology and Chief Privacy Officer, Doctors Nova ScotiaOffice: (902) 468-8935 ext. 232Cell: (902) 471-4208Email: steve.anderson@doctorsns.com

Electronic medical records:leaving paper behind

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A L UMN I & F A C U LT Y A R O U N D T H E G L O B E

Dalhousie Technical Cooperation Projectwith Cuba a successBy Colleen Cash, International Health Office, FOM

A team from Dalhousie University travelled recently to Cuba tocomplete the final activities of the PsychopharmacologicalTraining and Research Capacity in Cuba Project. The five-yearproject has a value of about $1.25 million and was funded by theCanadian International Development Agency-Association ofUniversity Colleges of Canada-Universities in Cooperation andDevelopment Tier II Program. The lead partner in Cuba was theCentro Nacional Coordinador de Ensayos Clínicos (CENCEC)and the partners from Dalhousie include staff and faculty from theInternational Health Office and the Department of Psychiatry.

This goal of this project was strengthening Cuba’s capacity toconduct, manage and design psycho-pharmacological clinicaltrials and improving the partners’ capacity to provide training inthe conduct, management and design of psycho-pharmacologicaltraining and research. Since the most effective treatment of mentaldisorders is the use of safe and effective pharmaceutical products,strengthening psychopharmacological training and researchcapacity will improve the care and services for mentally illpatients in Cuba.

The project included the development and delivery of a Trainthe Trainer program in psychiatric clinical research. The Cubanpartners have adapted this program and are now applying it to theCuban context. The project exceeded both partners’ expectationsin several areas, particularly with the adaptation of the trainingprogram and the impact of the project on clinical-care delivery.

To date, over 1,000 Cuban health professionals have receivedtraining from this program. The Canadian faculty members whoparticipated in the program say they are better physicians andbetter trainers due to their involvement. At a recent event held inCuba, the Cuban team members reported that participation inthis project has improved their day-to-day delivery of care to thementally ill in Cuba through assisting physicians and otherprofessionals in diagnosing and treating mental illness.

Practicing Down UnderBy Norman Pinsky ’80

There are many great things about being a doctor. My family and Ihave been living in Western Australia for over a year. It is a

naturalist’s paradise. There arebirds, animals, flowers and treeshere that do not exist anywhere else onearth. The weather is exceptional and the peopleare friendly and welcoming. The practice of medicine here is amix of private and public and it seems to work well. Patients arehappy and doctors are well reimbursed for their time. I wouldrecommend a locum to anyone who wants a great adventure intheir life.

Welcome to our worldBy Dr. Peter Daley ’98

My computer sways as I write this article on the train from Pune toVellore, our new home in south India. I look up as the deformedbeggars and hijras make their rounds through the train cars. Wepass through a diversity of intense smells—from floral perfumes tofilthy industrial effluents. We shudder on for almost 30 hours pastrice fields, thatched huts and herds of goats, until our brief chanceto jump from the train comes. Welcome to our world.

My name is Peter Daley and I work at the Christian MedicalCollege Vellore, in Tamil Nadu. With my wife and two girls, Ihave lived and worked here as a volunteer for the last three years.I am here to do research, teach and do clinical work as an infec-tious diseases consultant. I am here because of tuberculosis (TB).

TB is an ancient scourge that continues to kill 1,000 Indiansevery day. Intimately associated with poverty and crowding, thedisease spreads through the air. Since it does not affect thepopulations of rich countries, TB research is not a priority and thetools used to diagnose and control the disease are outdated anddeficient. Until recently, TB research has not been well funded,despite almost two million global deaths per year.

With my colleagues at the Infectious Diseases Training andResearch Centre, we are working towards a point-of-care diagnosticassay, as well as a shorter treatment regimen for TB. We haverecruited more than 1,200 patients for clinical research trialsto-date and continue receiving international funding for our work.We want to make a contribution towards the control of this diseaseand make the lives of the poor in India safer.

We plan on remaining in India for many years and weappreciate the support of the Dalhousie Department of InfectiousDiseases. Dalhousie alumni, students or other interestedsupporters may contact us at daleyp@cmcvellore.ac.in.

Cuba

WesternAustralia

SouthIndia

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What makes a medical schoolmeaningfulThe DMAA is proud to support these interesting projects through the DMSS

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Diversity of MedicineThe Diversity of Medicine Interest Group has the goal of increas-ing awareness among medical students of how to best serve adiverse patient population. The group does this by exploring theissues encountered by marginalized or underrepresented patientpopulations through education and advocacy.

Poverty is one aspect of diversity that has a significant affect on apatient’s ability to access health care and comply with medicaladvice. Poverty limits a patient’s ability to attend appointments buteven patients who do arrange transportation and deal with the costof a day away from work often cannot comply with physicianadvice. They are simply unable to afford the prescribed medica-tions, even when most of the cost is borne by a government drugplan. The homeless also encounter additional threats, includingcomplications from environmental exposure (such as frost bite)and they are at greater risk for acquiring infectious diseases such ashepatitis C.

Sitting comfortably in a doctor’s office, it is sometimes difficultfor a physician to imagine what life is like for homeless people. Inorder to help future physicians understand this patient popula-tion, the Diversity of Medicine Interest Group held a screening of

the documentary Easy Street last term. The goal of the screeningwas stimulating discussion among medical students about themedical challenges faced by the homeless and the working poor.

Through the course of the evening, we were introduced to thedemographics of the homeless population and heard personalaccounts of their encounters with the health care system. It wasapparent that the homeless are a vulnerable population thatrequire frequent health care services. The vulnerability of thispopulation is best captured by the shocking admission by onehomeless man that he did not know the purpose or result of anoperation that left a large scar across his chest.

While we are confident attendees of the screening becameaware that the health of homeless individuals may be servedthrough cold-night shelters, needle-exchange programs andcommunity health clinics, we hope that they also examined theirown prejudices against this patient population. Only by trulychallenging our own beliefs can we foster a health-care systemthat is sensitive and supportive of this population.Natalie Parks and Robyn Jackson, class of ’11Co-Chairs, Diversity of Medicine

Natalie Parks andRobyn Jackson,class of ’11

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UAEM at DalhousieUAEM Dalhousie is one of 40 campuschapters across Canada, the U.S. and theU.K. working to promote global access toessential medicines by advocating forchanges in university research policies andpriorities. The organization works withstudent and faculty groups to improve thedelivery of public health by creatingglobal access licensing models, increasingsupport for research on neglected diseasesand creating novel metrics for universitiesand allied organizations to measure theimpact of technology.

At the moment, UAEM Dalhousie iscurrently creating a seminar series thatwill introduce students, faculty, staff andcommunity members to the issuesinvolved in accessing medicines. It willexplore topics such as intellectualproperty, neglected diseases, access gaps,the global disease burden and the role ofuniversities. UAEM Dalhousie is alsoworking with the Industry Liaison andInnovation Office in developing studentand faculty support for the new GlobalAccess Licensing Initiative that will begaining traction in the coming months.Amit Shah ’11

Dalhousie Medical School Foot ClinicThe Dalhousie Medical School Foot Clinic operates in conjunction with ARK Sundaysuppers that take place at St. Andrew’s Church in Halifax. Dalhousie medical studentsdeveloped the student-run clinic about 10 years ago. It provides participants with adequatefootwear and socks, basic medical care, as well as education on foot care and prevention offoot injury. The population that we serve at the Foot Clinic consists almost exclusively ofthe homeless and the working poor. We function annually on donations from community,student supporters and the DMSS.

Dalhousie Emergency Medicine Interest GroupThe Dalhousie Emergency Medicine Interest Group introduces medical studentsinterested in emergency medicine to the discipline in a number of different ways.Medical students may attend presentations, participate in skills sessions and interactwith emergency medicine physicians.

To date, a CPR-Level HCP recertification has been held and planning is underway formore activities, including an electrocardiogram interpretation session, an intravenousskills night and a special talk with an emergency medicine physician, discussing his orher career choice and lifestyle.

This year’s Emergency Medicine Interest Group executive consists of:Chair: David SibleyVice Chair: Lyndsey MacDonaldSecretary: Victoria SmithTreasurer: Colin McCready

The Obstetricsand GynecologyInterest GroupIt’s been an exciting time formedical students participat-

ing in the Obstetrics and GynecologyInterest Group (OGIG). On November27, we held our first event of the year.Dr. Jim Bentley and Dr. Alon Altmancame and spoke about their respectivecareers in Ob/Gyn and about Ob/Gynresidency training. We have lots of otherexciting events planned for the comingmonths, including a contraceptive night,Ob/Gyn skills night and a training sessionby the Avalon Centre on working withpatients who have experienced sexualassault. We would like to thank theDMAA for their generous funding whichis enabling us to organize these events.Kathleen Broad ’11

Political AdvocacyCommitteeI would like to thank theDMAA for funding thePolitical Advocacy

Committee (PAC) at Dalhousie. I chair thecommittee and also represent Dalhousie atnational PAC events with the CanadianFederation of Medical Students (CFMS).This funding will let us support localcampaigns through providing materialsfor poster campaigns and environmentalscans. It will also allow us to continue ourparticipation on the national level byattending the CFMS lobby day.

Held in February, the CFMS lobby dayinvolves representatives from medicalschools across the country meeting inOttawa to lobby the government on issuesof importance to medical students. It isalso an opportunity to make importantcontacts and generate ideas for the future.None of this would be possible withoutDMAA funding, so I would like to extendmy thanks on behalf of the PAC.Timothy Holland ’11

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The Interprofessional Scope of Practice WorkshopThe Interprofessional Scope of Practice Workshop is an event that is currently beingplanned in conjunction with the Dalhousie Health Sciences Students’ Association. Theworkshop, planned for late February or early March, will allow students from varioushealth professions to gather and learn about each other’s disciplines and practices. Theformat will consist of a panel discussion and an interprofessional case.Colin McCready ’11

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$50 of the annual fee for a new TD Business Travel Visa* Card for the first year3,and you get 3 months of free private banking services from TD Waterhouse Private Banking4. Let TD Canada Trust help you reach your personal and professional goals.

1. Subject to complying with TD Canada Trust lending policies and criteria, including confirmation of good personal credit history. Certain business documentation is required. Other conditions may apply. 2. Eligible family leave means parental leave, or time away from work due to illness of the doctor or his/her spouse or children. Eligibility is determined solely by The Toronto-Dominion Bank. 3. Annual fee of $149 applies per Card. Waiver of $50 per Card in first year (up to a maximum of 10 Cards) will be applied as a credit to your TD Business Visa Travel Account. All other fees and charges applicable to the Account continue to apply. Fees and features are effective as of February 27, 2009 and subject to change. 4. TD Waterhouse Private Banking services are offered by The Toronto-Dominion Bank at Private Banking location only. Eligibility requirements will apply. * Visa International Service Association/Used under license. Trade-mark of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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The Aboriginal Health Interest GroupThe Aboriginal Health Interest Group (AHIG) would like to thank the DMAA for theirgenerous support. The AHIG is interested in improving the health of Aboriginal peopleby strengthening the cultural competencies of future health-care providers and increasingthe enrolment of Aboriginal students in the health-professional schools at Dalhousie.

This year we are hosting our inaugural Aboriginal Health Speaker Series. Our firstlecture is by Dr. Daniel Paul, author of First Nations History: We Were Not the Savages.

Our second lecture may be incorporated with the Lifestyles in Medicine event and willgive medical students the opportunity to ask physicians about their experiences workingwith Aboriginal patients. For the final lecture, we are hoping to have a professor whoteaches the cultural-competency component of the medical curriculum at the NorthernOntario School of Medicine.

Finally, we will be visiting schools in the area to give Aboriginal high school studentsthe chance to ask Dalhousie medical students questions about pursuing careers in healthcare. We would discuss what kind of courses to take, volunteering opportunities,applications and opportunities for funding.

We are also trying to make this project interprofessional and not just for medicalstudents. This is a big project and so we hope to begin planning this year and startvisiting schools the following year.Leisha Hawker ’11

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Alumni andStudentMentorshipProgramThroughout the past twoand a half years I have

spent here at Dalhousie, I have had theprivilege of working with a number offantastic Dalhousie alumni. Whether astutors during the first two years of ourcurriculum or as preceptors during ourin-hospital learning sessions, they arealways happy to share with us theirknowledge and experience.

It has been through these positive expe-riences that the idea of the DMSS/DMAAAlumni Mentorship Program grew. TheDMSS and DMAA are partnering to createa more formalized mentorship programthat will connect undergraduate medicalstudents with DMAA alumni who sharesimilar professional and personal inter-ests. The goals of this program are toprovide medical students with positiverole models who can offer both personaland career guidance while encouragingprofessional interaction between medicalstudents and physicians.

If you are interested in learning moreabout the DMSS/DMAA MentorshipProgram or would like to become amentor, please contact the DMSS or theDMAA for more information.Sarah Lea ’10Past President, DMSS

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D M S S S T U D E N T I N I T I A T I V E S

Médecins Sans FrontièresMany of us start our day with a glance through the newspaper over breakfast, a quicklisten of the radio or a skim of news headlines in our email inboxes. The headlines weread and the stories we hear provide much of the content and substance of what weunderstand to be happening in the world around us.

Whether it is a report on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an article on the choleraoutbreak in Zimbabwe or an occasional snippet about military violence in Myanmar, ourperspective on conflict and disaster in the world comes in one-minute or 1,200-wordsegments.

As students and health professionals, it can be difficult to take a step back and analyzewhat we hear and read—let alone to find ways to actively engage in efforts to mitigate theeffects of conflict and disasters on people around the world. The Dalhousie MédecinsSans Frontières Affiliated Group provides an opportunity for students, faculty andcommunity members to do just that—learn about events, reflect on their results andcauses and critically analyze responses to them. Ultimately, the goal is to educate andchallenge ourselves so that we can provide care in a responsible and sustainable way.

Why do this through Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)? MSF is an independent interna-tional organization that provides medical aid where it is needed, particularly duringconflicts and natural disasters. The organization is built on the pillars of universal accessto medical care and the responsibility to act as witnesses where gross violations of humandignity and rights are committed. It is also an organization that upholds the value ofself-reflection, reinventing itself and its priorities with changing global circumstances.

The MSF Affiliated Group at Dalhousie is a student-run initiative, which hopes tobecome formally associated with MSF Canada. We currently have a membership of about30 students and are planning a series of events for the 2009 academic year. As an MSFAffiliated Group, we will be organizing at least two events, helping the MSF CanadaAtlantic Association with local events and publishing one item in a campus publication.

As a student group, we have established a mandate for ourselves to educate groupmembers and the local community on the work of MSF, encouraging critical thinkingabout humanitarian relief and aid and providing a forum for open discussion. Ouractivities are made possible with the generous support of the DMSS and the DMAA.Their contributions are much appreciated.Alyson Horne-Douma

Interdisciplinary Community Health ClinicI’d like to thank the DMAA for funding student projects. The projectI am spearheading is the establishment of a student-led, interdiscipli-nary community health clinic. We are in the preliminary stage andwill be using the funding to build a cohesive student body workingtoward this initiative.

Our vision is to create a centre of interdisciplinary service-basedlearning, providing holistic community care where students can gain

an understanding of health and the social issues affecting local communities. Excitingservice learning! Thanks to the DMAA again—your support is acknowledged amongstudents and is highly appreciated.Mary England ’12

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The trade of a lifetimeBrenton John MacLellan ’12Six years ago, if you had told me that I would someday go tomedical school, I would have laughed in disbelief. My mind wasset on an NHL hockey career. As a teenager, life was all abouthockey. At 14, I had an agent before I knew what an agentactually does. At 15, I left home for a prep school in Minnesota,where we won the national championship. At 16, I began juniorhockey in Quebec, winning another national title. At 18, I wasfortunate to be drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks and to try outfor our national team. My dream was becoming a reality.

While my stint in Chicago proved unfruitful, in 2003 I wasinvited to try out for the Montreal Canadiens. For one memorableweek I competed with the players I grew up idolizing. TheCanadiens offered me a contract to start playing for their affiliateteam.

After years of sacrifice, I swallowed my pride and traded in anNHL offer for university textbooks. I yearned for job security,which frankly does not exist in professional hockey. At the time,my sister Erin was a future med student and my father was insevere pain waiting for spinal surgery. My passion for health mademedicine a logical choice. I thank my family and friends forguiding me through such a pivotal time. Today I am surroundedby 100 unique classmates with interesting stories of their own,who remind me every day that medicine is my true calling in life.

Making the journeyJason Emsley ’12Running the Boston Marathon, getting accepted at DalhousieMedical School and moving back to Halifax were three major andwonderful highlights for me in 2008.

The 26.2 miles of road from Hopkinton, Massachusetts to thefabled finish line in the heart of Boston can be challenging, to saythe least. But making that journey past thousands of cheeringsupporters and being met by my wife Sarah and our infantdaughter Gail made the whole race an exhilarating andunforgettable adventure.

The road to medical school, for me, has also been an incrediblychallenging, rewarding and fulfilling adventure that I wouldn’ttrade for anything. All through my undergraduate years andbeyond, I was torn over whether to pursue academic “bench”science or to become a physician. I did my undergraduate train-ing in Neuroscience at the University of Alberta and then came toDalhousie, where I earned an M.Sc. in Neuroscience and a PhDfrom the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology.

Being at Dal and being part of the vibrant neurosciencecommunity here was a great experience, as was being able towalk across the stage on convocation day with Sarah, who wasreceiving her PhD in English the same day I received my PhD.

After graduating from Dalhousie, we left for Boston where Iworked for several years as a post-doctoral fellow and then as ajunior faculty member at Harvard Medical School/ MassachusettsGeneral Hospital. While there, I conducted research on growthand regeneration of the central nervous system, making someexciting discoveries about the role of prions and identifying agene critical for nervous-system development and degeneration.

But something was missing. I still wanted to be a doctor. Iwanted to be able to make a direct difference in people’s lives andI felt called to move from the bench to the bedside. I’ve had lotsof jobs in my life and I thoroughly enjoyed my career as ascientist. But becoming a doctor doesn’t feel like just a job or evenjust a career to me. It’s a calling. And that’s how I ended uphappily back in Halifax among my many friends (and family) atDal. It’s been a long run but worth every step!

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A personal missionJeff MacDonald ’12I was born in Calgary in 1970, so I’mpretty long in the tooth and a long wayfrom home as I find myself at Dalhousie. Ihave a journal from my grade-school daysand there is one year where I said that Iwanted to become a doctor but then I alsowanted to become an astronaut, discodancer and a marine biologist, so I’mreally not convinced that my med-schooldream was alive back then.

Instead, a few years after leaving anindistinguishable high school careerbehind, I joined the navy in 1991 forwhat I thought would be a three-yearadventure. It turns out that I’ve got a lotmore out of my 18 years in the militarythan I could have imagined.

As an electrical technician in the navy, Ihad plenty of opportunity to employtechnical knowledge towards problemsolving. While many aspects of life in thenavy were (and still are!) appealing to me,I believe there must have been somethingmissing. Looking back, it seems as if I wasconstantly seeking out ways to challengemyself in the hopes of increasing my levelof satisfaction with what I was doing.

I qualified as a diver and as a memberof the boarding party and filled both rolesduring two separate tours in the PersianGulf, quickly embracing the teamdynamic inherent in both. Working as a

member of a small group, I soon realizedthat I enjoyed the social aspect of militarylife and that I preferred working with thepeople (some of the most genuine,hardest-working folks from all thedifferent regions of Canada) to the workitself. Thankfully, as I increased in rank, Ifound myself in positions that allowed meto positively affect the lives of the peopleI worked with.

I pursued the opportunity to accepteven greater responsibility by accepting anoffer to attend the Royal Military Collegeof Canada, complete a degree in civilengineering and become a marine systemsengineering officer. Halfway through myundergraduate degree, however, factorscombined that would lead my life in atotally new direction.

I had discovered the existence of theMilitary Medical Training Program andwas giving it serious thought when mywife developed complications whilepregnant with our second child. Over thecourse of several months, I had the goodfortune to witness numerous medicalprofessionals at work using modernscience and technology to save the life ofour child. I was hooked and the deal wassealed when our daughter was bornhealthy: I knew that I wanted to helppeople feel the same way I was feeling atthat moment. From that point on, Idevoted myself to preparing for medicalschool.

While challenging at times (I really wastoo old for O-week), I have thoroughlyenjoyed every step along the path that hasled me to Dalhousie. I appreciate daily theopportunity that I have been given as Iwork with some of the brightest youngminds in Canada. With the support of mywife and our two daughters, I lookforward to every minute that the futurehas in store for me.

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Taking on a new challengeKatherine Quackenbush ’12Coming from an athletic family, I’ve beeninvolved in sports for as long as I canremember. As a child I did it all: soccer,swimming, volleyball, track-and-field,horseback riding, gymnastics and, if youknow me you’d be surprised to hear, evenballet. I only stumbled across basketballafter following in my older brother’sfootsteps and I’m so glad I did.

That was 16 years ago and since thatpoint my life has revolved around aleather ball, two mesh nets and a hard-wood court. Describing the sport like thatmakes it seem strange that your life can beso profoundly shaped by something sotrivial. But basketball is more than just agame—it teaches invaluable lessons thathelp to build your character.

My relationship with the sport began inGrade 4 and as my love of basketball grewso did my talent. By Grade 12, I wasoffered scholarships to pursue my educa-tion and further my basketball career.After a two-year stint at the University ofMaine in Orono, I arrived at MemorialUniversity of Newfoundland. It was therethat I encountered great success withbasketball, the highlights being the twoAtlantic University Sport Championshipsand the national bronze medal that my

team won, solidifying in my mind thatgreat things can be accomplished whenpeople work together towards a commongoal.

As my basketball career was coming toan end, my desire to become a physicianwas in full force. Wanting to be aphysician developed as a natural progres-sion and reached its peak during my finalseason as a Sea Hawk. Thankfully myyears as an athlete prepared me for thisnext phase of my life. Although I’vetraded my uniform for a white coat andmy basketball sneakers for a stethoscope,I’m still using the lessons I learnedplaying the sport I love.

When people ask me if it is difficultbeing a medical student my answer is stillthe same as when they asked me if it wasdifficult being a varsity athlete. Nothing isever truly difficult if you love what you’redoing.

From sediments tosexual healthMary England ’12There is something fascinating aboutstudying minerals, sediments and rocks.It’s interesting to observe how they formcontinents that race around the planet,smack into one another and get burieddeep into the planet. There’s somethingquite chilling and awesome aboutdescending three kilometres undergroundinto the sweltering pitch-black tunnels ofSouth African gold mines or sitting highon a peak in the Rocky Mountainslooking at miniature wave ripples thatonce crossed an enormous shallow sea.

Despite being quite gob-struck with thephysical earth, it was a slow but gradual

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realization that rocks, no matter how hardI looked at them, were not quite dynamicenough for me to fathom a lifetime ofstudying them. I kid you not but mymove towards the health sciences wassparked by the most surprising of allclasses: organic chemistry. I whirledthrough my geology degree gathering theodd biology and biochemistry class, whilecontemplating a move into the mostengaging, stimulating and dynamicprofession imaginable: medicine.

After graduating from the University ofSaskatchewan, I spent the last of fivesummers tree planting in the northernBoreal. Nothing like back-breaking, fly-swatting labour and long fireside chatswith strange and diverse characters toserve as a gentle reminder that the wholeworld is out there waiting to be explored.Hunkering down for a quick few monthsof intensive MCAT studying, writing andforgetting (a process of which I thankfullyhad to go through only once due to theincredible generousity of a stranger whodonated dozens of practice exams), I wasfree to follow up personal interests beforeI began the dreaded applications.

A growing interest of mine was thetrafficking of women into the sex trade.Today I couldn’t begin to recall when Iwas first exposed to this phenomenon.Over time, I gathered information thatrevealed the extent of this industry (bothlocal and global) that displaces millionsand exploits the vulnerable. I found theopportunity to move to Chernivtsi,Ukraine and after madly trying to learnthe basics of Ukrainian, I found work in awomen’s organization devoted in part tohuman trafficking. It was humbling andeye-opening to witness the incredibleefforts of a small group working insupport of women affected by aphenomenon so taboo.

It also revealed an area that I couldimagine a physician’s work addressing: thewellbeing of affected women. Overall,living in Ukraine was no cakewalk butwas one of the most interesting times ofmy life: witnessing a country still recover-

ing from the Soviet era. There were enor-mous rusting factories, ancient trolly busbehemoths rattling over cobblestonedstreets and equally ancient womenhunched in physical labour because theirSoviet-era pensions are worthless.

I enjoyed teaching language classes toyoung university students and trying myutmost to have coherent Ukrainian con-versations with shopkeepers and newfriends. Despite not scrambling to find thenearest hospital for “clinical experience,” Ifound the simple observation of peopleand the places they live to be insightful; itconvinced me that medicine is a profes-sion where even a science-geek such asmyself can engage with humans on afundamental level.

With money running out and aboyfriend beginning his studies inLondon, England, I too decided to try myluck in the metropolis. My interests ledme to a job in a sexual-health clinic foryoung people deep in the heart of SouthLondon. With reggae tunes blasting fromBrixton market, fish mongers advertisingtheir catch and young moms swaggeringby with nails as colourful and long as thehair piled high on their heads, I openedup the clinic every morning for a long lineof anxious teens.

I can’t begin to say how much I learnedcoordinating the Brook clinic—an amountowing to a serious baptism-by-fire. It wasall pretty incredible: scrambling to under-stand child-protection laws; liaising withsocial workers; testing anxious teens forchlamydia and gonorrhoea; sitting with arecently raped 14-year-old girl as thenurse scrambles to make late-night refer-rals; and giving condom demos to groupsof rowdy but hilarious school boys. Iworked alongside a team of passionate,creative and committed people that wererole models for how primary health careworkers can make huge differences.

And here we are, year one of a medicinedegree, each of us with an equally uniqueand meaningful story and anxious to learnwhat the profession of medicine has instore for us. Exciting!

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U P D A T E S | NEWS & NOTES

Class of 1948 celebrates 60yearsThe class of 1948 celebrates with lobsterand song and plans for the next 60.Doug Roy ’48

Wedding Bells, class of ’48Dr. Larry Sutherland ’48 is pleased toannounce his wedding to Ms. JoanMacMillian. This happy occasion tookplace on September 29, 2008.

Class of 1958 celebrates 50 yearsThe class of 1958 celebrated onOctober 16 and 17, 2008. We had awonderful turn out of 28 people, includ-ing those from Canada, United States,St. Kits and Guyana. From all reports itwas no less than a howling success.Denny Johnston ’58

Class of 1963 celebrates 45yearsThe class of 1963 celebrated onOctober 2 to 4, 2008. We attended theMed Alumni Association’s 50thAnniversary Gala Dinner at the Westinand a wonderful time was enjoyed byall. Our class of ’63 bus tour was superb

with anexcellenttour guide.After apleasantvisit toPeggy’sCove andthe Swissair Memorial, we celebrated agreat evening at the Shore Club, sharingold memories and great food.

Class of 1968 celebrates 40 yearsThe class of 1968 had its 40-yearreunion in Halifax October 2 to 4,2008. We attended the Med AlumniAssociation’s 50th Gala Dinner at theWestin and this gave us an opportunityto meet with old friends from otheryears. We spent the evening of October3 at the Dalhousie Faculty Club over alavish meal reviewing our progress overthe years.We were lucky to have some memora-

bilia from Dr. Tabby Bethune’s house inBaddeck and items were given out tovarious classmates for various trivialaccomplishments. We followed this withlate-night drinks at Winston Parkhill’s—nothing changes. Of great interest tosome of us who were not playing golfwas the tour of the Tupper Building andthe Interactive Anatomy Lab with thefirst-year medical students...it is taughtbetter today than 40 years ago!We are organizing the next reunion to

be held in two or three years by SteveBrown, the mayor of Sanibel Island inFlorida (this will be held in the winter, ofcourse). I can’t think of a better group tobe associated with than our class of’68...they improve with time!Art Coakley ’68

The DMAA would love to hear from you. Please send us items that you would like to share.Your submissions may include personal milestones (such as weddings and births), newemployment, community involvement and recognition, awards and appointments andpublished works.

Left to right: Dr. Robert Grant, Dr. LarrySutherland, Dr. Lloyd Cox, Dr. Lloyd Allen, Dr.Doug Roy and Dr. Nathan Epstein, class of ’48.

Class of ’58 celebrates 50th reunionon a DMAA Medical Research Tour at Tupper.

Class of ’68 participating inAnatomy Lab Tour.

Class of 1963, 45threunion class.

Class of 1973 celebrates 35 yearsThe settingfor thereunion ofthe class of1973 wasthe KelticLodge near

Ingonish Harbour, Cape Breton. Forty-three classmates gathered from

September 12 to 14, 2008 for aweekend of remembrances past andnew ones to be made.We gathered on Friday evening at

Ceilidh Hall for a reception and buffetdinner while enjoying entertainmentfrom fiddler-extraordinaire JenniferRoland and friends. We held CMEsessions Saturday and Sunday morningswith surprising attendance and penetrat-

ing questions. The gathering onSaturday night was for lobster and awonderful night of dancing to thesounds of The Usual Suspects, whoentertained until 1 a.m.One group of classmates and friends

took to the golf course on Saturday after-noon with a highlight hole-in-one onnumber five by Bill Barton. Anothergroup of 17 set off on a whale-watchingexpedition. They were entertained forwell over an hour by a humpback whalethat was longer than their boat. Thewhale dove, surfaced, rubbed on theboat and basically did everything excepttalk to the boaters.A number of individuals were off to

golf again on Sunday afternoon. Othersstayed to enjoy the sunshine and theproperty. There never seems to beenough time to just sit and chat withfolks we see only every so often. Wewere gratified with the presence of threefirst-time reunion participants. For many,this reunion seemed better than the pre-ceding ones with outstandingentertainment, food and setting.Alf Bent ’73

Generous Giving from the class of1984The DMAA wishes to acknowledge thegenerous efforts of the classmates of Dr.David Salgado. As a result of their gener-ousity, the DMAA was able to issue acheque to Dr. Salgado for the amount of$3,198.00 just prior to Christmas. Dr.Salgado is doing very well and plans toattend his class reunion in July.

Birth announcement:Class of 2000Mary Ann (Kent) Haines ’00 and CraigHaines, B. Comm. ’97, are pleased toannounce the arrival of Katelyn CedelHaines who was born April 29, 2008 inNew York City. Her big sister, Shannon,aged two, is thrilled!

Class of 1993 celebrates 15 yearsAbout 45 members of the class of 1993got together for a fantastic and fun-filledweekend marking our 15-year reunion.Former classmates came from as faraway as British Columbia and parts ofthe United States. The theme for the

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U P D A T E S | NEWS & NOTES

Health Park

902-425-9030

weekend in mid August was “Back tothe Future.” Attendees enjoyed a meet-and-greet on Friday night in the TupperLink.Saturday’s highlight was a tour of the

Anatomy Lab led by the gracious Dr.Sinha, as well as a family scavengerhunt in the afternoon. The eveningincluded a banquet for classmates andfamilies followed by an evening watertour of Halifax Harbour. Sunday morninghad a concurrent family brunch andclassmate-produced CME, which wereboth excellent. The weather generallycooperated and a great time was had byall participants. We parted lookingforward to our 20th reunion get togetherin 2013!Stephen Miller ’93

Phi Rho noticePhi Rho Alumni and partners are invitedto a Reunion Dinner at the AshburnGolf Club in Halifax on May 15, 2009at 6 p.m. Please RSVP before May 1by contacting Carlyle Phillips at (902)423-3285 or cphillips@ns.sympatico.ca.You may also contact Ed Rafuse at(902) 275-2115 or erafuse@eastlink.caor contact the DMAA office at (902)494-8800 or medical.alumni@dal.ca.

Dean hosts alumni breakfastPart of the DMAA’s 50th AnniversaryCelebration, the annual Dean’s Breakfaston Saturday, October 4, 2008 provided

an excellent opportunity for Dean HaroldCook to review the academic accom-plishments and visions of the Faculty ofMedicine.More than 35 members from various

reunion classes were in attendance.They were enthusiastic about theexpansion of our undergraduate enrol-ment in Halifax in the fall of 2008 andthe creation of additional New

Brunswick enrolment opportunitiesthrough the new Dalhousie MD programin New Brunswick that will be launchedin September, 2010. Many peoplepresent expressed a strong sense ofpride and appreciation for the progressbeing made within their medical school.Dr. Harold CookDean, Faculty of Medicine

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1993 class celebrates reunion

Former Alpha Eta Phi Rho Fraternity House

Exam results for MCC QE Part 1I am happy to report that Dalhousiemedical graduates performed very well inthe recent Medical Council of CanadaQualifying Examinations (MCC QE) Part 1.The Medical Council of CanadaQualifying Exams assess the competencyof candidates who have obtained theirmedical degree for entry into supervised

clinical practice in postgraduate trainingprograms.Among all Canadian medical school

graduates, Dalhousie students placed fifthoverall in their total scores and third overallin pass rate. They scored in the top half ofall medical graduates in nine disciplineareas and in the top quartile in threeareas. Results are based on 17 Canadian

medical schools and 10 categories.This year’s results cap a trend of

steady improvement for Dalhousiestudents over the past six years and area testament to the quality of both ourgraduates and of our undergraduatemedical-education program.I congratulate our graduates on this

year’s excellent achievement and alsorecognize the contribution of our teach-ers and all involved in administering andevaluating the undergraduate medical-education program. Well done all!Dr. Harold CookDean, Faculty of Medicine

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U P D A T E S | NEWS & NOTES

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S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 | V O X M E D A L 3 9

U P D A T E S | AWARDS

The Royal Society of Canada, represent-ing Canada’s highest level of learningand research, recently honoured Dr.Robert Roberts, President and CEO of theUniversity of Ottawa Heart Institute forhis pioneering work in cardiovascularscience. On November 15, Dr. Robertswas awarded the prestigious McLaughlinMedal, one of Canada’s most significanttributes for research excellence.“The research undertaken by Dr.

Roberts has led to new screening tech-niques for heart disease,” said Dr. Yvan

Dr. Robert Roberts ’66 awarded Royal Society ofCanada’s highest medal of honour

A native of Grole, N.L., Dr. Roberts fin-ished his studies at Dalhousie Universityand the University of Toronto beforeleaving for the University of California atSan Diego. Appointed to the HeartInstitute as President and CEO in 2004,his research accomplishments thereinclude founding the Ruddy CanadianCardiovascular Genetics Centre, Canada’sonly genetics research centre dedicated toheart disease.His early research focused on diagnos-

ing coronary artery disease. He created ascreening method for identifying patientssusceptible to cardiac arrest and heartattack. His subsequent research on themolecular genetics of heart failure earnedhim recognition as one of the founders ofmolecular cardiology. He edited andco-authored the first textbook onmolecular cardiology in 1993 and hasauthored the section on molecularcardiology in numerous textbooks.

Guindon, President of the Royal Society ofCanada. “His work has also led to theidentification of genes that are responsiblefor, or influence, the development ofcardiovascular disorders.”An internationally renowned scientist,

physician and educator, Dr. Roberts’landmark research in molecularcardiology has opened new frontiers incardiovascular medicine by focusing onthe causes and personalized treatments ofinherited heart diseases. In his currentresearch, he is using molecular geneticsto unravel the DNA puzzle in heart failureand irregular heart beat.“I am extremely honoured to be

recognized in this way by the country’ssenior national body of scientists andscholars,” said Dr. Roberts. “Thisrecognition underscores the importantwork and contributions of Canada’sresearch community, which is second tonone.”

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Whether it’s a meeting of five or a conference for more than 1,000,we can help you set the stage foran outstanding event. Dalhousieprovides an extensive range ofmeeting space options for formaland informal events – from smallboardrooms to large auditoriums.Full catering and audio visualservices are available.

www.dal.ca/conferenceservices

Tel: 902-494-3401 | Fax: 902-494-1219Email: conference.services@dal.ca

For your next conference or special event, choose Dalhousie University.

U P D A T E S

AWARDS

2008Dr.Ron StewartAward winner:Erica Corbett

The Dr. Ron Stewart Award for StudentLeadership in Global Health is presentedto Erica Corbett in recognition ofexemplary leadership in global health.Erica Corbett is a leader with a passion tocreate better and more equitablehealth-care service for all. She is currentlya master’s student in Community Healthand Epidemiology.

While she started her internationalcareer working as an educator inGuatemala, she later found her niche afterspending three years working in sub-Saharan Africa. Her passion is to fight forthe reproductive rights of vulnerablewomen, which has led her to work onprograms that prevent the mother-to-childtransmission of HIV. She is focusing herresearch in Tanzania.

Erica has also worked close to homeand joined Dalhousie’s Global HealthInitiative. She has been an active memberhelping to coordinate events, raise aware-ness and ensure that global health isdiscussed, explored and studied bystudents, faculty and staff.

S P R I N G 2 0 0 9 | V O X M E D A L 4 1

Awards and accoladesAt the time of printing, we receivedresults from the Medical Council ofCanada Qualifying Exams (MCC QE)Part 1. Congratulations to our Dalhousiemedical graduates who performedextremely well, placing fifth overall intotal scores and third overall in pass rate.Our students scored in the top half of allmedical graduates in nine discipline areasand in the top quartile in three areas. Theresults are based on 17 Canadian medicalschools and 10 categories.

This year’s results cap a trend of steadyimprovement for Dalhousie students overthe past six years and are a testament tothe quality of our graduates and of ourundergraduate medical-educationprogram.

Three Dalhousie medical alumni areamong the 10 outstanding physicianshonoured as Canada’s Family Physician ofthe Year for 2008 by the College ofFamily Physicians of Canada (CFPC).Congratulations to Dr. Susan Atkinson ofHalifax, Dr. Tom Laughlin of Monctonand Dr. Douglas Meek of Charlottetown.A fourth alumni, Dr. David Gass, wasawarded the equally prestigious IanMcWhinney Family Medicine EducationAward. Dr. Gass retired from Dalhousierecently and is currently District Chief ofMedical Staff at the Cumberland HealthAuthority in Nova Scotia. Congratulationsto all!

We would also like to congratulatealumni Dr. Dana Hanson of Saint Johnwho has been named President of theWorld Medical Association. Dr. Hanson isa former President of the CanadianMedical Association.

We can all take pride in the outstand-ing achievements of these individuals andother remarkable alumni who honour ourmedical school through their accomplish-ments, service, professionalism andintegrity. As medical alumni, you are ourmost prominent and effective goodwillambassadors. Your good work and deedsin your communities and your supportfor your alma mater do us all proud and Ithank you!

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U P D A T E S | REUNIONS

4 2 V O X M E D A L | S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Class of 194465th ReunionHalifax, NSSet.24-26,2009Contact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 194960th ReunionHalifax, NSSept.24-26,2009Contact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 195455th ReunionHalifax, NSSept.24-26, 2009Rob Anderson, Reun.rep.902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 195950th ReunionHalifax, NSSept.24-26, 2009Don Brown, Reun.rep.902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 196445th ReunionSaint Andres, NB2010Lou Simon, Reun.rep.

Class of 196940th ReunionStanhope Resort, PESept. 8-10, 2009James Hickey, Reun.rep.

Class of 74 Pre Inter.35th ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800Arthur Zilbert, Reun.rep.

Class of 1974 Post Inter.35th ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 197930th ReunionCaribbean CruiseFeb. 8-15,2009Vance Logan, Reun.rep.

Class of 198425th ReunionSaint Andrews, NBJuly 9-12, 2009Greg MacLean, Reun.rep.

Class of 198821st ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 198920th ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 199415th ReunionWhite Point ResortJune 26-28Khrista Burchill,Reun.rep.

Class of 199910th ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Class of 20045th ReunionContact DMAA902-494-8800medical.alumni@dal.ca

Is your class reunion coming up? Planning is underway for several reunions.Contact the DMAA office at medical.alumni@dal.ca for further information.

U P D A T E S | IN MEMORIAM

Dr. Stephen E. Copp ’52Passed away July 27, 2008

Dr. Donald Folkins ’61Passed away Aug.4, 2008

Dr. William Gardiner ’52Passed away Nov.19, 2008

Dr. Carl Giffin ’82Passed away Aug.8, 2008

Dr. James G. Holland ’63Passed away Jan.29, 2009

Dr. James Jodrey ’62Passed away July 30, 2008

Dr. Douglas Keating ’49Passed away Jan.5, 2009

Dr. Herbert MacWilliam ’50Passed away Aug.31, 2008

Dr. Patrick Madore ’43Passed away (no exact date)

Dr. James A. McCully ’60Passed away Sept.18, 2008

Dr. David G. McCurdy ’41Passed away Dec.29, 2008

Dr. Magbul Ahman Mian ’56Passed away Feb.17, 2006

Dr. J.E. Harris Miller ’52Passed away Jan.14, 2009

Dr. James B. Murphy ’80Passed away Nov.20, 2008

Dr Byron L. Reid ’61Passed away Jan.10, 2009

Dr. Athol L. Roberts ’54Passed away Oct.27, 2008

Dr. Samuel H. Rothfeld ’40Passed away Aug.7, 2008

Dr. George M. Saunders ’47Passed away July 30, 2008

Dr. Gregorio L. Sayat ’59Passed away Nov.27, 2008

Dr. Arthur Shainehouse ’41Passed away April 18, 2008

Dr. Allan H. Shlossberg ’64Passed away Dec.15, 2008

Dr. Hugh Murray Simms ’53Passed away (no exact date)

Dr. A.K. Jay Singh ’72Passed away July 25, 2008

Rev. Dr. Roland SmithPassed away Oct. 20, 2008

Dr. Pierce Spurrell, ’53Passed away Jan.25, 2009

Mrs. Kathleen StewartPassed away Oct.21, 2008

Dr. Helen M. Wilks, ’55Passed away Sept.18, 2008

Dr. Desmond G. Woods, ’60Passed away Jan.7, 2009

Dr. John Sydney Wright, ’43Passed away Aug.22, 2008

Paula Marie Jones-WrightPassed away June 29, 2008

If you know of anyone to note in this section, forward the information to the DMAA by mail or email medical.alumni@dal.ca.

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