Convocation

Class of 2018,

Today we celebrate you, our most recent graduates. As you walk across the stage and take your well-earned places as alumni of the University of Ottawa, take pride in all you have accomplished. Your years of hard work and dedication to academic success have paid off.

Like those who have preceded you, dare to be different. Challenge the status quo. Defy the conventional. The world needs innovators, strivers, dreamers and activists to make meaningful contributions in communities around the globe. The future is yours to seize.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing the University of Ottawa, and for making the university a better place to live, learn and thrive.

On behalf of the entire University of Ottawa community, please accept my sincere congratulations on your graduation. As you continue on your journey, know that you are always welcome at your alma mater.

Jacques Frémont

My warmest congratulations to our new graduates on this special day, when we celebrate the fruits of your tireless work and perseverance. I hope that you truly savour this moment.

To the families, friends and loved ones of the graduates we are honouring today, I would like you to know that we share your pride and joy. Many of you have supported these graduates through what might have felt to them, at times, like a very long journey. Today is your day as well.

To the graduates, I would say that your convocation should be a time brimming with energy, and relief, along with the desire to take on new challenges, equipped as you are with an extraordinary store of knowledge. But more than simply facts and figures, you have honed your appetite for knowledge, an appetite you must continue to develop, nurture and encourage by seeking out others. Remember that every person you will meet on this planet will know something that you don’t, and it’s up to you to discover that knowledge.

Some of those who are graduating today will be going on to further studies. Others will move confidently into the workforce, or towards new horizons. Wherever you are, wherever you go, remember that you have the power to make change happen, not only in your own lives, but also in the world around you. But this power and responsibility requires courage. Courage to be honest, to make unpopular decisions and to admit your mistakes. Often when your situation seems bleakest, when you have nothing to lose, you discover your greatest creativity and unleash your greatest courage. Never doubt that you always have within you the courage to make the right decision.

My third message is simple: pay attention. Pay attention to those around you, your colleagues, your employees, your customers, your partners, your family members. Listen to what they say, and don’t say. Read their body language. Be prepared to nurture your soft skills, the kinds of skills you haven’t necessarily developed in a classroom or online. Because to succeed in today’s increasingly fast-paced world, you will need to harness these skills to be internationally audacious as well as socially engaged in your community; you will need to be flexible and adaptive in your response to others.

But I have every faith that you will succeed in this new world, because you are fully equipped to do so. You are primed for success, but the passage of time is arrogant and will not wait for you. So while today is for looking back and congratulations, tomorrow is for looking forward to what you can contribute to Canada and the world. I wish you every success.

Dear Class of MD 2018:

Your journey in medicine began by competing against more than 3,800 applicants to earn a place at the Faculty of Medicine where you had the privilege of studying alongside the best and brightest from all over the country – each other.

Today, you become a doctor; graduating from a high-ranking, research intensive bilingual medical school located in the Nation’s Capital. This is a significant and memorable milestone – one that you have worked towards with discipline, dedication and tremendous work for many years. Congratulations!

Now your moment is here to enter the ranks of more than 6,000 distinguished uOttawa MD graduates since our Faculty’s inception in 1945. We are proud to welcome you to our alumni family and call you our colleagues.

We look forward to working alongside all of you in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and classrooms, where you will go on to advance your practice, impart your wisdom and continue our strong tradition of teaching to heal.

The oath you will recite today confirms your dedication to patient care and clinical excellence. We are confident that you will serve the public with empathy and compassion, while continuing to exemplify professionalism and uphold social accountability throughout your career.

We wish you the very best as you begin the next chapter of your journey; remember to cherish the time you spent here with us, knowing that the lasting connections you’ve made with mentors and classmates will serve you well. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and will continue to support your growing accomplishments and accolades.
 

We hope to see you at Homecoming this September.

Bernard Jasmin, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
University of Ottawa

Melissa Forgie, MD, FRCPC, MSc
Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine
University of Ottawa

Eli Y. Adashi, MD, MS, CPE, FACOG
Professor of Medical Science
Former Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences
Faculty, Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights
The Warren Alpert School of Medicine
Division of Biology and Medicine
Brown Universit
https://vivo.brown.edu/display/eadashi

The former Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences at Brown University (during its 2007 renaming in honor of Mr. Warren Alpert), Dr. Adashi is an academic physician-executive, a graduate of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health program in Health Care Management (MS, 2005).

Dr. Adashi received his medical degree in 1973 from the Sackler School of Medicine, completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts University (1974-77), and pursued fellowship training in the subspecialty of reproductive endocrinology and postdoctoral training in reproductive biology at Johns Hopkins University and at the University of California at San Diego, respectively (1977-81). Faculty positions were held at the University of Maryland (1981-1996), the University of Utah (1996-2004), and Brown University (2004-present). Prior to joining Brown University, Dr. Adashi served as the John A. Dixon Endowed Presidential Professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center (1996-2004) and the founder and leader of the Ovarian Cancer Program of the Huntsman Cancer Research Institute (1999-2004).

Dr. Adashi has been the recipient of continuous National Institute of Health (NIH) funding from 1985 to 2005 inclusive of a Research Career Development Award. Mentor to over 50 postdoctoral trainees, and the author or co-author of close to 400 peer-reviewed publications and over 120 book chapters/reviews, Dr. Adashi co-edited or edited 16 books in the general area of reproductive medicine with special emphasis on ovarian biology. Dr. Adashi’s work has also seen press with the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Huffington Post and several other media venues.

NIH service included but was not limited to membership with the National Council of the National Institute of Child health and Human Development (NICHD) (1997-2001), the Reproductive Endocrinology Study Section (1988-1992), and the Selection Committee of the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP) (1988-2005). Dr. Adashi is the former editor-in-chief of Seminars in Reproductive Medicine and the former associate editor of Endocrinology, Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Reproductive Medicine Review, Seminars in Reproductive Endocrinology, Reproductive Medicine Review, and Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.

A former Franklin fellow and senior advisor on global women’s health to the Secretary of State Office of Global Women’s Issues (first term of the Obama Administration), Dr. Adashi is a member of the advisory council of The Hastings Center, board of governors of Tel Aviv University, and chair of the Medical Executive Committee and the Medical Advisory Council of the Jones Foundation for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Adashi is a former member of the board of directors of Physicians for Human Rights, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Global Agenda Council on Population Growth of the World Economic Forum, and the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In addition, Dr. Adashi is a former advisor to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A former examiner and director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG), Dr. Adashi has served as president of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinologists (SRE), the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI), and the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society (AGOS).

Elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in 1999, Dr. Adashi has served as a member of the committees on Antiprogestins: Assessing the Science (1993), Understanding Premature Birth and Assuring Health Outcomes (2005-2006), Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2006-2009), and on Women’s Health Research (2008-2012). In addition, Dr. Adashi served as co-chair of the Committee on Reducing Childbirth Mortality in Indonesia (2012-2013). Finally, Dr. Adashi has served both as a reviewer and a review coordinator for multiple Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports and as chair of the Maternal & Child Health and Human Development (IG-07) interest group (2009-2011). Dr. Adashi also served twice as a member of the Board on Health Sciences Policy.

As a tenured professor of medical science at Brown University, Dr. Adashi is a member of the Brown Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights and co-directs the Healthcare in America course (a highly subscribed medical school elective) and the Healthcare Policy Concentration (a medical school elective for students with special interest in healthcare policy).

The Oath of Hippocrates

About to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine, I solemnly affirm, in the presenceof the members of the University of Ottawa Senate, faculty members, family and friends that I shall:

• ever remember those who taught me my art, and faithfully fulfill the obligations of gratitude for my training;
• render professional service to the sick and the injured with constant care and scrupulous integrity, so far as lies in my power;
• not undertake to perform tasks beyond my ability and competence;
• constantly strive by all reasonable means to add to my knowledge and skill;
• abstain from all acts that might cast discredit upon my high and noble calling;
• and that in the practice of my profession, I shall at all times, to the utmost degree consistent with public duty, preserve inviolate the confidence of my patients.

I will keep this pledge forevermore.

FACULTY OF GRADUATES AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF MEDICINE

Bernard Jasmin, PhD

Interim Dean

Faculty of Medicine

Alain Stinzi, PhD

Vice-Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Faculty of Medicine

Melissa Forgie, MD, FRCPC, MSc

Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education

Faculty of Medicine

CANDIDATES TO THE DEGREE

MD/PhD Program

Jonathan KEOW

Anatomical Pathology, Western

Thesis: “Physiological and Behavioral Changes in a Rotenone Model of Dopamine Neurotoxicity and Neurodegeneration in Zebrafish”

Supervisor: Marc Ekker, PhD

Cheuk-Him NG

Neurology - Pediatric, Alberta

Thesis : “Genome-Wide Screen Identifies Novel Genes Involved in Mitochondrial Quality Control”

Supervisor: Robert Screaton, PhD

Laura Marie MCDONNELL

Anatomical Pathology, Dalhousie

Thesis : “Disruption of Ras-MAPK Signalling in Human Neurocutaneous Disorders”

Supervisor: Kym Marie Boycott, MD & Dennis Bulman, MD

Nishal RANGANATH

Internal Medicine, McMaster

Thesis: “Oncolytic viruses as a potential approach to eliminate cells that constitute the latent HIV reservoir”

Supervisor: Jonathan Angel, MD

MD Program

Four years ago, the Faculty asked us to prepare a few words for our White Coat Ceremony. On that day, each of us went up on stage, shook hands with Dr. Bradwejn and Dr. Forgie, and for the first time looked into the faces of those who would become the keys to our success at the Faculty of Medicine. Today we wish to thank them.

The students of the graduating class of 2018 would like to express their sincere gratitude to:

Our honorary presidents, Dr. John Leddy and Dr. Chuck Su, for their active involvement in our education and their continued support throughout our years of study, especially in difficult times.

The Dean’s Office for their presence and support every step of the way. We particularly thank our previous dean Dr. Jacques Bradwejn and interim dean Dr. Bernard Jasmin for their major contribution and dedication to our Faculty.

A special word of thanks must be expressed to our vice-dean, Dr. Melissa Forgie, who expertly guided us through the ups and downs of our medical education. Her availability and dedication to the students’ well-being are exemplary.

The Admissions Office for sending us the email we were all waiting for four years ago that gave us the opportunity to make our dreams a reality.

The Medical Education Office for their unwavering commitment and constant availability.

The Office of Student Affairs for ensuring our well-being and guiding our personal and professional development. They were often our lifeline during the most challenging times.

The Electives team, especially Kerry LeBlanc and Julie Clavelle, for their commitment to our success and satisfaction and for their problem solving skills, which helped to ensure our fourth year electives ran as smoothly as possible.

The Bureau des affaires francophones and the Consortium national de formation en santé for their sustained commitment to ensuring the ongoing maintenance and development of Francophonie within our program. Thanks to you and the many experiences you offer, our pride in being able to serve our patients in French, in taking part in medical education initiatives in French, in addition to being the only fully bilingual Faculty of Medicine in North America continues to grow.

The Office of the Indigenous Program for expanding our horizons and opening our minds.

The Office of Global Health for encouraging us to discover international medicine and providing us with training and support.

The MedTech team for delivering their indispensable services to ensure the smooth running of our e-curriculum.

We also wish to thank our professors, mentors, ePortfolio coaches, and clinical preceptors. They have shared their knowledge and passion, and have guided and inspired us over the last four years. Thanks also to the hospital coordinators and the Undergraduate Medical Education team members without whom our work would have been a lot more difficult.

Lastly, we would like to thank our families, partners and friends for having supported us. We know our successes are often due to your sacrifices.

As we stand here today to celebrate our accomplishments, we are grateful to every one of these individuals who were committed to ensuring our success.

Our heartfelt thanks to you all!

Dr. Bernard Jasmin, PhD

Dr. Bernard Jasmin is currently Interim Dean and Professor at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. He obtained his PhD in 1988 from the Université de Montréal. Following postdoctoral training in Paris, France (1988-90), he worked as a Research Associate at the University of Miami School of Medicine for an additional two years. Throughout his training, Dr. Jasmin has focused his work on cellular and molecular neurobiology.

Prior to becoming Interim Dean in July 2017, Dr. Jasmin assumed the role of Vice-Dean, Research, in the Faculty of Medicine (2009-2017).  He was initially recruited to the University of Ottawa as an Assistant Professor in 1992 by the Department of Physiology. He quickly moved through the ranks and was promoted to Full Professor in 2000. In 1999, he co-founded the University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease and acted as one of its co-Directors until 2002. From 2002-2009, Dr. Jasmin was Chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM).  Early in 2017, Dr. Jasmin was also named Vice-President, Research, at the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). 

In his leadership roles, Dr. Jasmin has consistently worked closely with all stakeholders from the University, Faculty, affiliated Hospitals and Research Institutes, to either lead or assist in the development of a number of flagship programs and initiatives that have had a clear positive impact on the educational and research missions of the Faculty of Medicine.  In particular, Dr. Jasmin has been instrumental in the marked increase in research intensity seen in the Faculty of Medicine, while playing key roles in the establishment of several broad-based strategic initiatives including the Brain and Mind Research Institute, the Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, and the design and implementation of a joint recruitment plan for Professors/Scientists with Clinical Departments and affiliated Research Institutes. Dr. Jasmin greatly facilitated also the accreditation for the following graduate programs:  Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Neuroscience, with all programs receiving high rankings.  In addition, Dr. Jasmin strongly supported the development and creation of the Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, the Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME), and the MD/PhD Program.

While assuming various leadership roles, Dr. Jasmin has maintained an internationally-recognized research program that focuses on defining signaling pathways and regulatory events that control expression of synaptic genes and proteins in neurons and skeletal muscle cells. In his work, the emphasis is placed on studying fundamental questions that are relevant for our understanding of the physiopathology of various neuromuscular diseases and for developing novel therapeutics for these diseases. Over the course of his career, Dr. Jasmin has published more than 125 scientific articles and book chapters, mostly as senior investigator.  The excellence of his work has not only been recognized by several awards, including CIHR New Investigator, CIHR Investigator, and CIHR/IMHA Quality of Life Award but, in addition, by invitations to present at prestigious meetings and institutions around the world. 

Melissa Forgie
MD, FRCPC, MSc

Dr. Forgie is a graduate of the University of Ottawa’s medical school and has Royal College specializations in internal medicine and in hematology. She has a fellowship in thromboembolic disorders. She has a Masters in clinical epidemiology, and is a clinician investigator with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She has publications in a wide array of prestigious journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature and continues to publish in her area of clinical expertise. She is an active investigator in a number of both peer and industry funded clinical trials.

She was previously Residency Program Director for the University of Ottawa’s hematology training program. Her clinical practice specializes in thromboembolic.

Dr. Forgie is now Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. Prior to this, she was Assistant Dean, Student Affairs as well as the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) National Co-Chair for Student Affairs.

Dr. Forgie has received several teaching awards and teaches in both the Anglophone and Francophone streams of the undergraduate medical education program. She has received Faculty awards for her teaching in both languages.

She has also received numerous patient care awards and is a 2009 recipient of the Ottawa Hospital Physician Recognition Award. She is currently one of the most highly awarded physicians at The Ottawa Hospital and is a site chief.

In her capacity as Vice-Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education, she has received recognition for her advocacy for and assessment of the learning environment. She has recently developed a program for social accountability for the MD Program, which encompasses humanities, community service learning, global health, leadership and social determinants of health sub programs. She sits on a number of AFMC working groups.

She is an invited member of the International Women’s Forum, which features women world leaders who have broken through barriers and achieved recognition for their leadership.

She was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in January 2015. In November 2015, she was awarded the Jeff Turnbull Healthcare Advocacy Award.

Chuck Su, MD, CCFP(EM), FCFP
Assistant Professor
Department of Emergency Medicine
Department of Family Medicine
University of Ottawa

Chuck was born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario. He completed his medical degree at Western University, and family medicine residency at Queen’s University. Currently, he is a full-time emergency department physician at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH). He was the chief of Emergency Medicine at WDMH from 2007-2012 and continues to be the ER physician scheduler.

In 2010, he became the director of Distributed Medical Education for the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine. His role is to facilitate medical student and resident clinical rotations in surrounding community hospitals and clinics, thus giving them a more complete medical educational experience. As a member of the Distinguished Teachers Program 2017, Chuck also spends many hours per week teaching undergraduate medical students. In 2017, he became the director of the Leadership Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Education. He was selected by the students to be the Aesculapian Society honorary co-president for the 2018 convocation.   

In his spare time, he enjoys travelling with his family, snowboarding, and playing hockey, tennis and basketball.

Leddy, John, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine​​​​​​​
Director of Preclerkship and Evaluation UGME
​​​​​​​Faculty of Medicine

John Leddy, an Ottawa native, received his bachelor degree in biochemistry and his doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Ottawa. He is an associate professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine since 1999, and director of Evaluations and codirector of Pre-clerkship at the Faculty of Medicine. He teaches pharmacology and human physiology to students in the French stream at the Faculty of Medicine as well as to science and nursing students. Dr. Leddy’s enthusiasm and dedication to teaching have been recognized through a number of awards, including the University of Ottawa Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Ontario Leadership in Faculty Teaching Award. His research interests focus on teaching and assessment methods in the biomedical sciences as well as selection criteria used in the medical school admission process.

Authority

The Canadian Heraldic Authority was established by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé on June 4, 1988, under powers granted to the Governor General and her successors by Royal Letters patent received from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada. Canada is the first country in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom to exercise this ancient royal prerogative in its own domain. Coats of arms, which are grants of honour from the Crown, are symbols of authority, ownership and identity. Through these symbols, Canadian corporations and individuals have a beautiful and permanent method of celebrating their history, geography and aspirations.

Petition

Acting on behalf of the Board of Governors, Antoine D’Iorio, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, petitioned the Crown to grant to the University armorial bearings by lawful authority.

In making the petition the Rector represented to the Chief Herald of Canada that the University of Ottawa was first established as the College of Bytown by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in September 1848 and was incorporated by Act of the Parliament of the Province of Canada on May 20, 1849, becoming known as the College of Ottawa in 1861 and receiving its university status in 1866 by Royal Charter, with a further evolution as a publicly funded, non-denominational institution in 1965 under the name University of Ottawa, according to the terms of an Act of the Legislature of the Province of Ontario. The Act of 1965 also created the federated Saint Paul University to which were passed the old civil and pontifical charters of the University of Ottawa.

The coat of arms of the University of Ottawa was granted under the powers held by His Excellency Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, Head of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. The arms were granted to honour the University’s contributions as Canada’s oldest and largest bilingual university and as part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the University of Ottawa’s provincial charter.

The former Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Jean-Jacques Lussier, designed the armorial bearings for the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the Faculty. Her Majesty the Queen graciously approved the inclusion of the Royal Crown in the Coat of Arms on June 10, 1970.

THE SHIELD: The colours red and silver (white) are the colours of Canada. They traditionally represent the two main languages and cultures of our country. Ottawa is situated at the border of two provinces, one inhabited by a majority of English-speaking Canadians and the other by a majority of French-speaking Canadians. The wavy fess represents the Ottawa River. The Royal Crown makes reference to Ottawa being the personal choice of Queen Victoria as the site of the then capital of the Province of Canada and later our federal capital.

The snakes twisted around the staff of Aesculapius have long been the symbol of the medical profession and considered in many early civilizations to possess mysterious healing power. The three snakes in the shield allude to the three programs of the Faculty of Medicine: undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate. The black border refers to the darkness of ignorance and fear through which shines the light of science and knowledge represented by the golden books, often represented in heraldry as the symbol of educational institutions.

THE CREST: According to legend, the pelican tears the flesh off its chest with its beak to feed its small with flesh and blood. Symbolically, it expresses compassion for others, which is so essential to the practice of medicine.

THE MOTTO: Sanando docemus (Healing we teach) refers to the fact that teaching the art and science of medicine cannot be separated from the practical application of this art and science. The medical educator transfers knowledge to students in the course of delivering medical care.

1945 – 1950
Father Lorenzo Danis
(Chair of the Executive Council)

1950 – 1957
Dr. Arthur Richard

1957 – 1975
Dr. Jean-Jacques Lussier

1975 – 1990
Dr. Gilles Hurteau

1990 – 1995
Dr. John Seely

1995 – 2006
Dr. Peter Walker

2007 – 2017
Dr. Jacques Bradwejn

​​​​​​​2017 –
​​​​​​​Dr. Bernard Jasmin

On this special day, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on behalf of the Alumni Association for your achievement. I’d like to offer you a very warm welcome into the University of Ottawa alumni family!

After this Convocation, the University of Ottawa will have more than 211,000 alumni in over 150 countries. You are now an integral part of a prestigious network of alumni who are making their mark both professionally and personally and who are the best ambassadors of their alma mater!

The role of our association is to maintain and create strong relationships between alumni and the University, and to support alumni in their careers. Members of the association’s board of directors are volunteers active in different fields. The Board puts forward new ideas and fund many of the activities and services offered to the alumni community.

Every year during Alumni Week the association highlights the outstanding achievements of six alumni with the annual presentation of the Awards of Excellence. We also help students succeed through two generous scholarships.

In May 2015, we completed a historic project; for the first time since 1848, alumni will have their own hall on campus. Located in the heart of the campus, the Alex Trebek Alumni Hall is a special meeting point for alumni to explore new ideas, reconnect with former classmates and rediscover their alma mater. It’s a living symbol of alumni commitment towards their alma mater, and a recognition by the University of its proudest ambassadors.

We look forward to meeting you at one of the uO2.0 series of events in the fall or during Alumni Week.

Elizabeth Rody (BA ’83)
President, University of Ottawa Alumni Association
Member, University of Ottawa Board of Governors

Keep in touch and get the latest on alumni events, services and privileges!

Visit us at Alex Trebek Alumni Hall, 157 Séraphin Marion.

Alumni
alumni@uOttawa.ca
613-562-5857 / 1-800-465-1888