This fall semester is very special. We are returning to our campuses with cautious optimism as we embark on our first fully in-person teaching and learning activities in more than two years. We reached out to faculty, staff and learners to join us in welcoming new and returning members of our Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences community and to share their reflections on the year to come.
Jie Yu Li, Master鈥檚 student in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), from Montreal
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I am really looking forward to it. I have missed the human interactions that came with school life and starting such a hands-on program as the restrictions are lessening is very thrilling to me! I did not like online classes, so I have high hopes for in-person classes again.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院?听I chose 苹果淫院 because of how practice-oriented the SLP program is here, which is incredibly important for any clinical career. The university is also very strong in research, which is something that I am interested in, not only because I want to potentially be a clinician as well as a researcher, but also because this is where we might witness the fruit of new findings during our very training. How exciting!
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? I鈥檝e known that I wanted to be a speech-language pathologist since I was 16 years old. These last two years have only encouraged me to pursue the career even more because the pandemic really showed us that the healthcare system is in dire need of resources, including more staff and funding. I have had to personally interact with hospital workers a lot in these last two years and I commend them for the quality of care that they provided to my family, especially considering the weight they carry on their shoulders. I hope to one day be an excellent health professional so that I can help people like they helped me.
Tell us one thing you love about Montreal听Growing up in Montreal, I took many things about this city for granted until I was able to visit other places to compare it with. But now that I appreciate its many strengths, one of my favourite things about Montreal is its accessible cultural scene. Museums, theaters, comedy shows, and festivals; we have them all! (And all the greenery in the city is beautiful too.)
Misha Fotovati, first-year MDCM student (Campus Outaouais), from Vancouver
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? Personally, I liked the flexibility of online classes, and being able to follow classes at my own pace as French is my second language, but I missed the interactivity with my peers and tutors.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? I chose 苹果淫院 because it is a university that is strong in research, giving us clinical and family medicine exposure, in a bilingual environment, which is perfect for me. There is also a great diversity within the class.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? The pandemic did influence my decision to study medicine. This has been a chaotic period, but it gave me time to reflect. I saw the importance of doctors on the frontline, which inspired me to become a doctor too.
Can you share something you love about Gatineau? What I like about Gatineau is the nature aspect. There are lots of parks and places to relax. It is also close to Ottawa 鈥� a bonus for me as I am interested in government policy.
Anikka Swaby, first-year MDCM student (Montreal campus), from Jamaica
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I am excited to have engaging in-person classes, labs and other learning activities! While hopeful that this will continue throughout the year, I am also prepared to adjust to remote learning as needed.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? I chose medicine at 苹果淫院 because the program allows you to connect with the area of study in different ways, including group learning, early hands-on experience and research opportunities.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? While the pandemic did not initiate my interest in pursuing a career in medicine, it definitely reinforced my interest in being among the clinicians and scientists who helped, and continue to help, with the management of COVID-19 in our communities.
Can you share something you love about Montreal? One thing I love about Montreal is the variety of leisure activities available. I think there is something for everyone and you can always find something new to explore!
Ed Ruthazer, PhD, Professor in Neurology & Neurosurgery at 苹果淫院 and The Neuro
This is the first time in two and a half years we will be beginning the semester with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it?听Naturally I am thrilled to be able to consider holding regular in person classes again, but I would say I鈥檓 cautiously optimistic.听 The epidemiological data suggests we鈥檙e not quite out of the woods yet.听 I think what has happened is that we collectively decided that the many subtle harms from living under restrictions may be at least as damaging as the obvious risks of spreading COVID.听 I hope it turns out to have been the right decision.
Looking back, what do you think we lost during the pandemic? What did we gain?听I feel like the biggest loss is the sense of community and teamwork.听 We鈥檙e all able to continue our work, but it is much more individual and siloed.听 The true joy in being a scientist is the sense of contributing, even in a small way, to building something much bigger than ourselves. The appreciation and approval of our peers.听 Instead we鈥檝e had to be satisfied with focusing on the small contribution we can make rather than the big picture to which we鈥檙e contributing.
In terms of gains, it seems clear that we are all much more comfortable with online and remote communication. I can hold meetings with people across the world and it feels entirely natural.听 In the IPN we鈥檝e been able to roll out delivery of our graduate program to students in China, something that would have been much more challenging pre-pandemic.听 Of course what we sacrifice is more face-to-face interactions.
What should be prioritized in the coming academic year? I think the main goal should be to rebuild the sense of community and collective goals that was lost during the pandemic.听 The Neuro, and 苹果淫院 in general, is a world leader in many areas of neuroscience but what really makes us strong is our critical mass, the collaborative community we have here.听 Strengthening that collective spirit should be everyone鈥檚 priority.
What attracts students/faculty/staff to The Neuro and 苹果淫院?听We have a long history of leadership in neuroscience, dating back to the days of Wilder Penfield and Donald Hebb. 苹果淫院 remains a world leader in neuroscience research and education.听 I hope our reputation helps lift up the careers and opportunities of students and junior faculty who choose 苹果淫院.
How has studying in your discipline has changed since your student days? I think there are many more opportunities for students to get engaged in science projects than when I was an undergrad, but at the same time students also seem to be under greater pressure to build up impressive CVs by doing multiple diverse activities.听 I feel sorry for students who feel they have to do more activities, rather than engaging in just a few things with their full attention and energy.
What attracted you to Montreal? I鈥檓 definitely a city boy, and for various interesting historical reasons Montreal of two decades ago was one of the few cities where housing near downtown was quite affordable, even on a faculty salary.听 The main draw for me, however, was the interactions I had during job interviews with 苹果淫院 students, who were far superior to the students at the US schools I was recruited to.听 There is definitely something to be said for being at one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
Lenardo Miguel S. Dadulla, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (incoming U3), from Bangkok, Thailand
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I am excited for school life to resume, but in the back of my head, as an almost-healthcare professional, I am worried that this could fuel another wave.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? Montreal was a better choice in terms of weather and social life. 苹果淫院 also is a world-famous school and the opportunity to study here felt magical.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? If anything, it encouraged it. While I may never know what it would be like to have pursued nursing prior to the pandemic, I found nursing to be very manageable during these times because of the level of consideration my courses gave. Because my schedule was so adaptable, I had a lot of flexibility which for me made studying nursing less 鈥榖ack breaking鈥� than it already is.
What attracted you to Montreal? I heard night life was amazing and honestly it is. A shame that I missed a couple years of it, but I鈥檓 ready to make up for it now听:D.
Elizabeth 鈥楢nne鈥� Kinsella, PhD, Director of the Institute of Health Sciences Education
This is the first time in two and a half years we will be beginning the semester with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? Professor Margaret Somerville once stated that 鈥淗ope is the oxygen of the human spirit.鈥� I was introduced to this quote by IHSE member Don Boudreau, and it came immediately to mind when I began to reflect on a return to campus. There is a sense of hopefulness and excitement, but also a sense of cautiousness, and a sense of responsibility to remain vigilant and take care of our community members.听 We have a wonderful and engaged community at the IHSE. I鈥檓 excited to meet with colleagues, staff and students in more in-person events and spaces, to bring visiting scholars to the IHSE, to participate in research and writing collaborations, and to explore different types of hybrid events.
Looking back, what do you think we lost during the pandemic? What did we gain? I think we鈥檝e gained more awareness of inequities and vulnerabilities of different health care users and of health care providers working within challenging systems during the pandemic. Perhaps there is more recognition of the deep complexities and fragilities of our health care system and the need to work toward systemic change both in the interests of justice for patients, but also for improved workplace milieus for health care providers.
Any big goals for the IHSE for the coming academic year? We are working on three major portfolios at the Institute related to: a) growing our graduate programs; b) advancing our research profile; and c) engaging the local and national HSE community. I anticipate the IHSE鈥檚 Associate Director, Graduate Programs, Peter Nugus, PhD, will have some exciting announcements about our educational portfolios in the upcoming year. We welcomed Meredith Young, PhD, as our new Associate Director, Research, in May 2022. Prof. Young is already rethinking various mechanisms for catalyzing IHSE research and we will be looking to grow our collective research endeavours in the coming year.听 Linda Snell, MD, will be coming on board as the new IHSE Director of Outreach. We are looking to build relations with other units, expand our interdisciplinarity, host visitors from around the world, and increase opportunities for international exchange and collaboration.
What do you think attracts students/faculty/staff to the IHSE? There are many factors that attract people to the Institute. The reputation of 苹果淫院 is always a draw. In addition, the Institute of Health Sciences Education (formerly the Centre for Medical Education) has a strong international reputation and has been the home to many thought leaders and change agents in medical and health sciences education scholarship over the years. We also have a number of up-and-coming Faculty members whose names are gaining traction as international leaders in the field. Further, the collegiality of our community of scientists, and the community鈥檚 commitment to mentoring junior scholars, is well known across the health sciences education research community.
How do you think studying in your discipline has changed since your student days?听When I was a PhD student there were only a handful of programs in health professions education around the world, and none were focused on the broader scope of in health sciences education. Most medical and health professions interested in educational research at that time, would study in a faculty of education where the focus was largely on elementary and secondary school, rather than university and health science contexts. At the Institute we are working to advance scholarship, and to build a new interdisciplinary field of study, that brings health sciences and education together.
Can you share something you love about Montreal? One thing I love about Montreal is the 鈥榲ibe.鈥� There is a 鈥榡oie de vivre鈥� in the air that is palpable.听 I appreciate the cultural spaces, the distinctive neighbourhoods, the many festivals, the historic buildings, the markets, the walking and cycling friendly spaces, the range of terraces and food venues.
Kedar Mate, first-year MDCM student (Montreal campus), from Montreal
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I feel that it鈥檚 necessary to go back to in-person classes to get the full experience. It allows for more personal interactions and to build networks.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? I did my PhD at 苹果淫院 in Rehab Science 鈥� I鈥檝e been here for 10 years! And I thought: why leave Montreal? There is this familiarity, which I like.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? The pandemic meant that my previous program was completed online, which actually gave me time to prepare for the medical entry exams, which I would probably not have been able to do otherwise.
Can you share something you love about Montreal? I love Montreal because it is a combination of historical and modern, with 苹果淫院 at the heart of the city downtown, which is very unique.
Samantha Gruenheid, Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Biomedical Sciences
This is the first time in two and a half years we will be beginning the semester with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I feel cautiously optimistic. It will be exciting to be back on campus and feeling that back-to-school buzz. However, we all know that the pandemic is not over, and we don鈥檛 know what the future waves will look like. I don鈥檛 think we should be framing it as back to normal, but rather as a new normal where we need to be ready to adjust to things as they develop.
Looking back, what do you think we lost during the pandemic? What did we gain? I think that the whole world has gained an appreciation of how microbiology and immunology can have a huge impact on our lives and how important it is to study them! We also gained an appreciation for the value of in-person interactions, as well as how virtual interactions can bring a lot of added value in complementary ways, both professionally and socially. I think we lost some of the feeling of closeness of our community, which we need to focus on building back up.
Any big goals for the School of Biomedical Sciences for the coming academic year? It is an exciting time for our relatively new School of Biomedical Sciences. In the coming year one big goal is to rebuild a sense of community both within our department and between departments. The structure of the School should allow us to build some interesting inter-departmental initiatives that will be great for the students and the professors.
What do you think attracted students/faculty/staff to the School of Biomedical Sciences? I might be a little biased, but I really believe there has never been a more exciting time to be studying microbiology and immunology. And 苹果淫院 provides an excellent academic environment within a very fun and cosmopolitan city.
How do you think studying in your discipline has changed since your student days? Information is so much more accessible now. This allows us to focus less on memorization but also creates a responsibility for us to teach about critical thinking, discerning good sources of information from bad, and dispelling misinformation.
What attracted you to Montreal? I was attracted to Montreal by the culture and the sense of history. I love having four distinct seasons.
Frederik Roth, B.Sc. Microbiology & Immunology, U3, from Montreal
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I came into 苹果淫院 from CEGEP. Thus, I started with U1 online. Now in the last year of my bachelor鈥檚 degree, I am excited to nearly fully return to normalcy and to finally get into on-campus life.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院?听Coming out of CEGEP, I had a high interest in the life sciences and sought to get involved with research being done in Montreal. I therefore chose 苹果淫院 for the exciting research opportunities.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how?听No, my decision to pursue Microbiology & Immunology stems from my interest in allergy that had developed in high school.
Can you share something you love about Montreal? Growing up in Montreal, I always appreciated how dynamic the city, is with a variety of different festivals throughout the year.
Sophie Vaillancourt, S-LP, Coordinator of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor (Professional), School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
This is the first time in two and a half years we will be beginning the semester with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I am very excited about it! It will be great to see the students in person and to be able to see their faces and their reactions.
Looking back, what do you think we lost during the pandemic? The human contact. I was used to seeing the students in my office or in the School every day and then all of a sudden I only interacted with them on Zoom. I feel like I barely know the students of the last two cohorts, which is so sad.
What did we gain? We developed new ways of working that will last in the speech and language pathology (SLP) field. For example, using telepractice to serve populations that did not traditionally have access to services because they were too remote.
Any big goals for your School for the coming academic year?
Yes, we are very excited to be launching our updated MSc(Applied) in Communication Sciences and Disorders; Non-Thesis; Speech-Language Pathology program. The new summer term will allow us to add new material to the program, adapting to innovations in science and clinical practice, as well as to social and demographic shifts. Our new competency-based program has been designed to also allow a reduction in workload intensity each term with an increase in direct support to students.
What do you think attracts students, faculty and staff to your School? 苹果淫院 and the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders have excellent reputations, Montreal is a wonderful city to live in, and I think that students like the fact that we offer hand- on experiences very early on in the program.
How do you think studying in your discipline has changed since your student days? As we are still a very young profession, our field of practice is continuously expanding. SLPs now work in pediatric swallowing, with adults with dementia, with children who get cochlear implants very early on, etc, which was not the case when I studied to become an SLP.
Can you tell us one thing you love about Montreal? I love the vibe of Montreal. It鈥檚 very lively and diverse and there is always something to do. I find that Montreal is the most European of the North American cities and that mix is exciting.
Sophie Valence, first-year MDCM student (Campus Outaouais), from Boucherville
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I like having classes in person better so I am glad we are going back to in-person sessions. I find it鈥檚 easier to interact, there are less distractions than at home.
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? I chose 苹果淫院 to study as it is a good school. Campus Outaouais is smaller and there is a lot of help amongst the students, it is a supportive environment.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? I knew I wanted to study a science field, but I wasn鈥檛 sure whether in research or medicine. The pandemic made me realize the importance of doctors.
Can you share something you love about Gatineau? What I love about Gatineau: it鈥檚 a smaller town. We are like a family, which is great.
Trina Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director, Goodman Cancer Institute
This is the first time in two and a half years we will be beginning the semester with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I think like many individuals, I am cautiously optimistic. We have had a few opportunities to glimpse fewer restrictions in the last few years and I think we are all a lot more educated on the public health, safety and hygiene practices that we are individually responsible to use. I have seen the positive impact for our students and staff when we can come together safely, and I am excited for more opportunities to connect in-person.
Looking back, what do you think we lost during the pandemic? What did we gain? The pandemic was a training ground in so many ways. We as citizens learned so much about public health, immunology and vaccines, and the importance of science, discovery and innovation in developing solutions for worldwide crises. At home here in the Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI), we saw the pioneering work of GCI RNA biology scientists like Nahum Sonenberg, Jerry Pelletier and Thomas Duchaine come into the spotlight with the development of mRNA vaccines. We also learned that it is possible to streamline regulatory and oversight practices for R&D while still maintaining safety. Overall, I think we learned that if enough collective energy is focused on a need, we can enact solutions based on strong evidence in place. The importance of fundamental research in coming up with new solutions has never been more evident.
As for what we lost, this is incalculable. We lost our family members, our colleagues, our friends and our heroes. I think of these people as I choose daily what safety practices I will use to keep my family and colleagues safe.
Any big goals for the GCI for the coming academic year? The GCI is excited to release our five-year Strategic Plan for Research Excellence, as well as revealing a new visual identity and launching a fundraising campaign to support a number of key initiatives. It will be a busy year for the Institute, with the vision to expand equipment, service, administrative, and research supports for our world-renowned scientists and the next generation of cancer leaders.
What do you think attracted students, faculty and staff to the GCI? Everyone working within the GCI is proud to live the values and philosophy of a collaborative, interdisciplinary and community environment. We are a thriving group, dedicated to working as teams with our trainees, scientists, researchers and investigators. Research at the GCI, at its heart is meant to be a co-development, a training ground and the result of collective efforts. A researcher said to me the other day 鈥渨e are not passing knowledge on鈥� to our trainees, 鈥渨e are generating knowledge together鈥�. The other reason people are excited to join is the legacy and prestige associated with our researchers. I myself chose to join the GCI so that I could join the team made up of the researchers I studied with as an undergraduate and graduate student. I mean, who wouldn鈥檛 want to have the opportunity to have hallway conversations with these greats?
How do you think studying in your discipline has changed since your student days? I was having a conversation the other day about this with a colleague. Our collective thoughts were that the changes have been for the better. Multi-disciplinarity and team-based work is an expectation which makes the work stronger. Reproducibility and transparency and representation are considerations that we have incorporated into our day. The student experience and work-life balance, and affordability are difficult conversations but we are having them. Do I think we have all the answers? No. Do I think it is important that we keep pressing on these conversations? Yes, absolutely.
What do you love about Montreal? I am a self-professed Montreal nerd. I had the opportunity to take my second postdoc at several places around the world and I chose Montreal. I love Montreal for its 鈥榓ccidental beauty鈥� as I call it. You can walk down any street and see something truly beautiful, the architecture, the trees and flowers, the festivals, even the people. Without spending a cent, you can be surrounded by beauty. I have lived in cities across Canada, and this is not true in every city. Montrealers are very lucky to live in such a beautiful city.
Linda Song, first-year MDCM student, from Montreal
This is the first time in two and a half years that the academic year will begin with very few pandemic restrictions. How do you feel about it? I鈥檓 really excited about the classes being back in person. I feel like a student again 鈥� it鈥檚 great to get back to the routine!
Why did you choose 苹果淫院? I chose 苹果淫院 to study as my parents both had a high regard for the university. My mom worked in the chemistry lab for some time, too, so I had heard good things and knew 苹果淫院 had a great medical program. Another driving factor was that I wanted to stay close to my parents.
Did the pandemic influence your decision to pursue your area of study? If so, how? The pandemic strengthened my choice to study medicine, I wouldn鈥檛 say it changed my course of action though.
Can you share something you love about Montreal? What I love about Montreal: you can always find new events to go to, there are lots of students around and I feel very safe here.
听