Building a healthy tomorrow A fundraising campaign for Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine
“The medical program at Memorial is second to none. The opportunity to work in such a variety of areas (from urban to rural) and the chance to work one-on-one with expert physicians and researchers is not available at every school. At Memorial, it is. You become part of a family with a common goal of practicing effective and patient-centred care.� Gina Colbourne MD graduate, 2016 and 2014 Red Cross Young Humanitarian of the Year
The greatest gift Good health. We want it for our loved ones and ourselves. Securing it is our goal. Every day at Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine we are working on the healthcare challenges that affect your community, your family and you. Through education and research – we are finding solutions. Right now we are making an important difference, but with your help we can do much more. We are at a tipping point, so close to a new reality in our ability to change and save lives, to foster medical breakthroughs, to evolve our local healthcare landscape, to reach across the globe. By joining us in the pursuit of good health, you can put the imagined within reach.
You can empower tomorrow’s physicians and medical scientists by creating scholarships, bursaries and awards that provide opportunities for success. You can save lives by enhancing a world-class experiential learning program with state-of-the-art simulation technologies and expertise that improve outcomes for patient safety.
You can enable new discoveries by expanding our leading-edge research in those areas related to Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique population characteristics and health-care needs. The critical health challenges affecting your community, your family and you, need to be boldly addressed with progressive thinking and sound investment. Supporting tomorrow’s physicians and scientists is the key to finding solutions to these challenges.
Inspiring tomorrow’s health-care leaders You can help us inspire the next generation of exceptional physicians and medical scientists in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
require a full-time commitment. To be the best, our students must be able to fully focus on their studies and research.
We must ensure that bright, motivated students who want to attend the Faculty of Medicine do not face barriers to entry – and are supported during their academic careers.
You and your loved ones deserve the best. To help these future physicians and scientists achieve, we need to enable their success right now. And, if we fuel their passion and inspire a culture of giving, our students will ultimately pay it forward.
Our 320 MD students and 250 residents represent all socio-economic backgrounds with many coming from rural areas. These individuals will be your family doctor, surgeon or specialist. They will deliver your children and grandchildren and take care of you as you age. Also, almost 300 students are working toward a graduate degree to become medical scientists. They are developing skills and pursuing research that will benefit countless patients for years to come. Once students start on a career path in medical practice or research, they can anticipate a long road ahead. These years of study are intense and
With the expansion of our Faculty of Medicine programs and an increase in tuition, an urgent priority for this fundraising campaign is to increase the number and amount of scholarships, bursaries and awards. We must continue to provide opportunities for deserving students to become talented, innovative physicians and medical scientists of tomorrow. Today’s students are the physicians and researchers of tomorrow. You can help shape their future.
“This bursary has helped me finance my education and stay focused on my studies. And it’s inspired me to give back too. Whether that’s mentoring a student or contributing financially to our university, setting students up for success is important. As I work toward my goal of becoming a physician and practising here in Newfoundland, I will always remember how the kindness of others can impact one’s life.” Joe Otto Medical student and recipient of the Evelyn Roach Memorial Bursary
Simulation is reality Patient safety is vital. Practice makes perfect. In real-life situations when seconds matter, confidence and preparation are critical. Teaching through simulation and educational technology provides students with hands-on experience in a real-life setting. If they hesitate or second-guess a decision, they know they’re in a safe learning environment and their patient will still be okay at the end of the day. At Memorial, simulation and technology with an educational focus is carefully incorporated into our expertly designed curriculum and comprehensive clinical experience program. By utilizing the state-of-the-art Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre (CLSC) in our Medical Education Centre, we are positioned to take our simulation training to the next level. From anesthesia and emergency medicine, to surgery and labour and delivery, the simulation scenarios can provide very realistic training in a myriad of complex procedures without risk to patients. In addition to medical students, practising physicians, nurses and other health-care professionals use simulation to hone their skills,
reinforce training of life-saving procedures and learn new modes of diagnosis and treatment. The end result is health-care professionals who are highly skilled, ready for the moment when seconds count. Clinical experience meets high-tech learning With the CLSC as an exceptional foundation, we now have an opportunity to elevate the medical education capacity of the Faculty of Medicine even further. Your support will allow us to acquire additional mannequins, such as a cardiac mannequin or a birthing simulator. This will allow students to practise a wider range of medical procedures, making them even more prepared for complex trauma. Specific simulations will focus on surgical skills, echocardiograms and gastroenterology procedures. Accompanying this equipment is advanced computer software that brings real-world scenarios to life. Our responsibility to the continuing education of all practising physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador extends these training benefits far beyond Memorial’s St. John’s campus. Our goal of a mobile education management solution will allow parts of the simulation centre to go on the road to benefit the entire province.
Teacher, innovator and builder – our expert in medical simulation The chair in medical simulation will be a catalyst. This is a leader who will develop and implement innovative ideas on the use of ground breaking simulation technology and inspire advanced research. Your support can help create this position, taking the Faculty of Medicine to the next level in the design and development of innovative medical simulation as a tool for improving patient safety and quality of care. Built around this role, a team from the Faculty of Medicine and regional health authorities will ensure that our simulation programs benefit patients throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Be a part of our commitment to excellence in patient safety.
“Using simulations to teach residents is invaluable. Simulation allows our residents to practice high risk medicine in a low risk environment. They can make mistakes without harm coming to a patient and they can safely learn from those mistakes. It also allows them the opportunity to manage rare emergency crises that they may only see once or twice during their career.” Dr. Noel O’Regan Assistant professor of anesthesia
Laboratory to bedside Research at the Faculty of Medicine has a strategic focus on the needs of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, yet the work we do for the benefit of this province will have a global impact. By tackling the challenges and problems that are of critical importance to our communities we undertake responsive research, work that is translated into best practices and plays a direct role in the formulation of health policy. It is our priority to connect laboratory and bedside – and this sets us apart. Research that makes a difference The Memorial model starts with the patient. Multidisciplinary teams assess the clinical and population issue in question by looking at a patient, the family and the community. We strive to discover the root causes of these medical mysteries and develop solutions and knowledge that can address the problem at the individual, family and community level, which in turn, can have world-wide benefits. Our research is focused on finding solutions to diseases and health issues specifically related to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador including cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, mental health and
obesity. These fields of study, along with areas such as aging and genetics, are being uniquely investigated in this province. The demographics and history of Newfoundland and Labrador means that very high incidence rates of certain diseases exist relative to the global population. This puts us in a distinct position to specialize in ground-breaking health research related to these issues. You can help to ensure that our research remains a step ahead and relevant to the people of our province and beyond, supporting the delivery of more efficient and effective health-care. What drives our researchers is the exciting promise behind every experiment, calculation and interaction – that their work can save lives and create hope. You can empower new discoveries and life-saving research.
“My research in the area of Type 1 diabetes started 17 years ago right after I graduated from Memorial. At that time the rate of the disease in this province was comparable with the highest in the world. A study in 2012 shows the number is increasing. I have a personal connection with these kids and their parents, so it’s not a choice to stop doing this research. It’s a responsibility for me. We’ve made progress but I know that with more resources we could do so much more.” Dr. Leigh Anne Newhook Associate professor Discipline of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine
The imagined within reach This campaign is about taking on the toughest health-care challenges facing your community, your family and you. The resolve of our future physicians and scientists has never been stronger. You can join them. Your investment will energize and empower these young minds to reach even greater heights. By supporting one of the three strategic focus areas of this campaign - you can put the imagined within reach.
TOMORROW’S HEALTH-CARE LEADERS Our students will become our family doctors, specialists, health policy makers and research scientists. YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT You expect the best from your physicians and medical scientists. Supporting them now as students will ensure they are well-prepared to care for us in the future and their research will help answer some of the tough questions in health care.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Shape their future by enabling our students today. Supporting scholarships, bursaries and awards will remove barriers to access medical school and graduate studies and alleviate financial constraints for those most in need. It will create optimal conditions for focused study and success and inspire a culture of giving.
SIMULATION AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY Practice makes perfect because patient safety is critical. In emergencies, minutes matter. YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT You want the best possible care for the people who need it most. Technology that keeps pace with current and future health-care challenges is part of our ongoing commitment to excellence in patient care and safety.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Secure equipment that will address a broader range of health and emergency scenarios. Empower the Faculty of Medicine with a Chair in Medical Simulation. This expert will inspire innovative research initiatives and lead a progressive, simulation education strategy to benefit all of Newfoundland and Labrador.
RESEARCH THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The medical discoveries of tomorrow are being researched today here in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Faculty of Medicine’s strategic research focus on the people of this province will also produce results that have a worldwide impact. Ultimately, we will make a difference in the delivery of more effective and efficient health-care. YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT You want the toughest questions addressed to improve the health of our communities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Build on the strength of the Memorial model that puts community first; one that seeks answers through collaboration and shares knowledge to establish practical solutions.
“I am excited about the many opportunities on the horizon for the Faculty of Medicine. With your support, we are poised to do so much more for the health and well-being of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond. Let’s build a healthy tomorrow together.” Dr. Margaret Steele Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Development Office Faculty of Medicine Medical Education Centre St. John’s, NL, A1B 3V6 709 864 2163, 1 877 700 4081 development@med.mun.ca