Dr. Patricia Houston

It is unfortunate and just one of the many impacts of the pandemic that we are not able to be together to support you our education leaders and teachers who have made a difference to our students and the learning environment. We cannot thank you enough for the differences you have made and the mentorship and leadership you have provided to students. It is very important that we recognize and celebrate this impact and your contributions. Benefiting our learners is, as it has always been, at the heart of medicine education. And to do that, we must provide a strong learner experience and a respectful learning environment that ensures equity, diversity and inclusion. These two things are inextricably linked: you cannot have a good experience and value your training when you feel unwelcome and poorly treated. We must work together to shift our environment to ensure that everyone feels they belong.

It is because of your contributions that I am confident that we will prepare the next generation of medical leaders. And, I am inspired by our learners, who are not passive recipients of knowledge, but engaged partners in improving our curriculum and learning environments.

We know that great doctors are not merely the sum of their training, but develop as a result of their experiences and environments. Thank you to your commitment to excellence in education, the experiences we provide, and the environments in which we learn – together.

Patricia Houston, MD, MEd, FRCPC
Vice Dean, Medical Education
Professor, Department of Anesthesia
Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto