Hi Everyone,
One of the most exciting aspects of building a new Faculty of Medicine is the chance to rethink how we educate the next generation of healthcare professionals.
That spirit of collaboration was on full display this month when the UPEI Faculty of Medicine, in partnership with the UPEI Faculty of Nursing, hosted Interprofessional Education (IPE) Day. The event brought together educators, healthcare professionals and community partners to explore how interprofessional education can strengthen team-based primary care and improve health outcomes for Islanders.
We were honoured to welcome Ivy Oandasan, Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and Director of Education at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, as our keynote speaker and facilitator. Dr. Oandasan shared valuable insights into how collaborative learning prepares future healthcare professionals to work more effectively together, enabling the delivery of coordinated, patient-centred care Canadians increasingly need.
As PEI continues to strengthen its healthcare workforce, building these interprofessional learning opportunities into medical education from the outset will be an important part of preparing graduates to thrive in team-based care models.
In addition, we were pleased to host the annual Medical Education Symposium, organized by Health PEI’s Medical Education Department. The symposium brought together colleagues from Memorial University, Dalhousie University, UPEI and Health PEI to exchange ideas, showcase innovations in medical education, and celebrate the outstanding educators who inspire our learners every day.
Congratulations to this year’s award recipients, including the QEH Hospitalists, named Teaching Group of the Year, and Direse Coetzee, the recipient of the Physician Teacher of the Year Award. Their commitment to teaching and mentorship exemplifies the culture we are building across medical education in Prince Edward Island.
Looking ahead, we have also launched our community engagement initiative to help shape the future of UPEI’s Faculty of Medicine. Through surveys, town halls and conversations with physicians, healthcare providers, learners, community organizations and the public, we are gathering ideas to guide our strategic plan and ensure our future medical education programs reflect Prince Edward Island’s unique needs.
Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute their expertise, ideas and enthusiasm. Together, we are building more than a medical school; we are building a collaborative, made-in-PEI approach to educating the healthcare professionals our province will need for generations.
Feel free to reach out for more information or to chat anytime, and enjoy your summer!
The government of PEI and the University of Prince Edward Island, in strategic collaboration with Memorial University, are investing in the future and ultimately improving healthcare for all Prince Edward Islanders.
