The Faculty of Medicine breaks new ground in health science education

Québec City, January 19, 2017 – Université Laval is reaffirming its influence in the field of health sciences education today by inaugurating its Faculty of Medicine's very first educational leadership chair, whose educational initiatives will be showcased nationwide thanks to collaboration from the Québec Medical Association (QMA) and Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

The new chair—codirected by doctors Miriam Lacasse  and Alexandre Lafleur, who were recruited for the project—will use existing data on health sciences education to identify, develop, and implement innovative educational practices in health sciences programs at Université Laval with a view to optimizing faculty development, improving on learning strategies, and enhancing students' learning. The Chair will collaborate with health sciences educators at local, national and international levels, sharing innovative ideas and research results.

«Innovative resources will be made available to both faculty and clinical teachers to help them hone their teaching skills and improve the way in which they provide feedback to students regarding patient care,» said Miriam Lacasse, chairholder, assistant professor at Université Laval's Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, and family physician at CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.

«The teaching tools we design will help health professionals develop a broader set of skills in various fields of healthcare, enhance their ability to work in teams, and strengthen their commitment to their profession so they are better equipped to meet the growing needs of our population and provide patients with first-rate healthcare,» explained Alexandre Lafleur, chairholder, clinical professor at Université Laval's Department of Medicine, and internal medicine specialist at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec.

«The Québec Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Association, and MD Financial Management are proud to partner with Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine in this initiative to explore new approaches to teaching medicine. This chair is part of a vision of professionalism, leadership, and innovation for the medical profession. It will allow us to train future physicians in a constantly evolving work environment and, ultimately, help us improve and transform our healthcare system,» added Dr. Laurent Marcoux, CMA president-elect and outgoing QMA president.

Faculty of Medicine dean Rénald Bergeron sees this first educational leadership chair as a remarkable joint undertaking that lines up perfectly with the faculty's vision, which prioritizes sustainable health. «This Chair confirms our educational expertise, our support for faculty and training programs, and our desire to share our health science knowledge to the benefit of the public.»

«This new centre of scientific expertise will not only contribute to the Faculty of Medicine's overall development, it will give the medical profession a forward-thinking voice and help maintain the well-being of the population,» concluded Denis Brière, rector of Université Laval.

Quick facts

• The Québec Medical Association (QMA), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), and MD Financial Management are helping fund the Chair and will increase the reach of its work.
• The new chair is in keeping with the postgraduate microprogram in university health sciences education and the recently created specialized graduate diploma program in university health sciences education. The latter will be available in fall 2017.
• Learning tools developed by the Chair will improve the innovation process in all the Faculty's health sciences programs by promoting a scholarly approach, i.e., a process focused on evidence-based learning activities, peer review, and the dissemination of results.

Related links

- Information documents on the QMA/CMA/MD Educational Leadership Chair in Health Science
- Presentation of the Chair by Miriam Lacasse and Alexandre Lafleur
- Faculty of Medicine Strategic Plan
- Québec Medical Association (QMA)
- Canadian Medical Association (CMA)
- MD Financial Management