A message from Dermot Kelleher.
Dear friends and colleagues,
How do I begin to express my thoughts on the completion of a decade as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, at UBC?
It has been a time that has passed so quickly in many ways and so slowly in others, particularly with the temporally distorting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a period for me characterized by the extraordinary web of relationships that makes our complex Faculty work, as well as by the enormously impactful collaborative partnerships that make us successful both within the Faculty of Medicine and at UBC Health.
As I look back on this period, the important concept that comes to my mind is that of stewardship. Each Dean and health leader at UBC has moved things forward in different ways. I must pay tribute to my immediate predecessors, Drs. Gavin Stuart and John Cairns, for their outstanding work in the advancement of distributed medical education and equity, diversity and inclusion as key principles within the Faculty of Medicine. They and their predecessors laid a foundation that I was privileged to build upon and steward over my decade of leadership. My overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude to those who have guided the UBC Faculty of Medicine to its global leadership position today over the 75 years of our existence, a relatively short period of time in this context!
I would like to express my profound thanks to all of you, friends and colleagues, for your extraordinary dedication and commitment to advancing UBC as one of the premier global centres for health sciences and medicine. Together, we have been able to plan strategically and to execute in a way that has been truly profound. We live in a world where, if you stand still, you fall behind — and we have certainly not stood still. Our faculty — academic, clinical — and staff have worked seamlessly to deliver in so many ways and to respond to complex challenges over the last decade and I can only express my deep appreciation and respect for all that you have achieved, not just in excellence in education, research and service but also in the advancement of a better world for our learners, faculty and the people of British Columbia and beyond. THANK YOU!
Most recently, I have spent time on Haida Gwaii. It was my second visit to this very special place of the Haida Nation — a place where you can truly gain an appreciation of the amazing history of First Nations in B.C. and what this means for all of us in reflecting on the concept of cultural humility. It is important to reflect that there have been others before us who have built complex communities founded on principles of gender equity, who have understood vast and rich ecosystems, and who have understood the determinants of health while literally living on the edges of this world prior to colonial contact. I do want to thank all those who have educated me and opened my eyes to this vast and varied culture, and helped me to understand the importance of truth and reconciliation in Canada and the true meaning of humility. I will be forever changed by my experiences here and forever grateful.
Lastly, can I just say thank you to all who have made this such a wonderful, fulfilling period in my personal and professional life. Thank you for making my engagement with communities near and far around this vast, rugged and beautiful province a highlight of my time as Dean. Thank you for your intellectual rigour, your friendships, your good humour and patience, and your support of me and Jean as we made our lives here.
Though my chapter as Dean and Vice-President has closed, you are in good hands with Dr. Mieke Koehoorn as your Dean pro tem, Faculty of Medicine, and interim Vice-President, Health, UBC, until Dr. Sharmila Anandasabapathy commences her first term as Dean, Faculty of Medicine, and Vice-President, Health, at UBC this November.
I wish all of you the very best, and I look forward to seeing all that you will go on to accomplish together. I will be cheering you on!
With profound gratitude,
Dermot Kelleher
This message was sent to all faculty, staff and learners in the Faculty of Medicine.
