Community update from Dean Dermot Kelleher

"Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow"
- Ripple by The Grateful Dead

I was introduced to this song by a bass player in a Dublin punk rock band who surprisingly told me that it was his favourite song. The lyrics, particularly the verse above — written in the form of a haiku — contemplate a spirit of reflection and tranquility in the face of a rapidly changing world.

All of us in this Faculty of Medicine will surely appreciate the importance that a summer of tranquility will bring. With the pandemic slowly receding, this is a time to reflect, to regenerate some of our frazzled neurons, and to rejuvenate. It has been a very difficult few years in so many ways and the pace has been relentless. So, as things begin to return to normal — perhaps a new normal — it is time to reconnect with those things that are important to us, whether taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures, be it dinner with family or friends, having a relaxed conversation, or finding the opportunity to venture out into the world and travel. My wish for all of you is that you take the time to step back a little this summer and take the opportunity to “climb a mountain or jump in a lake,” to read a good book, visit a gallery, or just stop and look around and marvel at the beautiful nature that surrounds us.

This year has been extraordinary in the life of the Faculty of Medicine. Once again, our faculty, staff and learners have surpassed themselves in education, research and clinical care delivery. We’ve consistently pushed the envelope in terms of what can be achieved and consistently surpassed expectations. It’s no coincidence that we’ve broken into the top 25 in the QS World University Rankings for Life Sciences and Medicine on the basis of outstanding contributions in research and education.

Just as critically important, there has been extraordinary work done in transforming our culture by embedding respect, equity, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. While this work must not let up, it’s encouraging to see the great strides that have been made, with great thanks to Roslyn Goldner and her team in the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Much of this has been achieved by focusing on the goals and strategies within our refreshed strategic plan Building the Future, which has laid out our framework for action across four pillars: Research, Education, Organization and Partnership. The unsung heroes of the development of the strategic plan have been the core team of Dr. Chris Lovato, Shanda Jordan Gaetz, and Gabriel Rose, who, sadly for us, is moving to Toronto. We wish Gabe all the very best as he moves on to new opportunities. And special thanks are also due to our outstanding pillar leads, committees and their support teams. Lastly, the Office of Creative & Communications team led by Katie White have done an extraordinary job of disseminating the plan and its outputs, nationally and globally.

For now, as we enter the summer, I’ve resurrected my playlist with some of my old and current favourites. For me, music really does take me to past places and times, as well helping with the cross-fertilization of new thoughts and ideas. In this summer playlist, I’ve included a few Bob Dylan songs sung by other people (easier to hear the lyrics!), as well as some new thought-provoking music from the Toronto band The Weather Station. For those of you who are grappling with to-do lists, I have included Running Up That Hill, Helpless and Here Comes the Summer! Lastly, I’ve included Ripple by the Grateful Dead and Nature Boy based on an old Nat King Cole song, two of a kind in evoking a place of peace and contemplation.

So, thank you to everyone for your outstanding and continued support of the Faculty of Medicine. I hope that you all take time to refresh and rejuvenate over the summer.