 |
| Dawn Stacey, left, and France Légaré in Swansea, Wales during the 2003 International Shared Decision Making Conference. In 2005, the conference is being hosted by the University of Ottawa, from June 14 to 16. |
Closely linked to the University’s Institute of Population Health, the doctoral program—the first of its kind in Canada—is offered by the faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Common Law and Civil Law Sections and the School of Management, all under the auspices of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS).
France Légaré, who describes herself as a lifelong learner, studied architecture before earning a degree in medicine. A family health practitioner in Quebec with a master’s in community health, she decided to return to university to perfect her research skills.
Already accepted by two other universities and three times a scholarship winner, Légaré chose the population health program at the University of Ottawa, even though it wasn’t officially available until September 2000!
What especially attracted Légaré was the program’s interdisciplinary approach and the rapport she established with professors Nancy Edwards and Annette O’Connor (School of Nursing) and Louise Lemyre (School of Psychology). She describes them as “visionaries who put their hearts into creating this program.” While aware of the growing pains that inevitably accompany any new program, Légaré is quick to point to the support she received from FGPS staff, as well as to the excellence and dynamism of the professors.
“The quality of the weekly scientific presentations was exceptional,” she says.
A nursing graduate of McMaster University and the University of Ottawa (master’s), Dawn Stacey is a certified oncology nurse and winner of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology / Pharmacia Oncology 2002 Award of Excellence in Education.
“I recognized that the population health doctoral program would expand my knowledge and skills in exploring broader approaches to improving health and conducting policy relevant research, she says.”
Her decision to enrol in the population health program was also influenced by her belief that in order to succeed, one needs a thesis supervisor whose research approach is compatible.
“I had the opportunity to work with Annette O’Connor.” According to Stacey, one of the most important features of the program is the transdisciplinary approach to teaching courses and thesis committees. In the three main courses, teams of professors, representing different disciplines, co-teach and attend the classes.
“For example, a nurse and a psychologist provided us with different perspectives on the use of multiple interventions to enhance health of populations,” she explains. “We need to break down the barriers between disciplines and find new approaches to building knowledge.”
France Légaré, a doctor at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec and a clinical research fellow of the Fonds de la recherché en santé du Québec since April 5, will continue her research in the field of professional health practices for supporting patient decision-making.
Dawn Stacey, on the other hand, will be an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa School of Nursing, as well as associate researcher at the Ottawa Health Research Institute beginning this July. Her research will focus on decision-making aids in the health field.
