Accreditation renewed for Faculty of Medicine MD program

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) has renewed the accreditation of the Faculty’s undergraduate medical program for a seven-year period. The LCME is the recognized accrediting authority for medical education leading to the MD degree in American and Canadian medical schools. The committee’s accreditation report "recognizes an important factor about our medical school, its teachers and its students," said Dean Peter Walker. "This is an excellent Faculty of Medicine, period."

In its report, the LCME made the following observations:

The academic mission of the Faculty in both university and hospital settings has been preserved during a period of substantial change in the health care environment.
The program is unique among Canadian medical schools in offering a full array of educational experiences in both of the country’s official languages.
Assistant Deans Linda Peterson and Brigitte Bonin exhibit notable leadership in sustaining a consistent and cohesive educational program that spans the two language streams.
The electronic curriculum created since the time of the last accreditation survey has proven an effective tool for enhancing instructional quality and promoting self-directed learning.
The Aesculapian Society of medical students serves as an effective organization for student input into institutional affairs.
Faculty members exhibited remarkable co-operation in addressing the demands created by a major increase in class size unaccompanied by corresponding increases in resources.
The Faculty has proven to be innovative in addressing needs and opportunities for leadership, professional development, and wellness issues among its members.
The dramatic increase in research output in recent years is a source of great excitement with regards to the Faculty’s future research potential.

Researchers look at fitness, obesity

Fitness and obesity are among the critical social issues being studied by health sciences researchers at the University of Ottawa.

Working with partners in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Dr. Geneviève Rail is conducting a study to determine how Grade 9 students from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds view and understand health and fitness. This research will hopefully lead to more appropriate programs for teens and assist health professionals in their intervention to improve adolescent health and fitness.

Meanwhile, Dr. Patrick Imbeault, from the School of Human Kinetics, seeks a better understanding of obesity and the factors involved in weight control. He is studying the functions of adipose tissues – fat – in the human body in the hope of reducing obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Prof. Imbeault is carrying out his research with colleagues at l'Université de Montréal, Laval, and Queensland (Australia).