Media

OTTAWA, November 17, 2010  —  Successful bilingual program and high student satisfaction rates among strengths recognized in accreditation report

The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine’s MD Program has just received its best accreditation results ever, meeting 127 of the 131 standards (approximately 97%) set out by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). These North American accreditation bodies voted to continue accreditation of the University’s MD Program for the longest period possible, a full eight years. In addition, they highlighted the bilingual nature of the Program and high student satisfaction rates as key strengths.

“The success of our medical school is a testament to the dedication of our professors and affiliated hospitals,” says Dr. Jacques Bradwejn, dean of the Faculty of Medicine. “We share this success with all of Ottawa: a strong MD Program attracts the best and brightest students and physicians to the city.”

The Faculty of Medicine has the distinction of being the only bilingual medical school in North America. Surveyors from the accreditation committees reported that bilingualism was among the Program’s key strengths: “The anglophone and francophone programs function side by side in an integrated and cohesive manner, providing equivalence in educational experiences and evaluation.” Dr. Bradwejn describes the success of bilingualism within the MD Program as “a unique demonstration that two languages and two cultures can not only work together in the same school harmoniously, but thrive and perform at the highest level.”

The preparations for accreditation included an extensive self-analysis involving more than 100 professors, staff and students, followed by a visit by six external assessors from other Canadian and American medical schools.

“The accreditation process has brought the Faculty together to successfully develop a state-of -the-art MD Program that is dedicated to continuous quality improvement,” says Dr. Geneviève Moineau, associate dean of the MD Program and accreditation chair. “Our students contributed significantly to the process and were often the ones that came up with the best ideas for enhancing the Program.”

Chris Sheasgreen, a fourth-year medical student who oversaw the student participation in the accreditation preparations, says that “the Faculty places special emphasis on evaluating the medical curriculum from the student perspective and solicits student feedback regularly. This leads to an exceptional student experience.”

According to the accreditation findings, MD students reported an overall high satisfaction rate, up to 100% in some areas. For example, students are “very satisfied with the availability of professors and of services offered by the Faculty.” Additionally, students are very pleased with their residency application preparation and outcomes. They find the Faculty “particularly responsive to students’ concerns.”

The University of Ottawa, one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities, is dedicated to improving the health of all Canadians through teaching and research. We are committed to excellence and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation, which attracts the best academic and research talent from across Canada and around the world.

The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine proudly serves Canada’s three founding cultures and has the distinction of being the only school in North America that teaches medicine in both official languages. As the first medical school in Canada to make extensive use of technology in the classroom, it has garnered international recognition for its e-curriculum.