Reflections on residency - University of Toronto Medical Alumni ...

17498 Relay MAA Matter.qxd 11/21/06 10:00 AM Page 2PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dr. Suan-Seh Foo (Class of 1990)Over 100 years of reachingout to students and alumniMAA connects past, present and futurein a tradition of helping and excellenceWhat does the MedicalAlumni Association meanto you? For some, it’s thefun of rekindling oldmemories and friendships at a classreunion. For others, it’s the satisfaction ofknowing that their financial supportmeans that today’s U of T medical studentscan concentrate on their lectures andlabs instead of on their mounting debt.And for still others, it’s receiving this magazine,MAA Matters, and quickly turningto the “Class Notes” pages to catch up onnews of colleagues past, and present.Regardless of your reflections, one commonpurpose we all share in our affiliationwith the MAA is a focus on connecting atradition of excellence from one generationto the next. What many of you may notrealize is that the MAA dates back to the1890s. It was incorporated in 1947 and in1956 we received our not-for-profit (charitable)status. Our mandate was, and is, thefollowing:• To assist the undergraduate student bodyin financial matters.• To recognize and reward excellence inperformance.• To support the Faculty of Medicine byassisting students in their educationalgoals.• To act as a resource and a focal point foralumni activities.This past 2005/06 has been both a yearof consolidating and expanding our mandate.The challenges facing our medicalstudents continue to mount, especially onthe fiscal front. Dr. Catharine Whiteside(1975), our Dean of Medicine, has madestudent financial assistance a priority, andthe MAA is committed to working withthe Faculty on this critical issue. I thankyou for your tremendous financial supportand response to our MAA appeals.We are also dedicated to enhancing ourstudents’ educational and extracurricularexperiences by working with the MedicalSociety and the Office of Student Affairs.Our desire to represent and connect studentsand alumni beyond the MAA meanswe also reach out to various Faculty ofMedicine and U of T committees. MAAOur desire to representand connect students andalumni beyond the MAAmeans we also reach out tovarious Faculty of Medicineand U of T committees.board members sit on Faculty Council,Admissions, Electives and Awards committees,and at the university level, theCollege of Electors, Governing Counciland The Council of Presidents.But our role as “connectors” also meanswe get to have fun. All of us at the MAAfind one of our most rewarding and enjoyableactivities is bringing the medical classestogether in the annual JuneConvocation Banquet held at Hart House.It was a wonderful event this year, so wellattended that our guests spilled out intothe quadrangle. This celebration of ourpast is the platform for our future growth,and we should nurture an awareness of ourrich history.Connecting you with that past—and thepresent—means we also endeavour tobring you an informative and entertainingmagazine. In our next issue, we will beasking you to complete a survey on youropinions of MAA Matters.So where do we go from here? We continueon the same course which has servedall of us so well. However, we will be lookingat bigger and better ways of achievingour agenda; this will require all our collectiveefforts.I wish to welcome Dr. Peter Kopplin(1963) as our new secretary. He succeedsDr. Irv Lipton (1962), whom I sincerelythank for his long service. I would like toexpress my deep appreciation to Dr.Barnett Giblon (1957), our vice-president,for the wonderful assistance and advice hehas given us. Drs. Keystone, Habal,Kurdyak, and Patterson should also be recognizedfor their constant support, timeand tremendous effort.It is also my great pleasure to congratulateDr. Steven Tishler, our past treasurer,for being granted the U of T Arbor Awardfor outstanding volunteerism. I am alsograteful to our dean, Dr. Whiteside, forher support and encouragement. I continueto recognize with appreciation ouradministrator, Ruth Gillings, for hertremendous and dedicated contribution tothe MAA. And again, I thank you, ouralumni, for your interest and support.“Semper Floreat.”2 University of Toronto • Winter 2006