Hundreds of Rady Faculty alumni welcomed home for Homecoming
The Rady Faculty of Health Sciences hosted its largest Dean’s Homecoming Breakfast ever on Sept. 21, as more than 240 UM alumni came to the Brodie Centre atrium to celebrate a record 24 milestone reunions, spanning six decades.
Among those in attendance were classmates celebrating milestone reunions dating back to the 1960s to 2014 and from across all Rady colleges. Dr. Peter Nickerson, dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, said he was delighted to see classmates reconnect.
“During Homecoming, I always feel a tremendous sense of pride at how the University of Manitoba produces outstanding health professionals and researchers who go above and beyond in terms of dedication and service, and who give back to UM in so many ways,” said Nickerson. “You are all an inspiration.”
Speakers included Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, provost and vice president (academic), Dr. Lorna Guse from the nursing class of 1974 and Dr. Richard Blouw and Dr. Eric Sigurdson from the medicine class of 1974.
Blouw spoke about the quality of education he received, the Class of 1974 gift in honour of their 50th reunion (and advising classes to start earlier!), and what it was like being part of the first medicine class to start the program with President and Dean Emeritus Arnold Naimark [MD/57] as dean, who was also in attendance.
“I am proud to see the breadth and depth of my classmates. I smile when I see ‘University of Manitoba Class of 1974’ on somebody’s website…our education at this institution has put us on sound footing virtually anywhere in the world, and I am very grateful for it,” he said.
Madison Chambers, fourth-year dental student and senior stick, also spoke. She talked about the role technology has played in her education, the excitement around the new state-of-the-art dental clinic currently under construction at Bannatyne campus, and what it was like starting her dental education during a global pandemic.
“Our early days were far from typical…but that experience taught us resilience and adaptability, qualities that will serve us well in the profession,” she said.
Following the breakfast, guests toured Bannatyne campus and their respective colleges. Eight medicine classes (1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1999, 2004 and 2014) visited their graduation photos, the Dr. George Yee Laboratory for Anatomical Sciences at the Max Rady College of Medicine and the Clinical Learning & Simulation Program’s skills lab.
Medicine alumni, like UM associate professor of pediatric surgery B.J.Hancock, class of 1984, and her classmates were wowed by the new anatomy lab and its state-of-the-art equipment that allows students and residents to practice diagnostic procedures and treatments in an interactive, simulated environment, while also facilitating hands-on practice of clinical procedures.
Members of the dentistry classes of 1981, 1984 and 1991, and the dental hygiene classes of 1974 and 1999 toured the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry building. The tours were led by Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, and Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene.
On the tours, alumni reminisced about their time at the dental college. Some shared stories about professors, others sat in their old seats in a lecture hall and a group spoke with a student about the current curriculum and compared it to when they were studying dentistry.
The college also held a Community Dentist Appreciation Day for the Dr. Sam Borden Periodontology Clinic’s referring dentists and prospective new dentists.
Class of 1974 and 1999 alumni from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences toured the college’s building and the “smart suite” at Health Sciences Centre. The tour was led by faculty members Lisa Mendez and Liz Harvey, who are both members of the class of 1999.
Class of 1974 physical therapy alumnus Vern Taylor said he was impressed with the tour, especially seeing the labs where first-year students were practicing for upcoming exams.
“The facilities are fabulous. I’m very happy for the tour, it ties it all together. It makes you feel the history and it was really nice meeting the students in the building – it was accidental, but awesome. It’s a joyful experience,” Taylor said.
The College of Pharmacy and College of Nursing held receptions and tours of their facilities the previous evening.
Pharmacy alumni from the classes of 1999 and 1974 toured the lecture theatres, patient care labs and pharmaceutical research labs at the Apotex Centre.
Dr. Lavern Vercaigne, acting dean of the College of Pharmacy, provided greetings and updates on the PharmD program to alumni, and Marc Herrera, fourth-year PharmD student and past-president of the student council, spoke to the classes about the changes to the profession and their current training.
Kelly Drummond, senior instructor with the college and a member of the class of 1999, said she enjoyed reconnecting at the events.
“It was wonderful to see so many of my classmates, some whom I hadn’t seen since we graduated. I was pleased by our turnout and it certainly didn’t feel like 25 years had passed,” she said.
Nursing alumni from the classes of 1974, 1984 and 1999 alumni toured the college’s simulation and skills and virtual reality labs at the Helen Glass Centre for Nursing on Fort Garry campus.
Class of 1974 alumna Marion McKay, a former instructor at the college, said she was impressed with how far simulation learning had come since she retired in 2018.
“I think it is very exciting and a wonderful way for students to learn. It must feel real to them, but they can make mistakes. Making mistakes is a learning experience and not something you want to do in a clinical setting. To be able to do that and not be worried about the state of the patient while you do it, I think that is just incredible,” she said.
Watch a social media video with highlights from the events.
