On October 3rd, the Ontario government announced the formation of the Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine, and I was asked to join this council. Dr. Ruben Devlin, who serves as a special advisor to the premier on healthcare, has been named the chair of the council, and he will be leading a group of ten individuals who bring various expertise from across the health professional sectors.

I’m pleased to let you know that Dr. Damon Dagnone – Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and our CBME Lead – has recently published a memoir called Finding Our Way Home: A Family’s Story of Life, Love, and Loss. Damon was kind enough to share the manuscript with me before it even came out, and I don’t know if I’ve ever finished a book faster. Damon’s story is almost impossible to put down once you start, and it is even more moving than it is gripping. I had always known that Damon was an excellent physician and educator.

On September 5th, we had one of my favourite annual events in the Faculty of Health Sciences: the Faculty Promotion Reception.  During this event, many of the Department Heads and I publically recognize our colleagues who have been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor or (Full) Professor. Celebrating these career milestones is important because it gives us, as a faculty, a chance to recognize the years of hard work and dedication that went into making these achievements possible. Getting promoted is no easy thing to do in the academy.

Guest blog by Adam Devon and Darsan Sadacharam, Queen's medical students in the class of 2020.