Dr. Mala Joneja receives Royal College award for major contributions to medical education

News & Announcements | 16 May 2022

Dr. Mala Joneja is the recipient of the 2022 Royal College AMS Donald Richards Wilson Award for CanMEDS Integration.

This award is given annually by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to a medical educator and leader who has demonstrated excellence in integrating the CanMEDS roles into health-related training programs. CanMEDS is a framework for improving patient care by enhancing physician training.

An Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and Chair for the Division of Rheumatology, Dr. Joneja has been integral to the development of CanMEDS.

At Queen's Health Sciences, she has integrated the CanMEDS roles across the spectrum of Undergraduate Medical Education, Postgraduate Medical Education, and continuing professional development programs.

Dr. Joneja’s work in this area started with the co-development of CanMEDS learning modules, used in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. These interactive online modules support student reflection on clinical experiences related to each of the roles.

“Little is done at Queen’s University related to the CanMEDS roles that does not have Mala’s fingerprints on it,” writes nominator Dr. David Taylor, associate professor in Queen's Department of Medicine. “At a time when the CanMEDS framework was still relatively new, her work on this project brought clarity to their value in shaping curricula and the aspiring physicians in our medical school.”

Dr. Joneja's work has highlighted “the natural relationship between the CanMEDS framework and important aspects of physicianship including wellness, professional identity development and, most recently, the advancement of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility,” adds Dr. Taylor. Her ongoing work provides space for trainees to debrief on hidden curriculum experiences, and receive personal feedback and mentorship.

Dr. Joneja has also widely shared her scholarly work on the integration of the CanMEDS roles at provincial, national and international medical education conferences.

Her many contributions are neatly summarized in a letter of support from Dr. Leslie Flynn, Vice Dean of Education at QHS. “Dr. Joneja is an exceptional scholar, professional, communicator, leader, collaborator and advocate."

Dr. Mala Joneja receives Royal College award for major contributions to medical education

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