Summer 2023 | {View as Webpage}

Welcome to the Summer 2023 Edition of the NRC Faculty Focus newsletter. This monthly e-newsletter will bring you news and events related to the Niagara Regional Campus. If you have any suggestions or would like to submit an article or event, please contact Jennifer Tran

The Niagara Regional Campus is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigenous reconciliation and social justice in all that we do. 

To further deepen our understanding of these topics we also have purchased some focused reading in these areas that will be available for borrow from the NRC library and will focus on one of these books each month. This month the focus is on 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph. This essential guide to understanding the Indian Act and its repercussions on generations of Indigenous Peoples examines how Indigenous Peoples can return to self-government, self-determination and self-reliance and why doing so would result in a better country for all Canadians.



Niagara Health continues on its journey towards improving the quality and safety of care for Indigenous patients. The Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation Team is working to address systemic barriers and bias that can lead to negative Indigenous patient experiences and engaging with the community about how best to support and care for Indigenous Peoples. The implementation of this team is an important milestone in the ongoing efforts to make NH a more culturally sensitive and inclusive organization. 

McMaster Racialized Resident Mentorship Program (MRRM)

The McMaster Racialized Mentorship program (MRRM) will begin on July 1, 2023. MRRM will be open to all racialized residents at McMaster, who will be matched with volunteer racialized faculty or staff for unstructured, off the record mentorship support during their training. Mentors will receive a half day of training on culturally aware, trauma-informed mentorship and coaching, and will be welcomed to join a Community of Practice for all racialized faculty in the McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences, physicians, and non-physician who mentor racialized learners. McMaster Faculty will be recognized for their contribution with 20 hours of academic contribution time.

At this time, we invite any racialized staff or faculty who would like to join the program as mentors to contact our team below. We also ask any non-racialized faculty and staff allies to share this information with their networks and to consider referring any racialized residents in need that you encounter to our specialized racialized mentorship program.

NRC Land Acknowledgement Branding

Media Production Services have created Land Acknowledgement slides for the Niagara region. Please consider implementing these when giving a presentation on behalf of McMaster University.

To download the assets, you will be required to login to your MacID. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Jennifer Tran at tranj56@mcmaster.ca

Faculty Appointment Renewals for 2024

Faculty appointment expiring June 30, 2024 are underway and some faculty members will be in this year's renewal process. To ensure there are no discrepancies with your renewal process. Please check and respond to your emails regarding faculty appointment in a timely manner.

Know Your Appointment Status

Assistant Clinical Professor Adjunct: Faculty members are expected to provide a minimum of 150 weighted hours of educational contributions over a three year period.

Assistant Clinical Professor (Part-Time): Those appointed as part-time faculty are expected to contribute a minimum of 100 weighted hours to education each year.

*Upon review, should you exceed the minimum hours of 150 for Adjunct status, at the time of appointment renewal, the campus can request a change of contribution to your affiliated Department for a status of Assistant Clinical Professor (Part-Time).

Benefits/Resources:

MacID & McMaster Email: This information is outlined in your letter of appointment. You must activate your MacID prior to using any services.

Library Access: The online collections of the McMaster Library system can be accessed through your MacID.

Apple Education Pricing: The Apple Back to School 2023 promotion is on now until October 2023. Save on Mac or iPad with education pricing. Plus get a gift card up to $200, 20% off AppleCare+ and more. Must show letter of appointment to get this promotion.

If you have inquiries regarding your appointment status and education contribution hours, please do not hesitate to contact Barb Kidd to obtain your latest teaching report.

UGME Leadership Opportunities

CURRICULUM COORDINATOR, PBL (PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING)

The UGME Program of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is a fully distributed medical education program that uses problem-based, self-directed, and early patient exposure learning approaches. The Pre-Clerkship curriculum is a longitudinal, interdisciplinary thread in the Undergraduate Medical Education program's curriculum. The Pre-Clerkship curriculum is divided into five sequential Medical Foundations (MFs). Small group problem-based learning (PBL) is the core pedagogy in the Pre-Clerkship. During each MF, students are divided into tutorial groups of 6-8 students, with a faculty member, Tutor. Tutorials occur twice each week, generally 3 hours per session.

DIRECTOR, RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP

The MD Program is seeking a faculty eductor and leader to serve as Director of Research and Scholarship. The Director oversees research and scholarship opportunities and experiences of medical students in the MD Program at McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. The Director will demonstrate a commitment to advance the priorities and principles of the MD Program with respect to student research, including supporting: medical student understanding of research principles as they apply to clinical practice, medical student engagement in scholarly activities and research, and exploration of medical careers that include research.

2023 Research in Progress Rounds

Health and Safety:

• Guidelines for Managing Student Concerns in UGME
• Guidelines for the Support of Learners During an Influenza Pandemic or Localized Outbreak

Mistreatment:

• Code of Conduct for Faculty and Procedure for Taking Disciplinary Action
• Conflict of Interest Guidelines: Undergraduate and Graduate Studies
• McMaster University Policy on Accessibility
• McMaster Discrimination and Harassment Policy
• Professional Responsibilities in Undergraduate Medical Education
• Violence in the Workplace
• Prevention of Undue Bias in Student Assessment

Professionalism:

• Guideline to Standards of Professional Behaviour and Complaint Resolution for Students and Faculty
• Professionalism Discussion Report
• Professionalism in Practice - Updated March 2023

The Professionalism in Practice (PIP) framework has supported development of professionalism within McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. A recent update of the PIP reflects the ongoing evolution of professionalism expectations of faculty and learners in academic and clinical environments. It supports reflection, behaviour change, and professional identity formation to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments.

The update includes the new domain of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation (EDI&IR). The EDI&IR domain underscores the necessity of integrating an EDI&IR lens into health professions roles; moreover, the EDI&IR domain acknowledges that traditional concepts of professionalism have often centred around the identities and cultural norms of dominant groups.