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Announcement: Dr. Michael Ott appointed Verspeeten Chair in Oncology
Office of the Dean
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Ott has been appointed as the Verspeeten Chair in Oncology at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, effective July 1, 2025 to May 31, 2028.
The Verspeeten Chair in Oncology in the Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, will be held by the Chair of the Department of Oncology. The purpose of the Chair is to raise the profile of the research in Oncology beyond the success we have already seen and enhance engagement and partnership between the University and the Verspeeten Cancer Centre, London Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Michael Ott completed his MD at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University in 2001 and completed his General Surgery residency at Western University in 2006. Following his residency, Dr. Ott completed his fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Ferguson Clinic, Spectrum Health/Michigan State University. He received certification through the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, in addition to the Royal College certification. In 2007, he joined London Health Sciences Centre – Victoria Hospital. Dr. Ott is currently a Professor within the Department of Surgery (Division of General Surgery) and Department of Oncology (Division of Surgical Oncology). He also completed a Master of Health Professions Education, MHPE, University of Illinois at Chicago in 2015, and recently completed the Harvard University Surgical Leadership Program at Harvard University.
Dr. Ott currently serves as the Chair/Chief/Department Head, Department of Oncology and has held many leadership roles in surgical education, including being Program Director of the General Surgery training program at Western University for 10 years. He has been active as a member of numerous committees at the Royal College, inclusive of the Royal College Specialty Committee in General Surgery, of which he is now Chair, Accreditation Committee, Royal College International Accreditation, and the General Surgery Exam Board. He has contributed nationally as the Chair of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS) Postgraduate Education Committee Chair and as a member of the Board of CAGS. Clinically Dr. Ott has served as the Cancer Care Ontario Colorectal Surgery and Pathology Champion, Southwest Region and as a member of the Pan-Canadian Standards for Rectal Cancer Surgery Committee, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.
Dr. Ott’s medical education research has focused on surgical workplace learning, surgical expertise/judgement and assessment in clinical workplaces. His work spans teaching and learning in the operating room, curriculum design, trainee assessment, and competency-based assessment.
Dr. Ott has been recognized for his contributions, receiving the Schulich Awards of Excellence in Graduate/Postgraduate Education, Department of Oncology Excellence in Education Award, as well as numerous local and national awards for education/education research.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Ott on his appointment.
John Yoo, MD, FRCS(C), FACS
Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry
Western University