Five new Regional Academic Directors (RAD) announced

Dr. George Kim, assistant dean, Rural, Regional and Community Engagement, is pleased to announce five new Regional Academic Directors (RAD) for the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry’s Distributed Education Network.

The RAD positions are part of a new structure supporting the achievement of the goals mapped out through the School’s Distributed Education Network Strategic Plan.

The RADs will provide leadership in all educational programs and processes across the medical education spectrum in officially designated Distributed Education hubs. They will work collaboratively with the Undergraduate and Postgraduate education programs, and Continuing Professional Development.

They will also be responsible for promoting and fostering the perspective of rural and regional health care in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculums, while liaising with rural and regional faculty members in our education and continuing professional development programs.

Congratulations to Drs. Robert Black, Michel Haddad, Susan Munro, Shanil Narayan and Elizabeth Urbantke.

Dr. Robert Black, Elgin-Middlesex
Dr. Robert Black completed his medical training in 1989 at Western University’s Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. He also completed his surgical internship and general surgery training with Schulich Medicine. Dr. Black has been an Adjunct Professor of Surgery at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry since January 1997, first serving as the Rural Education Coordinator for General Surgery for the Southwestern Ontario Rural Medicine Unit, and then Academic Director of Community Surgery for Distributed Education. Dr. Black has been recognized with the PAIRO Award for Resident Teaching and the PSI Resident Research Award. He serves as a staff general surgeon at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital.

Drs. Michel Haddad and Susan Munro, Kent-Lambton
Dr. Michel Haddad graduated with his MD from the University of Ottawa. He then completed his cardiac surgery residency at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, along with an MSc in epidemiology. In 2005, he travelled to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore to complete a cardiac surgery clinical fellowship focused on thoracic transplantation/mechanical circulatory support and minimal access cardiac surgery. He then completed a fellowship in critical care medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. Dr. Haddad became an Adjunct Professor with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry in 2010. He has received numerous awards including the Bridging Excellence Award from Bluewater Health. Dr. Haddad currently serves as the Medical Director and Attending Physician for the Critical Care Program for the Bluewater Health Hospital in Sarnia. Dr. Susan Munro completed her MD and her residency training at McMaster University. She is an Adjunct Professor with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, and has served as the Site Director for the Chatham Kent Family Medicine Residency Program since its inception in 2010. Dr. Munro has been recognized by the Ontario College of Family Physicians with an Award of Excellence and received the Award for Leadership to the Medical Staff & Commitment to Clinical Practice from the Chatham Kent Health Alliance. Dr. Munro is a family physician and serves as the Lead Physician for the Thamesview Family Health Team.

Dr. Shanil Narayan, Huron-Perth
Dr. Narayan graduated with his MD from Queen’s University, and completed his residency training in general internal medicine at the University of Ottawa. He became a faculty member at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and the Academic Director, Internal Medicine for the School’s Distributed Education Program. He is an active researcher, and has been an invited guest speaker at the University of Toronto, the Canadian Chief Residence Conference, and for the Division of General Internal Medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. Dr. Narayan serves as the Chief for the Department of General Internal Medicine at Stratford General Hospital.

Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke, Oxford
Dr. Urbantke completed her MD at the University of Toronto, which was followed by her residency in family medicine and a special certification in emergency medicine. She has served as an Adjunct Professor with Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Distributed Education Program since 2003. She also has served as a regional representative for the Medicine Admission Committee at Schulich Medicine. She is the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Woodstock Hospital, and also serves as Inquest and Investigating Coroner for Oxford County.