Osler Society at Western

Photo of students at Sep 8-2022 Osler Society Welcome meeting

Osler Society meets monthly-- Join Us!

The Osler Society at Western facilitates exchange among medical students and faculty through their engagement with various themes in the history of medicine. Facilitated by the Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine, this club is run by and for medical students and meets throughout the year.

Osler Society Co-Presidents for 2024-25

Wyatt Pickrell, Meds 2027 (London)
Maryam Othman, Meds 2027 (London)
Shirley Fan, Meds 2027 (London)
Vanessa Chen, Meds 2027 (Windsor)

Osler Society Meeting Schedule for 2024-25
* Light refreshments provided at meetings, held in HSA 041 unless otherwise stated

WINTER TERM 2024
Thurs Jan 30 12:30-1:20 p.m.	Guest Speaker: Dr Roya Etemad Rezai, Radiologist and Associate Professor, Medical Imaging, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University – “Radiology throughout the Years"
Thurs Feb 27 12:30-1:20 p.m.	Guest Speaker: Dr Lucy Vorobej, Medical Historian and Fellow, The Wilson Centre, University Health Network and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto -- “The Prince Who Fell into a Lake: Translating the Value of History in Global Health” Read Dr Vorobej’s recent BMJ article, “Probing the Past” BMJ (2024) https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/11/e015415
Thurs Mar 6 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m.	Practice Session (Drop-In) for HMD Calgary presentations Sign-Up sheet for students (a “sign-up for a time slot” google document to be circulated by Co-Presidents); Opportunity (not mandatory) for students who wish to “practice” their HoM presentation for Calgary; All medical students invited to attend as audience members to listen to presentations; Drop-In during the day to hear terrific bits of medical history and support your peers!
Mar 13-15	History of Medicine Days conference, University of Calgary, Alberta HMD Calgary website with Call for Abstracts and Conference Program at https://www.ucalgary.ca/programs/history-medicine/hmd
( SSMD break Mar 10-18)
Thurs Mar 27 12:30-1:20 p.m.	2025 History of Medicine Rounds Guest Speaker: Dr Creighton Avery, Medical Anthropologist, University of Toronto – “Vampires in the Time of Cholera: The Bioarchaeology Study of Disease” Awards Ceremony for SSMD Student Research Projects -- includes The Rowntree Prize in Medical History (est.1929); The Harvey Club of London Prize (est.2008)
Wed Apr 2 Evening	Banting House Private Tour [Field Trip] with Curator Grant Maltman – at Banting House National Historic Site, 442 Adelaide St N., London – website: https://bantinghousenhs.ca/
FALL TERM 2024
Thurs Oct 3 12:30 - 1:20 p.m.	WELCOME / Meet-and-Greet Come meet Osler Society Co-Presidents (London & Windsor) and learn about Osler Society and its planned club activities for this academic year!
Thurs Oct 17 12:30 - 1:20 p.m.	Guest Speaker: Dr Thomas Freeman, MD, MCISc, CCFP, FCFP, Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine Presentation: “Dr Ian McWhinney and the Holistic Approach in Family Medicine” (talk and discussion)
Thurs Nov 14 12:30-1:20 p.m.	Guest Speaker: Dr. Walt Schalick, MD, PhD, Pediatrician and Professor, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health Read “Scholar-physician juggles culture, care, compassion” write-up at https://news.wisc.edu/scholar-physician-juggles-culture-care-compassion/ Presentation: “How the Hydra Can Be Your Friend: Experiences of a Physician-Historian” (talk and discussion)
Thurs Nov 14 5:30-7:00 p.m. DSB 1002	"Silvester’s Choice: Medical Ethics, Disability, and Innovation in the Middle Ages" Public Lecture to SSMD Community (all students and faculty welcome!)
Thurs Dec 5 12:30-1:20 p.m.	Doing an Independent HoM Research Project: Topic, Question, Presentation Come learn about the national HMD Calgary Conference and how to design an abstract and research project to participate! Demonstration presentations from past medical research projects will be offered.
Thurs Dec 12 12:30-1:20 p.m.	Thinking of Submitting an Abstract for a History of Medicine Project? Drop in! Come by to speak with faculty members and other students on how to submit an abstract for your History of Medicine project to be accepted for presentation at the 2024 History of Medicine Days conference in Calgary.