University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine celebrates the accomplishments of 132 graduating doctors
Ottawa, May 13, 2008 – The 2008 Ceremony of Professional Engagement and Convocation, taking place Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. in the Grand Hall at the Museum of Civilization (100 Laurier Street, Gatineau), will highlight the accomplishments of 132 new doctors. After four years of study at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, the 2008 graduates will relocate to communities across Canada to pursue training in their chosen specialties. The family medicine residency will welcome 38 % of graduates, followed by internal medicine (17%) and anesthesia (6%). Over 40% have committed to doing their residency in the Ottawa area.
Dr. Jacques Bradwejn, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, is proud of the graduating class: "These students are bright, accomplished and ready to contribute to the health of Canadians in this new era of multidisciplinary work in coordinated health-care systems. A majority of them will continue their training all across Canada and because they are graduates of the University of Ottawa, Canada’s only bilingual medical school, they will eventually be the ambassadors, in Canada and abroad, of our Uniquely Canadian medical school.
Dr. Geneviève Moineau, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education, expresses her enthusiasm: “It is with great pride that we announce our students’ much-anticipated graduation. The students from both English and French streams were successfully matched for residency from coast to coast, in some of the most competitive programs in the country.”
About the Faculty
The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine is unique in Canada, offering medical education in both official languages. The Faculty also has a growing Aboriginal medical education program, as well as two special admission programs: the Canadian Forces (CF) and the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS). Supported by the unique opportunities offered by national and international institutions in the nation’s capital, the Faculty’s training emphasizes three key areas: competency and skills, professionalism and role modeling, and engagement and leadership in health-care delivery.
A glimpse at the class of 2008
Christina Paquette
Throughout her studies at the Faculty of Medicine, Christina Paquette has helped shape and develop the Undergraduate Aboriginal Medical Education Program. Improving the health of Aboriginal peoples is a personal ambition, as she has family ties to the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn, a community in the Ottawa Valley. Raised in Bar River, a small farming village near Sault Ste. Marie, Christina chose to pursue her studies at the University of Ottawa because it would allow her to establish a link with her local Aboriginal community and to improve her French language skills. Becoming a mentor and continuing her relationship with rural communities is very important to Christina. “Because I came from a small town, having mentors has been instrumental in my career path. As a future physician, I hope to support and encourage young people from under-serviced areas to pursue medicine.” This summer, she will be speaking to high-school students in both Pikwàkanagàn and Sault Ste. Marie while preparing for a five-year residency program in radiology at Dalhousie University.
Giovanni Bonacci and Giuseppe Bonacci
Ever since they were born on March 22, 1980, in Ottawa, Giovanni and Giuseppe Bonacci, simply known as the Bonaccis by their classmates, have been inseparable. After studying biochemistry at the University of Ottawa for five years, they decided they wanted to work more closely with people. While volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), they found fulfillment in interacting with patients of all ages and, especially, in playing games with the children at CHEO. It was a great joy to Giovanni and Giuseppe to be accepted together in medical school, and they have helped each other through all its trials and tribulations. “We never compete for grades; there has never been a competition between us. We help each other with studying and especially with moral support and maintaining a balanced life.” The Bonaccis are starting family medicine in the fall.
Robert Worthy
Robert Worthy decided to become a doctor later in life than most students, at 39 years of age. This military captain started working as a lab technician in multiple postings, from Winnipeg to Bosnia. In 2000, he graduated from the School of Nursing at the University of Manitoba, wishing to work more closely with people and to continue his military career. After a tour in Afghanistan in 2003, Robert entered medical school. Though pursuing studies at a later stage in life has its challenges, he believes his previous clinical experience has helped him a great deal throughout medical school. Robert is married to military photographer Cpl. Faye Worthy and, after graduation, will start a two-year residency in family medicine.
Mathieu Carrière
One of 40 students in the Faculty of Medicine’s French-language stream, Mathieu Carrière is glad to be studying at a bilingual university. He entered medical school after earning a degree in physio therapy from the University of Ottawa and doing three years of private and public practice. He has been highly involved in student life as Co-president of the first-year class, Vice-president of the student council in second year and President of the student council in third year. He has been chosen by his peers as Valedictorian. After graduation, Mathieu looks forward to two months of vacation, followed by a five-year residency in urology at the University of Ottawa. “I chose urology because it is a diverse specialty; the impact on the patients’ quality of life is quite significant.”
Facts and figures
| Specialty | Number of students | |
| Anesthesia | 8 (1 rural) | |
| Community Medicine | 1 | |
| Dermatology | 2 | |
| Diagnostic Radiology | 3 | |
| Emergency Medicine | 4 | |
| Family Medicine | 50 (38%) (4 rural, 5 military) | |
| Internal Medicine | 23 (1 rural) | |
| Neurology | 2 | |
| Neurosurgery | 1 | |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | 6 (1 rural) | |
| Ophthalmology | 2 | |
| Otolaryngology | 3 | |
| Pediatrics | 6 (1 rural) | |
| Pediatric Neurology | 1 | |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | 1 | |
| Psychiatry | 7 | |
| Radiation Oncology | 1 | |
| Surgery (General) | 4 | |
| Surgery (Orthopedic) | 6 | |
| Urology | 1 | |
| Total | 132 (79 women, 53 men) |
Media contact
Adina Rachiteanu
Communications Officer
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa
Telephone: 613-562-5800 extension 8867
Cell: 613-862-8867
E-mail: adina.rachiteanu@uottawa.ca