Montreal was my hometown during childhood, so there was a strong “coming home” undercurrent to my decision to attend McGill. It was a good choice because my time as a McGill student infused me with a desire to strive for the highest standards in patient care, teaching, research and professional ethics.
As I look back, the things that stand out the most about my McGill experience are the smart, skilled faculty members who were committed to teaching the next generation and the sense of camaraderie among us pre-professional students.
As an alumnus, I have worked to keep that camaraderie alive through my involvement with the Medicine Class of 1978: organizing reunions and other events, setting up online groups, and raising funds to establish a new bursary for underrepresented groups in medicine and renovation of the McIntyre building.
In pre- and active retirement, my former classmates and I share the recognition that “it’s all about legacy” now. We have accomplished what McGill helped so foundationally to prepare us for, and it’s time to accelerate giving back. Contact with my classmates also fosters gratitude toward McGill and provides many wonderful moments to reflect on our careers and our lives.
As a retired geriatrician, many of my conversations with patients about maintaining or even expanding human activities into old age echo strongly. Aging as well as possible is also all about maintaining and developing social contacts – the more extensive, the better. Giving back to McGill plays a major role in strengthening those valuable connections.