James Waddell, alumnus and member of the Order of Canada, will be speaking at the FoMD Alumni and Resident Toronto Reception on August 22.
If you're looking for someone who knows Toronto, look no further than alumnus James Waddell, who has spent more than 40 years as an orthopedic surgeon at St. Michael's Hospital.
Waddell was recently inducted as a member of the Order of Canada, one of our nation's highest honours. He was recognized "for his sustained leadership within the field of orthopedic surgery and for his dedication to advancing best practices in orthopaedic care across Canada."
What should all new residents know?
All residents should know their limitations, but at the same time realize that these limitations are temporary. The more you learn the fewer limitations you have, and as you gain skill and confidence as your knowledge base expands you will have fewer and fewer limitations. Residents have to remember that none of us started off "fully formed" as consultant physicians and the reason that residency is long and arduous is because of the need for learning and practice.
I firmly believe that all residents should prepare for an academic career during their residency. Even if they have no interest in academic medicine when they start their residency, that may well change over the course of time. A resident who prepares for a career in academic medicine or surgery always has that path available to them at the end of their residency; a resident who does not prepare for an academic path will have to do additional work at the end of residency should they wish to pursue a career in academic medicine.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I have had a number of accomplishments in my career including being involved in hip prosthesis design for many years, achieving full academic professorship in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, starting the Trauma Program at St. Michael's Hospital, serving as the Surgeon-in-Chief at St. Michael's Hospital and the Chairman of the Orthopaedic Division at the University of Toronto. Just this past month I was made a member of the Order of Canada in recognition for my contributions to orthopedic surgery across Canada, and that is probably the crowning achievement of my career.
What should new residents arriving in Toronto know about the city?
It's a big city, multicultural with an almost infinite variety of neighbourhoods and therefore infinite variety of places in which one could live. All residents are different in terms of their social and economic situations and their social circumstances will largely determine how and where they live. However, Toronto offers a place for everyone despite their socio-economic status and residents will be exposed to a non-homogeneous population both where they live and where they work.
Keeping an open mind to this situation is crucial to enjoying their time here in Toronto.
How can residents maintain work/life balance and avoid burnout?
This is very difficult and I am not sure I know the answer. Residents currently have regulated hours of work which helps them structure both their working and non-working life. However, work outside regulated working hours (research, clinical studies, rounds preparation, etc.) can also put significant stress on residents. I feel residents should spend as much time planning their non-working life as they spend planning their working life. In other words, they should make time for activities outside of work so that when they leave work they have a goal-meet friends, go to a movie, read a non-medical book, call their mother-something to look forward to outside of the work environment.
What did you enjoy most about your time at the University of Alberta?
In my time at the University of Alberta, students were able to work in all of the affiliated hospitals and were actively encouraged to do so. This allowed us a very wide exposure to different types of hospitals, different models of care and of course a very wide variety of attending physicians which greatly broadened our outlook as students.
FoMD Alumni and Resident Toronto Reception event details
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
6:30 - 8:30 PM
Il Covo Lounge (3rd Floor), Terroni Adelaide Restaurant
57 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON
RSVP here
Waddell was recently inducted as a member of the Order of Canada, one of our nation's highest honours. He was recognized "for his sustained leadership within the field of orthopedic surgery and for his dedication to advancing best practices in orthopaedic care across Canada."
What should all new residents know?
All residents should know their limitations, but at the same time realize that these limitations are temporary. The more you learn the fewer limitations you have, and as you gain skill and confidence as your knowledge base expands you will have fewer and fewer limitations. Residents have to remember that none of us started off "fully formed" as consultant physicians and the reason that residency is long and arduous is because of the need for learning and practice.
I firmly believe that all residents should prepare for an academic career during their residency. Even if they have no interest in academic medicine when they start their residency, that may well change over the course of time. A resident who prepares for a career in academic medicine or surgery always has that path available to them at the end of their residency; a resident who does not prepare for an academic path will have to do additional work at the end of residency should they wish to pursue a career in academic medicine.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I have had a number of accomplishments in my career including being involved in hip prosthesis design for many years, achieving full academic professorship in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, starting the Trauma Program at St. Michael's Hospital, serving as the Surgeon-in-Chief at St. Michael's Hospital and the Chairman of the Orthopaedic Division at the University of Toronto. Just this past month I was made a member of the Order of Canada in recognition for my contributions to orthopedic surgery across Canada, and that is probably the crowning achievement of my career.
What should new residents arriving in Toronto know about the city?
It's a big city, multicultural with an almost infinite variety of neighbourhoods and therefore infinite variety of places in which one could live. All residents are different in terms of their social and economic situations and their social circumstances will largely determine how and where they live. However, Toronto offers a place for everyone despite their socio-economic status and residents will be exposed to a non-homogeneous population both where they live and where they work.
Keeping an open mind to this situation is crucial to enjoying their time here in Toronto.
How can residents maintain work/life balance and avoid burnout?
This is very difficult and I am not sure I know the answer. Residents currently have regulated hours of work which helps them structure both their working and non-working life. However, work outside regulated working hours (research, clinical studies, rounds preparation, etc.) can also put significant stress on residents. I feel residents should spend as much time planning their non-working life as they spend planning their working life. In other words, they should make time for activities outside of work so that when they leave work they have a goal-meet friends, go to a movie, read a non-medical book, call their mother-something to look forward to outside of the work environment.
What did you enjoy most about your time at the University of Alberta?
In my time at the University of Alberta, students were able to work in all of the affiliated hospitals and were actively encouraged to do so. This allowed us a very wide exposure to different types of hospitals, different models of care and of course a very wide variety of attending physicians which greatly broadened our outlook as students.
FoMD Alumni and Resident Toronto Reception event details
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
6:30 - 8:30 PM
Il Covo Lounge (3rd Floor), Terroni Adelaide Restaurant
57 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON
RSVP here