By Amanda Hu
There will soon be someone new to command the ranks of medical school students at the University of Calgary.
U of C president Dr. Harvey Weingarten announced the appointment of Dr. Tom Feasby as dean of the faculty of medicine Feb. 20. Feasby replaces Dr. Grant Gall, who served two five-year terms in the position.
Though currently working at the University of Alberta, Feasby’s hiring is more of a return than a new undertaking. Feasby was head of the U of C department of clinical neurosciences for more than 10 years as well as head of the Calgary Health Region’s department of clinical neurosciences.
Feasby has many goals for the faculty of medicine that appeal to the faculty’s young history and promising future.
“The faculty has done very well so far and we need to strive to be better,” said Feasby. “We really need to focus our efforts. No one can be the best at everything but I think we can be internationally competitive with our very high level of research.”
Feasby added that because the U of C is home to one of the only medical schools that has a two-to three-year program, the faculty needs to emphasize that uniqueness and strengthen its undergraduate projects.
Feasby also emphasized the relationships the faculty has with other groups.
“The relationship we have with the Calgary Health Region is very integral,” Feasby explained. “Another key relationship we have is with the U of C. It is an identifiable relationship that dictates that we play a stronger role. We want to work closely with the government in terms of incentives for the program as well as have good collegial relationships with other schools. We need to be aligned with them, although we are also in competition.”
He expressed much excitement over the prospect of coming back to the atmosphere of Calgary.
“I believe the university and the faculty need to be a part of the community,” said Feasby. “We need to feed off the infectious energy of Calgary. This city has a real ‘can-do’ attitude about it and I think that we need to aspire to those same heights. It is one of the most progressive communities in Canada.”
Feasby assumes his new role July 1, 2007.