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Welcome to the fall 2021 edition of Alumni Ties, the Department of Surgery’s alumni newsletter!
Not soon after I started writing this edition of Alumni Ties, Times Higher Education released its World University Rankings 2022 by subject – and for the first-time the University of Toronto was ranked #5 globally in the clinical and health category. This is a powerful recognition of Temerty Medicine’s research, education and patient care expertise.
I had initially planned to discuss other matters, but I was reminded of the conversation I had with Dean Catharine Whiteside upon my appointment to Chair, when I shared my ambitious goal of the Department of Surgery achieving a global top-ten ranking. The department had been built on decades of hard work and careful attention to the academic mission by my predecessors, and our network of world-class hospital partners is unmatched.
Most importantly, I was surrounded by the best and brightest surgeons, researchers and innovators who were willing to work assiduously to get us to this coveted position.
I will always remember the day our department first achieved this prestigious recognition, and the commemorative note I received from Dean Whiteside all those years later. Today, I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to our entire Temerty Medicine community on this remarkable achievement.
As I enter my final academic year as Chair, I remain encouraged by the depth and breadth of the Department of Surgery’s impact on surgical education, research and patient care. I am also eternally grateful to you — our esteemed alumni and friends — who play an important role in our success as an institution as champions, collaborators, donors, and volunteers.
U of T is poised to take its place among the handful of institutions associated with medical greatness — those best equipped to lead life-changing improvements in health and health care. I am optimistic that we will continue to rise in the world rankings given the historic tradition of excellence that rests at the U of T, and the community that lifts it up.
Sincerely,
Dr. James Rutka, OC, O Ont, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS, FAANS
R.S. McLaughlin Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery
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