Dr. Pauls Letter

I want to offer my congratulations to the Creative Arts Interest Group for this amazing achievement. In this difficult and unprecedented time, this web site demonstrates how creative and innovative students in the Max Rady College of Medicine are. We are also very grateful for the other artists who have contributed works.

I want to offer a special thank-you to the artists. It requires a great deal of courage to display your innermost thoughts and feelings for the world to see – to allow others to view these works of art, and open yourself up to scrutiny. I am so impressed with the artwork, and very grateful you are willing to take this risk.

I am also very grateful to the Dean’s office – this show receives a tremendous amount of support from the Dean, and a number of associate deans, including the associate-dean undergraduate medical education, and associate dean student affairs. Thank-you so much.

The University of Manitoba medical student Art Show began over 15 years ago – it was an idea borrowed from our colleagues at Dalhousie University. It was conceived as a way to help students bridge the gap between the scientific and the humanistic. We wanted to encourage students who have spent years immersed in facts and theories to spend time exploring emotion and experience. But over the years we have seen more and more students arrive with a phenomenal sense of integration and balance. Students who start at the College of Medicine with art and music degrees in hand, or with significant prior experience creating art. Students who are fully engaged in the humanities (in addition to their proven proficiency in the sciences) and who increasingly use the art show as a chance to share with us their tremendous creativity and talent. It feels like the art show has become much less about asking students to stretch outside their comfort zone, and much more about giving them a venue to display all of their amazing talents. 

As a teacher and physician I am so proud to be able to watch this process unfold, and play some small part in encouraging it and promoting it. I know this bodes well for the future of our medical system, and for the lucky patients who will be receiving care from these sensitive and thoughtful physicians in the near future.

Dr. Merril Pauls CCFP(EM), MHSc

Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine    

Co-director of Professionalism teaching – Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba

Emergency Physician, Health Sciences Centre