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I am pleased to announce the appointment of Beth-Ann Cummings, MDCM, as Vice-Dean, Education & Community Engagement, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Â鶹Çø, effective December 1, 2024. 

Dr. Cummings replaces Farhan Bhanji, MD, who served in the role of Vice-Dean, Education, from August 2022 to earlier this year. I thank Dr. Bhanji for his strategic advice on the FMHS educational portfolio, his work in supporting the health professional programs, and for applying his expertise in simulation and other education innovations to enhance teaching and learning across all our programs.

Dr. Cummings is Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the FMHS, and a member of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH). From 2021 to 2023, she served as the Assistant Dean, Health Professions Education, FMHS, during which time she chaired both the Steering Educational Excellence – Knowledge Translation Working Group and the Clinical Education Champions Forum. She previously held the position of Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education in the FMHS.

Since 2019 she has been an Associate Member at the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE), FMHS. This past summer she received the IHSE Research and Scholarship Catalyst Award, a peer-nominated award which recognized her longstanding commitment to supporting and facilitating research and scholarship in health sciences education. Dr. Cummings has held multiple roles on committees within the FMHS, and at the university level and is currently a member of the University Senate, the Senate Steering Committee, and the Committee on Enrolment and Student Affairs.

Dr. Cummings is a graduate of the School of Medicine at Â鶹Çø and completed her residency training at Â鶹Çø in general internal medicine. She later obtained an MSc in Health Professions Education from Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

Dr. Cummings’ research activities in medical education have, in the past, focused on longitudinal integrated clerkships and more recently on assessment, in particular assessment in competency-based education and concepts of validity and authenticity in assessment. She has presented more than 30 abstracts and talks on these topics. Her ongoing scholarship explores assessment, professionalism, and equity, diversity and inclusion; she is a co-investigator working with FRQSC- and SSHRC-funded research teams.

In the new role of Vice-Dean, Education & Community Engagement, Dr. Cummings will lead a network of teams supporting the overarching educational and community engagement missions of the FMHS. That network includes: community engagement, Indigenous priorities, faculty development, continuing professional development, interprofessional education, and innovative modalities of teaching and learning.  She also will provide strategic guidance and advice to the Vice-President (Health Affairs) and Dean of the FMHS and to the Faculty on all educational matters, including program evaluation and quality improvement. She will develop and oversee cross-cutting initiatives to respond to evolving pedagogical and societal needs, in line with the community engagement priorities in the Faculty’s strategic plan and accreditation requirements for all medical and health professional programs.

Dr. Cummings will also provide strategic oversight of the educational programs for all six schools at the Faculty and will establish strong working relationships with Associate Deans and Directors of the schools, the Associate Deans of educational programs within the Faculty, and the educational leadership in affiliated healthcare institutions. She will be responsible for the management of the Faculty Curriculum Committee and for the liaison with the Office of the Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Planning), and will also build and maintain relationships with Â鶹Çø education leadership more broadly, including the Provost’s Office, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Teaching and Learning Services, the Equity Office, and other key stakeholders. 

Dr. Cummings will contribute as an ex-officio member of the Dean’s Operations Committee, the Deanery Executive Committee and the Faculty Leadership Commons.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Cummings on her appointment and in wishing her every success in this new role.

Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil
Vice-President (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences