UNIVERSITYOFTORONTOMEDICALALUMNIASSOCIATIONMAGAZINE Winter 2007 MAAMATTERS DUAL DOCTOR MARRIAGES Three couples offer their prescriptions for success CONVOCATION 2007 • NEWWEBSITE • DAFFYDIL PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dr. Suan-Seh Foo (Class of 1990) Recognizing achievement Convocation Banquet honours alumni, faculty and grads—But it’s only one part of the MAA find it extremely interesting that this ing a wonderful conversation between a issue of MAA Matters features a story This year will 2007 grad and a faculty member, the new on medical alumni who are married to physician thanking the older veteran for each other. When two individuals are see us establishing giving him sage advice on his new specialty. involved in astonishingly demanding The MAA forges those important con- Icareers coupled with equally demanding closer ties with nections in other ways too. We continue family lives, creating a successful marriage the Faculty to keep you up-to-date through this or partnership can be a daunting task. magazine, and we welcome your news and Dr. Bette Stephenson (Class of 1946) and of Medicine ideas. We recently renovated our website, her husband, Dr. Allan Pengelly (Class of www.maautoronto.ca; I encourage you 1951), no doubt faced their fair share of to visit it regularly to stay informed daunting tasks when they were first married of the latest alumni activities. in the 1940s. It was uncommon for a doctor This year will see us establishing closer to marry another doctor then, never mind ties and new opportunities with the going on to have six children and establish Faculty of Medicine, to further enhance a successful joint family practice. What is both our alumni and student activities. even more remarkable is that Bette, with I look forward to working with Dean the full support of Allan, went on to become Whiteside and her excellent staff. a respected leader not just in Canadian I also look forward in 2008 to again health care, but also in politics and in working with the MAA board of directors, women’s advocacy. Over the years, she has and I offer my sincere thanks to them, and been recognized for her many accomplish- to our administrator, Ruth Gillings, for ments. I was pleased that at the June their talents and dedication. Most impor- Convocation, U of T awarded her an hon- Convocation Banquet. At the banquet, we tantly, I also thank all of you who support ourary doctorate degree. A medical scholar- honoured several other alumni and meds your alumni association, and I wish you the ship will also be established in her name. classes, including the MAA’s own Dr. very best of the season—now and in 2008. The outstanding achievement of one Barney Giblon (Class of 1957), as well as of our alumni is just one reason that the outstanding faculty and new graduates. Medical Alumni Association takes great It was also an evening of connecting the pleasure in celebrating at our annual generations; I had the pleasure of witness- Medical Alumni Dr. Catharine Whiteside Dr. Barney Giblon (MD 1957) Dr. Flavio Habal (MD 1977) Association (MD 1975) Vice-President Treasurer Honourary President Board of Directors Dr. Jay Keystone (MD 1969) Dr.Victor Kurdyak (MD 1960) 2007-2008 Dr. Suan-Seh Foo Past President Loans Officer (MD 1990) President Dr. Peter Kopplin (MD 1963) Ms. Ruth Gillings Secretary Administrator/Manager 2 University of Toronto • Winter 2007 DEAN’S MESSAGE Dr. Catharine Whiteside (Class of 1975) Supporting “medical” families important for profession Mentoring and understanding are two ways Faculty can contribute schools are much more accommodating to women. In fact, more than half our students are females and the practise of medicine is richer for their presence and participation. We have come a long way. While there is more support for women in medicine, one area that needs consider- ation is increased support for families. As highlighted in this issue’s article on “med- ical marriages,” an increasing number of students find themselves facing the unique challenge of marriage/partnership to another health professional. The demand of an education in medicine is well estab- lished. Those challenges are compounded by the obligation to family. A pre-Convocation gathering in the chancellor’s chambers with (L to R), Dr. Barnett Giblon; It’s only realistic to remark that as our Judith Wolfson,Vice-President, University Relations; the Hon. David Peterson, Chancellor; Dr. profession evolves to provide support for Bette Stephenson; Dr. Catharine Whiteside, Dean, Faculty of Medicine; the Hon.William G. Davis; families, so should the educational envi- Dr. Suan-Seh Foo, President, MAA; Dr. John Evans, former President, U of T, is in the back row. ronment that prepares those future health care professionals. Mentoring, role model- recently had the pleasure of attending described during her induction, when ling and genuine understanding of the the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Dr. Bagshaw arrived at the University sacrifices of both men and women who ceremony in London, Ontario, and of Toronto to register for medical school, are raising a family during their years as among the illustrious inductees was the she was told by the men present that there medical students and postgraduate trainees late Elizabeth Bagshaw. Dr. Bagshaw, who must be some mistake; she was obviously is a necessary part of our culture. PHOTO: STEVE FROST Ipassed away in 1982 at the age of 101, in the wrong line, because why would a Our hope is that when students line entered the medical profession at a time woman line up for medicine? up to register for medical school as Dr. when, to say the least, women were not Thanks to the work of pioneers like Bagshaw did so long ago, they will know always welcomed with open arms. As Dr. Bagshaw and many others, medical that parents and families are welcome, too. Members-at-Large Dr. Garson Conn (MD 1958) Dr. Irv Lipton (MD 1962) Dr. Douglas Cook (MD 2004) PAIRO Rep Dr. Donald Cowan (MD 1956) Dr. David McKnight (MD 1975) Ali Okhowat Dr. Lori Hasulo (MD 1995) Dr.Tom Patterson (MD 1956) (Class of 2010) President, Archivist Dr. Martin Kosoy (MD 1959) Medical Society 2007/08 Dr. Peter Wyshynski (MD 1961) Dr. Lap-Cheung Lee (MD 1975) Medical Alumni Association 3 COVER STORY Dual doctor mThree couplesa offerr theirriages prescriptions for success ON THE TYPICAL MEDICAL MARRIAGE, ICONIC CANADIAN PHYSICIAN their class of ’55, made their pioneering medical marriage work by Sir William Osler was quoted as saying, “What about the wife and sharing everything. When patients came to see them, the women in babies if you have them? Leave them! Heavy are the responsibilities the families went to May and the men went to Gerry, but their to yourself, to the profession and to the public. Your wife will be patients treated them as interchangeable, as they did themselves. glad to bear her share of the sacrifices you make.” With all due “They saw us as a pair,” says Gerry. “We made decisions together,” respect to Sir William, today’s dual doctor couples—after wiping says May. They employed a live-in housekeeper so one or both of the spit-up from their lab coats—would likely laugh in response. them could dash out at night to deliver a baby or make a house call According to the 2005 National Physician Survey, 19 per cent of but they shared the remaining domestic duties equally. However, May married Canadian physicians have a spouse who is also a physician. says, as a woman, she felt more guilt than Gerry did when she had to With women now making up about half of all Canadian doctors be away from their three kids. under 40, the rate of dual doctor marriages/partnerships is likely to After 20 years of general practice, the two were invited to join the increase. But with today’s physicians—regardless of sex—looking to department of family medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton. balance the pressures of demanding careers and active family lives, is For the first time in their married and professional lives, they decided it possible to maintain a healthy medical marriage? We spoke to three to pursue separate paths. “But we were always bouncing things off alumni couples on achieving a happy relationship. each other,” Gerry says. The Cohen’s prescription for a great medical marriage: Respect for each other’s skills and a commitment to family. Drs. May and Gerry Cohen (Class of 1955) Dr. May Cohen remembers one bleak day in the mid 1950s when Dr. Jeannette Goguen and Dr. Martin Schreiber being a doctor married to a doctor wasn’t much fun. She was home (Class of 1987) alone with first child Eric, only a week old, and her husband Gerry, Dr. Jeannette Goguen and Dr. Martin Schreiber met in the anatomy who had his general practice in the basement of their house, was in lab in their first year of medical school, graduated together in 1987 hospital suffering from pneumonia. She heard a knock at her door, and then did internal medicine training together. Now, he’s a nephrol- and found a patient there asking her to treat him, although she had- ogist, she’s an endocrinologist and both are directors of programs at n’t yet even joined the practice—she was still doing a fellowship in the U of T medical school. Jeannette is the director of the post-grad- endocrinology. “I can’t remember what was wrong with him, but I uate program for endocrinology and Martin is the pre-clerkship direc- remember that it could have waited!” she laughs. tor as well as course director for Foundations of Medical Practice.