Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
A healthier society, together
Mission
The School of Medicine is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities across Ontario and Canada, with a focus on the primary care needs of diverse and medically underserved populations, through community-engaged education, scholarship, and service.
We are committed to educating students to become compassionate, respectful, and future-ready clinicians who provide outstanding holistic health care and who lead in health system transformation.
We strive for equity in all that we do. We commit to Truth, Reconciliation, anti-racism, and justice to achieve inclusion and optimal health for all.
Values
We advocate for and drive change to achieve health equity, eliminate health disparities and advance health as a human right. We take a holistic view of health and well-being that balances its spiritual, emotional, physical and mental aspects and addresses the social determinants of health.
We build reciprocal relationships with the communities with which we work, learn, care, research and discover. We serve the community and co-create to design and prioritize initiatives to improve health and well-being. We promote healthcare in true partnership with patients, their families and the community at large as part of a team of healthcare providers.
Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are respected and valued as are the multiple and diverse Indigenous perspectives and approaches to health and healing. We recognize longstanding institutional racism contributes to the intergenerational trauma of Indigenous people and are committed to:
- Incorporating Indigenous knowledge and approaches to healing and wellness into the governance and fabric of the School and everything we do.
- Uncovering truth and maintaining transparency throughout all facets of the School of Medicine by developing metrics to ensure accountability.
- Indigenous Leaders within the School of Medicine who liaise with stakeholders in the Indigenous community at the local, provincial, and national levels to ensure changes are driven by listening to Indigenous voices, and non-Indigenous leadership that commit to including this vital feedback.
- Ensuring our work leads reconciliation and improves Indigenous health and wellbeing.
- Anti-racist and cultural safety training and policies throughout all facets of the School of Medicine.
With humility, we value and respect all individuals for their unique perspectives, experiences and potential to contribute. We intentionally foster a culture of inclusion and engagement. We advance social justice by breaking down barriers that systematically exclude or disadvantage groups, in particular the negative impact of anti-Black racism and the systemic inequities and exclusions experienced by Indigenous peoples.
We cultivate an environment of learning and discovery that supports the health, well-being, and resilience of our students, faculty, staff and community and enables them to serve as exemplars for patients and the profession.
We encourage our students, faculty and staff to challenge the status quo to create positive change. We embrace innovation and know that leading creative solutions requires courage.
We act with honesty and trustworthiness in all that we undertake — including learning, knowledge creation and service. Guided by professional ethics and accountability, we strive to ensure high quality, safe, and appropriate care for patients, families and communities.