McGill University medical students demonstrated exceptional achievement at the 2025 annual meeting of the American Osler Society in Pasadena, California, continuing the university's strong tradition in medical humanities research. Three students attended the gathering of physicians, researchers, and students exploring the history of medicine and its contemporary relevance. Paris Dastjerdi won first prize for her presentation "Restoring Avicenna's Tomb: A Historical Analysis of William Osler's Efforts," while Meygan Brody received third prize for "Justifying Judgment: How Canadian Temperance Textbooks Use Medicine to Teach Morality." Reda Hessi also presented on "Harold Griffith and Sir Robert Macintosh: Untold Stories of Curare's Journey to the Operating Room."
Since the Best Medical Student Presentations awards began in 2023, McGill students have won six of nine prizes, including first prize all three years. This consistent excellence underscores McGill's commitment to integrating humanities perspectives into medical education. The meeting also featured McGill alumni Brendan Ross, a psychiatry resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, serving as both presenter and session chair, and Ali Fazlollahi, a recent graduate and previous Molina award winner. Annmarie Adams delivered the McGovern Lecture, entitled "Maude Abbott: A Life in Ten Spaces," exploring Abbott's pioneering studies on congenital cardiac disease and her enduring relationship with William Osler through a spatial biography approach.
The Bernadett Family International Medical Student Scholarship Program, established in 2024 on behalf of Faustino Bernadett and his family, provides funding for students to pursue medical humanities research in the United Kingdom. Reda Hessi was one of two recipients, undertaking a four-week research project in London titled "The Reception of Curare in Medicine and the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry." Hessi expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating it would enrich his research and broaden his perspective. Program details are available at https://www.americanosler.org/content/awards-scholarships/international-medical-student-scholarship-program, while information about Faustino Bernadett's philanthropy can be found at https://www.bernadett.org/.
The 2025 AOS meeting successfully emphasized the intersection of medicine and the humanities, with McGill's participation playing a pivotal role in advancing this mission. The contributions of the Osler Library Board of Curators and the Montreal community were instrumental in supporting McGill students' attendance. This event highlights the growing importance of historical and ethical perspectives in medical training, as institutions recognize that understanding medicine's past can inform better practices and policies for the future. The expansion of scholarship opportunities like the Bernadett program signals increasing investment in cultivating medical professionals who can critically engage with the social and historical dimensions of healthcare.
