Please see below for the following updates:

• *New policy* -- MRI in pregnant patients
• 2024 Sarita Verma Award

Dear colleagues,

I am excited to share our new updated policy on MRI for pregnant patients with you all. This is a policy update that Walt Montanera and I worked on updating some time ago, and that more recently, Aditya helped me with as well. Kamil has shown great leadership in bringing this through to completion, and with his and Karima’s help, we have now released it.

As you may know, our hospital and our department have been leaders in the area of MRI safety in pregnancy, publishing a paper with Joel Ray in JAMA in 2016 on this topic, and hosting multiple lectures on MRI safety including pregnancy through our St. Michael’s MRI Symposium over the years, including a visit to our department by Frank Shellock in 2018.

Our old policy, dating to 2012, while allowing MRI in pregnancy, required a signed consent process and still used language implying that there may be risk of MRI in pregnancy and that we were still studying its effects.

Attached is our new policy, which is greatly simplified and updated for modern times. It is effective immediately.

Summary and highlights:

• Written consent is no longer required. Patients will be provided the attached short and simple information sheet to review instead. No patient signature needed.
• Scanning on 1.5T or 3T is permissible – normal energy mode only
• This policy applies to both pregnant patients and those unsure of their pregnancy status
• Staff radiologist approval is no longer required
• Contrast will not be administered, regardless of the protocol

This has been populated into our Departmental Policy shared folder. Please review and share with your trainees as well as with our clinical colleagues from other departments.

Have a great week ahead!

Best,

Anish

Dear Colleagues,

Attached is the nomination form for the 2024 Sarita Verma Award for Advocacy and Mentorship in Postgraduate Medicine.

This award was established in 2010 at the end of Dr. Verma’s term as Vice Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) at the University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, in recognition of her exceptional contributions to postgraduate medical education in Ontario. The award recognizes staff or faculty members who exhibit an exemplary level of leadership and commitment to social responsibility, mentorship, advocacy, and resident wellbeing.

The award is presented to the recipient at the Faculty’s Annual Educational Achievement Day, typically held in May and acknowledged at the All Program Directors meeting in May.

The award recipient will receive $500, a certificate of recognition, and will be asked to participate in a workshop or another PGME event.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

1. Any faculty or staff member (individual or group) in the PGME programs of the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine is eligible for nomination.
2. Nominees will be identified by colleagues and learners as a role model for professionalism and mentorship, and involved in activities exhibiting a commitment to resident wellness, advocacy, and social responsibility.
3. The nominator(s) can be any resident, faculty or staff member (individual or group) in the PGME programs of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. The nomination package must include the following:

• Completed Nomination Form
• Detailed support letter from the nominator outlining reasons for nomination
• CV of the nominee

4. Multiple applications for a faculty or staff member will not be accepted.

The deadline for e-submission of the nomination package to [email protected] is Friday, February 2, 2024.

Additional award information can be found at the PGME website:

https://pgme.utoronto.ca/about-pgme/awards/sarita-verma-award-for-advocacy-mentorship-in-postgraduate-medicine/

If you have any questions, please contact Arlene McKinley at [email protected]

Sincerely,