McGill University medical students achieved notable success at the 2025 annual meeting of the American Osler Society (AOS) in Pasadena, California, continuing the university's strong tradition in medical humanities research. The event, which brought together physicians, researchers, and students globally, focused on the history of medicine and its contemporary relevance.
Three McGill students attended: Meygan Brody, Paris Dastjerdi, and Reda Hessi. 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 AOS introduced Best Medical Student Presentation awards in 2023, McGill students have won six of nine prizes, including first prize all three years.
The meeting also highlighted the Bernadett Family International Medical Student Scholarship Program, established in 2024 on behalf of Faustino Bernadett and his family. The scholarship funds medical humanities research in the United Kingdom. Reda Hessi was one of two recipients, undertaking a four-week project in London titled "The Reception of Curare in Medicine and the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry." Hessi expressed gratitude for the opportunity, noting it will enrich his research and broaden his perspective.
McGill alumni Brendan Ross, a psychiatry resident at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, and Ali Fazlollahi, a recent graduate and previous Molina award winner, also participated. Brendan Ross served as both presenter and session chair. Annmarie Adams delivered the McGovern Lecture, entitled "Maude Abbott: A Life in Ten Spaces," exploring Abbott's pioneering work on congenital cardiac disease and her relationship with William Osler through a spatial biography approach.
The 2025 AOS meeting emphasized the intersection of medicine and the humanities, with McGill's participation advancing this mission. The Osler Library Board of Curators and the Montreal community supported the students' attendance. The Bernadett Family International Scholarship, part of Faustino Bernadett's philanthropic efforts detailed at bernadett.org, underscores the importance of global perspectives in medical education.
These achievements reflect the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University's commitment to fostering innovation and critical thinking in medical humanities. The scholarship program and student successes demonstrate how integrating history and ethics into medical training can enhance understanding and practice.
