Background: Medical school deans wield considerable influence over research, clinical and educational missions at their institutions. This study investigates conflict of interest (COI) of Canadian medical school deans.

Method: The websites of all 17 Canadian medical schools were searched for any mention of relationships between deans and pharmaceutical or medical device companies.

Results: No COIs were discovered for 11 of the deans. Six had COIs, including participating in research funded by pharmaceutical companies and received consulting and speaker fees.

Discussion: A minority of deans had COIs with healthcare industry companies. Whether deans' COIs affect policies at the medical schools they lead should be the subject of further investigation.

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