OTTAWA, July 10, 2018 /CNW/ - The Medical Council of Canada (MCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Maureen Topps as its new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Topps will be joining the MCC October 1, 2018.
Dr. Topps, who served as Chair of the MCC National Assessment Central Coordinating Committee (NAC3) and Council member from 2009 to 2011, will succeed Dr. Ian Bowmer who is retiring from the organization.
"I am delighted to officially welcome Dr. Topps to our organization," said Dr. Karen Shaw, MCC President. "Dr. Topps brings a wealth of experience that extends from integrating into the Canadian health-care system as an internationally trained family physician, initially setting up in a rural practice, to years of extensive involvement and leadership in academic medicine and postgraduate medical education. Her experience will be invaluable in her new position."
Dr. Topps completed her medical degree at Aberdeen University in Scotland. After nearly ten years of rural practice, she was appointed Program Director in Family Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Topps was later named the inaugural Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2005.
In 2011, Dr. Topps served as the Executive Director of the Government of Alberta's International Medical Graduate Program. She was subsequently appointed Associate Dean Postgraduate Medical Education at the Cumming School of Medicine and, most recently, Senior Associate Dean Education.
Dr. Topps has worked extensively with national stakeholder organizations. She was a member of the Postgraduate Medical Education Committee at the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Vice-Chair of the Residency Program Accreditation Committee as well as Chair of the International Program Review Committee at the Royal College.
"As a family physician who has been involved with education from the early days of my career, I am excited about the opportunity to become more significantly involved in shaping physician assessment in Canada," said Dr. Topps. "I very much look forward to working with the MCC team to lead further innovation in medical assessment."
The MCC strives to achieve the highest level of medical care for Canadians through excellence in evaluation of physicians. It assesses more than 11,000 medical students and graduates every year through examinations across Canada and internationally. The MCC also verifies and stores physician credentials, maintains the Canadian Medical Register, and supports research and development to remain at the forefront of physician assessment.
For further information: Jessica Hertzog-Grenier, Director, Communications, Medical Council of Canada, 613-521-6012, ext. 2277, jhertzog@mcc.ca