An important message about your @utoronto.ca email

CLASS OF 5T7

Dr. Robert FIELDEN practised orthopedics in the United States for 22 years and was an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Robert’s wife developed Alzheimer’s, so when Robert retired in 2019, they moved to Langley, British Columbia, where there is a village for dementia care patterned after one in Holland. Robert reports it has been a good experience for her. Now they’ll move to southern California to be near their daughter. “California will provide better weather and similar care,” he writes.

CLASS OF 5T9

Dr. Henry WOLSTAT lives in the Boston area and continues to be physically active. His first book of poetry, Driftwood, will be published later this year. In 2021, a number of his poems were published in anthologies.

Photo: Henry enjoying his annual month-long vacation in Sarasota, Florida

CLASS OF 6T1

Dr. Ann CUDDY was a surgical assistant for 40 years in Peterborough, Ontario. She retired at the age of 80. Ann writes, “For many years, I was the only woman in the surgeons’ lounge. I was fortunate to see huge changes in surgical techniques with the advent of staplers, laparoscopy, and radiologically assisted vascular procedures.

“I now live in Ottawa close to my three daughters and their families, and I spend my summers on an island on Stoney Lake near Peterborough. I’m active and looking forward to a walking trip in Ireland in May. I feel fortunate to be part of the Class of 6T1 and would enjoy hearing from others.” Contact: anncuddymoore@gmail.com

Dr. Theodore TULCHINSKY, now aged 86, lives with his wife of 58 years, Joan, in Ashkelon, Israel. Their home overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Theodore has retired from the Ministry of Health and the Braun School of Public Health at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Now he’s busy finishing the 4th edition of the textbook The New Public Health, which he co-authored. Theodore also authored the book Case Studies in Public Health, which was published in 2018. He writes that his biggest accomplishments are “family and launching the career of Joni Mitchell in the Louis Riel Coffeehouse in Saskatoon in 1963.”
Contact: tulchinskyted@hotmail.com

CLASS OF 6T2

Dr. David LORENZEN, after a rotating internship at Scarborough General Hospital, spent another year there to learn anesthesia. Then, he went into general practice in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he continued anesthesia and embarked on medical and hospital administration. Later, he became a provincial coroner for the Niagara region. He enlisted in the Canadian Army with the Lincoln & Welland Regiment, which led to appointments with the Canadian Forces, the New York National Guard, and United States Air Force. Then for 25 years, he served with the Canadian Army.

After retiring, David began building a 30-foot sailboat, while occasionally working in general practice. It took him 20 years to complete the sailboat. Then, a month after finishing its sea trials on Lake Ontario, David’s sailboat and four other yachts were completely destroyed by fire in the middle of the night.

He writes, “I remain married to my high school sweetheart; we’ve now been married for 63 years. We have four healthy children and five grandchildren. I retired completely from everything at about age 75.”

CLASS OF 6T3

Dr. Peter BAYLY, after interning at Toronto East General, moved to Lively, Ontario, practising at a hospital in Copper Cliff and two hospitals in Sudbury. Peter retired in 2019. “We came for one year and stayed until now!” he writes. “It was a great place to raise our children, and now we have our four grandchildren to keep us busy. Retirement is anything but boring – there’s time to read books, garden, shovel snow, and spend more time at our camp near Manitoulin. I have been blessed with such a fulfilling life that continues at this time! Best to everyone, Peter.”

CLASS OF 6T4

Dr. Bob STEIN retired on December 31, 2021. In March, there was an online celebration to commemorate Bob founding the Youth Psychiatry Division at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre 51 years ago.

CLASS OF 6T6

Dr. Vladimir HACHINSKI received a gold medal and scroll in recognition of his contributions to neuroscience. It was presented to him at the T.S. Srinivasan Knowledge Conclave in India in October 2021. To learn more, visit this website

Dr. Anne WALLACE continues to work in the insurance industry as Medical Director at three companies. “I enjoy it very much,” Anne writes. “It certainly keeps the old brain thinking and trying to keep up-to-date in the field of medicine. This occupies about 15 hours a week, and the rest of the time is spent gardening (when it is not snowing), quilting, and managing the house in Toronto and the one up north. New travels have been put on hold, but I would not mind one or two more trips before I hang up the ‘At home’ sign for good. Learn something new every day, do a nice thing for someone every day.” Contact: anne@jkwallace.ca

CLASS OF 6T7

Dr. Arthur WEINSTEIN, while enjoying retirement, continues to do lupus research and teach rheumatology at Loma Linda University Health Center in California.

Photo: Arthur and family enjoyed a Hawaiian vacation in January

CLASS OF 6T8

Dr. Sheila DOYLE (HUGHES) writes, “Is there no rest for the wicked? I left Toronto and sold the practice in 2018 but started two days a week at a walk-in where I was needed. When I tried to retire, I was asked to continue supervising a physician licensed in the United States until she could take over my position. COVID came along, and she has not yet been fully licensed. Now I am not only supervising her but several physician assistants who also work at the various clinics! This is online, of course. Not sure when this will be finished, but I’m looking forward to retirement. The family is good, as are the four grandchildren, two of whom are already in university. Where does the time go?”

CLASS OF 6T9

Dr. Alvin PETTLE’s new book, My Prescription for Life, will be out this spring. It contains the affirmations that he has collected over the past 40 years. He began collecting them when he was an intern on call at Mount Sinai Hospital. Then he began using an affirmation as an introduction on his answering machine. “Since a book has to be 80 per cent my own content, I placed stories of my life, my patients’, and my colleagues’ anonymously to illustrate how life teaches us that there is a lot more going on if we pay attention.” Now, Alvin is working on his next book, What Women Have Taught Me. “All male doctors have got to start (or hopefully continue) to really listen,” writes Alvin. “They’ll certainly become more than doctors; they’ll get the magnificent opportunity to become ‘healers.’”

Photo: Alvin with his youngest son, Adam, now a TV writer and producer, and the author of the play “Zaidi’s Shoes.” Alvin is equally proud of his son Jordan, an accomplished actor.

CLASS OF 7T2

Dr. Michael KAMIEL writes, “Believe it or not, many of the grads from the Class of '72, especially those in the USA, are still actively practising and loving their work.” Michael works in Culver City, California, where he maintains a full office practice in internal medicine and a busy hospital consultation practice in endocrinology and diabetes. “I am 73 years old and am told I look 50,” he says.

CLASS OF 7T3

Dr. Helen BATTY’s current clinical focus is related to reversing metabolic syndrome with a low-carbohydrate approach that she says is “remarkably similar to the nutrition recommendations in my 1970 copy of Davidson’s textbook of medicine.” She is also supporting patients who feel addicted to food through virtual group psychotherapy sessions. “These include advice to consider taking effective medications such as the recently available combination formulation of bupropion with naltrexone,” she writes. “All are treatments that I have employed in my 40-plus years of smoking cessation clinical and research work.” In November, the College of Family Physicians of Canada honoured Helen with the Ian McWhinney Award.

“Family caregiving at home for two other adults has taken much of my time and energy in the past year,” she continues. “Balancing this has provided more opportunities to putter in my garden.” Helen is active on Twitter @hbelfry. Contact: h.batty@utoronto.ca

Dr. Helena JACZEK writes, “A background in medicine is a firm foundation for the advocacy for social justice!” Helena is the member of Parliament for Markham-Stouffville in Ontario.

Dr. Shery ZENER, a psychiatrist, is practising full time at a community hospital in Toronto’s east end. She writes, “I now have three grandchildren living in Toronto. As is everyone’s, my life is very constricted, but I hope we can soon travel more easily and safely. I wish you all the very best of health and prosperity.”

CLASS OF 7T4 

Dr. Fred HOY writes, “Our first heart transplant recipient celebrates her 35th year with her new heart in April – we got lucky!” Fred expects to be a first-time grandfather in April. He enjoys playing hockey for FROGS (F****** Really Old Guys) in a local league. “I hate it when I skate like a 72-year-old,” he says. Contact: hoykoba@gmail.com

CLASS OF 7T5

Drs Brian SILVER and Shirley EPSTEIN. “Shirley retired from family practice in 2018, and I retired as of January 2022,” writes Brian. “We have enjoyed times with our five grandchildren in Vancouver as well as our six in Toronto. Retirement will mean even more time in our four-season cottage on Lake Muskoka, Ontario, as well as (post-COVID) travelling.” Contact: docsilversenior@gmail.com

Dr. Stephen WETMORE retired on February 1, 2022. For 45 years, he was a family physician – 17 years in Mount Forest, Ontario, and 18 years in London, Ontario. Then for 10 years, Stephen was the Chair and Chief of Family Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University in London. Contact: swetmore@uwo.ca

Dr. Paula WILLIAMS writes, “I’m about 87% happily retired and awaiting the arrival of grandbaby #6 in the summer. Busy baking and looking up recipes for the Instant Pot.”

CLASS OF 7T7

Dr. Maarten BOKHOUT will be 70 years old this year. “I am a coroner,” he writes. “Of the last eight cases I investigated, four were drug overdoses and two were suicides.” He plans on using his 14 years of public health experience – he was the medical officer of health in northern Newfoundland and Labrador, and Huron County, Ontario – to promote spiritual health in the community. “I sing in a couple of choirs and play in a chamber orchestra,” he continues. “I am Past-President of the local Optimist Club. I live on a farm with a LOT of dead ash trees, so I am becoming ever more adept in handling a chainsaw. I drive diesel vehicles; a battery-electric vehicle has been on order since August of last year, but supply chain issues have put back the delivery date by at least five months (and counting).”

CLASS OF 7T8

Dr. Joanne BARGMAN won the Robert Narins Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology. “All hopes of being fêted with food and wine were dashed when the meeting was converted to virtual,” she writes. “Robert Narins is an outstanding teacher and leader in the nephrology community, and it was a thrill to get the award named after him.” Contact: joanne.bargman@uhn.ca

CLASS OF 8T1

Dr. King (Peter) LI retired at the end of 2021 as the inaugural Dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Last year, he was named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and received the Gold Medal Award from the Association of University Radiologists. He now lives close to his two sons and five grandchildren in the San Francisco Bay area.

Dr. Charlene LINZON is the Director of Forest Hill Dermatology in midtown Toronto. In 2019, Charlene was joined by her daughter, Dr. Jaclyn Linzon-Smith, who is also a U of T dermatology graduate. Together, they offer medical dermatology and cosmetic services. Contact: info@foresthilldermatology.com

CLASS OF 8T2

Dr. Gerald LEVINE recently retired as a family physician in Barrie, Ontario. “I look forward to pursuing my passions of travel and stress management teaching, courtesy of 8T2 classmate Sol Stern’s CME Away offerings. “I am blessed to share this with my wonderful spouse of 40 years, Elizabeth,” he writes. “We met in second year of medical school, so she has witnessed (endured?) my entire career arc! We have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and one grandson who we enjoy visiting. Just bought a condo in Fountain Hills, Arizona, so let us know if you are in the area in the winter. Wishing everyone well as this &*%$# pandemic hopefully winds down. During the pandemic I wrote a stress management manual called ‘52 Mindful Weeks: Cultivating Awareness and Resilience.’” It’s available on Gerald’s website as a Kindle download. Contact: geraldlevine22@gmail.com

Photo: Gerald (right) and his wife, Elizabeth, in Rome, September 2021

Dr. Ken WOOLFSON, after more than 32 years on staff at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, resigned his staff privileges on December 31, 2021. During his time at Lakeridge Health, Ken started a teaching program affiliated with Queen’s University, and was Division Head in General Surgery for 12 years and Chief of Surgery for two years. He will continue his office and endoscopy practice.

He writes, “I look forward to spending time with my three daughters – Dr. Katie Woolfson (PhD) in Ottawa; Dr. Hayley Woolfson, a dentist in Yulee, Florida; and Dr. Jessica Woolfson (Class of 1T2) – and their husbands. I look forward to spending time with my grandson, Miles Dubiner, in Florida. For now, I hope to learn to speak français, teach, and travel (when COVID is gone).” Contact: kenwoolfson@gmail.com

CLASS OF 8T5

Dr. David EISENSTAT left his position at the University of Alberta in November 2020 to join two University of Melbourne affiliated institutions, the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) and the adjacent Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). At RCH, David is a professor and the Director of the Children’s Cancer Centre. At MCRI, David has his laboratory and is a group leader, neuro-oncology. David and his wife, Dr. Janice Richman-Eisenstat, have four adult children and met their third grandchild in March 2022.

CLASS OF 8T8

Dr. Dan EZEKIEL recently discovered the joys of snowshoeing. Dan writes, “If COVID-19 rears its ugly head again next winter, all U of T grads are welcome to visit in Vancouver for some COVID-friendly outdoor recreation in the mountains!”

Drs Edsel ING and Felix TYNDEL (Class of 7T9) have published a book of practical teaching tips, Award-Winning Medical Teaching. Its 28 contributors are from the University of Toronto, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Washington University, the University of Connecticut, and Western University. Co-authors from the Class of 8T8 include Drs Martin Boyer, Michael Pare, and Ari Zaretsky. The free e-book is available here. The print version is available at cost through Amazon. The authors hope that satisfied readers will contribute to their local food bank.

CLASS OF 9T0

Dr. Ezra COHEN is a full professor at University of California San Diego where he is also the Division Chief for Hematology/Oncology and Associate Director at the Moores Cancer Center. Ezra has been living in San Diego since 2014. Contact: ecohen@health.ucsd.edu

Dr. Anil GUPTA had a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2021. It is titled “Early Treatment for Covid-19 with SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Sotrovimab” and available here.
Contact: drgupta106@gmail.com

Rev. Dr. Joseph THAM recently co-edited Cross-Cultural and Religious Critiques of Informed Consent. “The book explores the challenges of informed consent in medical intervention and research ethics, considering the global reality of multiculturalism and religious diversity,” he writes. “It re-evaluates informed consent in multicultural contexts and features perspectives from Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” The book is open access and available here.

CLASS OF 9T6

Dr. Judy HAGSHI has been appointed to the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative’s inaugural board of directors. “This national organization focuses on education and advocacy,” she writes. Contact: judyhagshi@gmail.com

CLASS OF 1T2

Dr. Calvin KE is starting as a clinician scientist and staff endocrinologist at Toronto General Hospital and as an assistant professor at U of T.

CLASS OF 1T4

Dr. Laura BURNES ACHTYMICHUK and Ryan Achtymichuk were married on November 20, 2021, having found what they refer to as “love in the time of COVID-19.” The happy couple now live in Sherwood Park, Alberta, where Laura practises as a medical microbiologist.

CLASS OF 1T8

Dr. Nupur DOGRA welcomed a daughter, Reeya Naraine, in the early morning hours of November 1, 2021. “All six pounds and seven ounces of her arrived in extraordinary health at Mount Sinai Hospital, with thanks to the delivering doctors who included Dr. Rebecca Menzies (Class of 1T1),” she writes. Nupur extends a special thank-you to Dr. Julia Kfouri (Class of 0T9), who cared for her throughout her pregnancy. “We are excited for our new chapter as a family of three and for sharing lots of cosy cuddles through this winter,” she says.

BACK TO TOP

What's your news?

Email your class news and photos to the MAA  by June 1, 2022 for the next issue. Digital submissions preferred, or send submissions by mail to: MAA Matters, Medical Alumni Association, 1 King's College Circle, MSB Rm 3249, Toronto ON M5S 1A8. Mailed photos will be returned if requested.

Keep in touch

Update your contact information with the MAA here. Because of privacy legislation, we don't get that information from the university.