Donald Wasylenki Education Day explores ground-breaking ideas in education
Education is at the heart of the Department’s mission, and every year Donald Wasylenki Education Day brings together our faculty, staff, and trainees to share their work and build knowledge and skills in the realm of education.
The 14th annual event continued its history of inviting international experts with the potential to change how we teach and learn. At this year’s Major General John Taylor Fotheringham Memorial Lecture, Dr. Emile Servan-Schreiber, Chief Scientist and CEO of Hypermind, spoke about the astounding power of collective intelligence. He shared how groups of people can possess extraordinary predictive abilities if their predictions are used properly, explaining how more diverse groups, where individuals are empowered to share their thoughts, openly make more accurate predictions and better decisions. The presentation offered insights into how culture and leadership practices can contribute to effective group decision-making and provided a powerful argument for the benefits of diversity and open dialogue.
The poster session provided a showcase for the extraordinary education research of our faculty and learners. By providing a venue for our community to discover one another’s work, the session planted the seeds of future collaborations and discoveries.
At the Mentoring/Career Development Lunch, faculty, residents and fellows connected with more experienced colleagues for in-depth conversations about their careers. Discussions ranged from finding your career path to turning education work into published research.
The day wrapped up with two workshops offered in partnership with the Centre for Faculty Development. The workshops focused on Generative AI in teaching and learning, and teaching fundamentals in the clinical context, covering the cutting edge and foundations of educational practice.
We thank all of speakers and attendees for taking the time to join us and helping to ignite a day of ground-breaking conversations and connections!
Attendees share their thoughts on Donald Wasylenki Education Day 2025
I have seen how Don Waslyenki Education Day has, year by year, become one of the most relevant learning opportunities for our faculty at the Department. The poster session, keynote presenter and afternoon workshops showcased critical and current thinking in education scholarship and research. The conversation on collective intelligence was thought-provoking and timely. It called us in to consider the crucial importance of fostering inclusive and diverse environments to enhance teaching, training, and patient care. For anyone who missed it this year, don’t make the same mistake next year!Sophie Soklaridis, PhD, Vice Chair, Mental Health Equity & EDIIA
Attending Donald Wasylenki Education Day this year was a wonderful reminder of the how fortunate we are to work, teach, and learn amidst such an incredible community of educators here in the Department of Psychiatry! From the morning's thought-provoking plenary to the highly topical and engaging afternoon workshops, each aspect of the day complemented and built upon the rest. The poster session has always been a highlight, and this year was no exception — hearing about the diverse array of scholarly projects our colleagues are engaging in never fails to inspire (and spark ideas for future collaboration!) And of course, the career development and mentorship lunch has been a fantastic recent addition to the schedule over the past couple of years; it was truly a privilege to participate and share pearls I've been fortunate to glean over the course of residency from mentors who have been instrumental to my own personal and professional growth, and really drove home how rewarding mentorship is for all involved (mentors and mentees alike!)
Nikhita Singhal, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Resident (PGY5)
As an early career psychiatrist transitioning out of residency in the last few years, it was extremely helpful to partake in the DWED 2025 day. In addition to seeing previous supervisors and catching up with current colleagues, the hands-on mentorship/career development lunch where we could ask our questions was invaluable. I was able to get specific feedback in a non-intimidating environment. It was a refreshing experience and makes me personally excited for future education experiences.Dr. Laura Orlando, MD FRCPC, Lecturer and Staff Psychiatrist, SickKids GH-CCMH