Dr. Louis Levasseur Award for Distinguished Service
Recognizing an individual whose collaboration has contributed in an extraordinary manner to the vision and mission of the MCC.
About the award
The Dr. Louis Levasseur Award for Distinguished Service is presented annually to a council, staff, or committee member of the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), past or present, or to a person whose collaboration has contributed in an extraordinary manner to the vision and mission of the MCC.
This award is named for the former Chair of the Central Examination Committee, Dr. Louis Levasseur, who for 26 years personified an unwavering commitment to the objectives of Council. He embodied the qualities and accomplishments that precisely characterize both the activities and type of person this award is intended to honour.
Nomination process
Nominations may be made by past or present members of the MCC, members of its constituent bodies or staff. The nomination letter and two letters of reference from individuals who are knowledgeable of the MCC’s vision and mission and of the contribution of the candidate to those ends must be submitted electronically to awards@mcc.ca no later than April 30 of the current year.
The nomination letter must outline in point form:
- the nature of the nominee’s contributions
- the impact of the nominee on the MCC and its mission and vision
- how the nominee’s achievements/activities have promoted the mission and vision of the MCC
2024 recipient
Isabelle Desjardins, MD
Dr. Isabelle Desjardins completed an Honours BSc in biochemistry from the University of Ottawa in 2003. She subsequently completed medical school at the University of Ottawa in 2007, in the Francophone stream . She pursued her postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and successfully graduated from the General Internal Medicine program in 2011. Early on in her residency, She displayed a keen interest in the field of medical education.
Dr. Desjardins joined the Division of General Internal Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital in 2011. Her academic interests in medical education include competency-based medical education and assessment. For 10 years, she was the internal medicine clerkship co-director at the General Campus. She was previously the director of the Ottawa Exam Centre and director of Competency-Based Medical Education for Undergraduate Medical Education. In December 2023, she became the assistant dean of Student Evaluation and Curriculum Implementation for the MD Program. In these roles, Dr. Desjardins plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing educational and assessment strategies to produce competent, compassionate, and capable physicians.
Dr. Desjardins also contributes to the field of medical education on a national scale with the Medical Council of Canada, where she has taken on key leadership roles over the years. She has previously chaired the Medicine Test Committee, served as the vice-chair of the Central Examination Committee, and now contributes as a valued member of the Exam Oversight Committee.
Past recipients
Year
Recipient
2023
Anne-Marie MacLellan, MDCM CSPQ, FRCPC
2022
Pierre Lemay
2021
Claire Touchie, MD, MHPE, FRCPC
2020
Karen Shaw, MD
2019
Yves Lafortune, MPA
2018
Nancy MacBeth, MA, BA
2016
Jeffrey Turnbull, MD, MEd, BSc
2015
Oscar Casiro, MD
2014
Georges Bordage, MD, BSc, PhD
2013
Ramses Wassef, MD
2012
Dennis Kendel, MD
2011
W. Dale Dauphinee, MD, FRCPC
2010
David Blackmore, PhD
2009
Thomas Maguire, MB, BCh, BAO
2008
Gordon Page, PhD
2007
Jacques Étienne Des Marchais, MD
2005
Larry Ohlhauser, MD
2004
Ernest Skakun, PhD
2003
M. Ian Bowmer, MDCM, FRCPC, FRCP, FCAHS
2002
Charles Fremont Scott, QC
2001
Major General John W.B. Barr, MD
2000
John Baumber, PhD
1999
Michel Bérard, MD
