Azzam named associate dean of Continuing Professional Development

McMaster University professor Khalid Azzam has been appointed the inaugural associate dean of Continuing Professional Development for the Faculty of Health Sciences. His five-year term started on July 1, 2019.

In this role, Azzam oversees the new Continuing Professional Development office, which is an amalgamation of Continuing Health Sciences Education, Program for Faculty Development, and the Learning Technologies Lab. The office is based at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre.

Azzam says combining the strengths of each of these three groups into one team will streamline the offerings for health-care professionals, and further expand learning opportunities through collaborations with schools, departments, programs and faculty members in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this office,” said Azzam. “I am fortunate to have a team of talented faculty and committed staff that will take continuing health professional education to new heights.”

Azzam is a professor of the Department of Medicine at McMaster. He joined the Faculty in 2008. He previously served as assistant dean for Continuing Health Sciences Education for the Faculty of Health Sciences after being appointed in 2011. He is currently the chief of medicine at the Hamilton General Hospital site of Hamilton Health Sciences.

Azzam is also the chair of the Continuing Professional Development Accreditation Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. As well, he is the incoming chair of the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education, of which he is a representative of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.  

He holds an MBBS in medicine and surgery from the University of Rajasthan, India, and recently completed an MSc in Healthcare Quality and Safety Management from the Jefferson College of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson University. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in General Internal Medicine.

Azzam’s new team leads include Teresa Chan, assistant dean of the Program for Faculty Development; Nishma Singhal, assistant dean of Continuing Health Sciences Education; Ilana Bayer, director of the Learning Technologies Lab, and Danielle Stayzer, the new manager of Continuing Professional Development.

“Dr. Azzam’s experience and passion for continuing health education makes this new role an exciting evolution,” said Paul O’Byrne, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences. “Under the leadership of Dr. Azzam, there are great things to come from the Continuing Professional Development office.”