Dr. Nada Gawad: 2021 Kristin Sivertz Resident Leadership Award recipient
Nada Gawad MD, MAEd, FRCSC recently completed her residency in General Surgery at the University of Ottawa, and is described as an exceptional resident, a natural leader, superbly skilled at organizing and interpersonally gifted.
Strong supporter of CBME transformation
Dr. Gawad has made significant contributions to transforming the academic curriculum for her program using expertise she gained when she earned a Master of Health Professionals Education from the University of Ottawa. As the General Surgery program enters its second year of Competence by Design, Dr. Gawad has led curriculum mapping and helped develop the program’s simulation curriculum to align with CBD principles.
An advocate for resident education and wellness
In the OR, Dr. Gawad has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to teach technical skills – whether teaching skin closure to new medical students, the principles of fascial closure or more advanced procedures to junior residents. Dr. Gawad’s skill and enthusiasm for clinical teaching have undoubtedly advanced the quality of residency education in the General Surgery program, while positioning her as a strong role model and mentor for junior residents and medical students alike.
Dr. Gawad has always been a strong advocate for trainee wellness, which has led to positive change in her residency program, particularly throughout the COVID pandemic. In addition, her longstanding engagement with CaRMS and multiple research projects on resident selection have left an indelible mark on the program’s interview and selection process.
An award-winning achiever
Dr. Gawad is a phenomenal teacher to junior learners and has been nominated repeatedly by medical students for the Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Ottawa. She is a recent recipient of the PARO Resident Teaching Award and the OMA Resident Achievement Award. She is also a natural leader who was elected Junior Chief Administrative Resident in 2018–2019 and Chief Administrative Resident 2019–2020.
While her supporters use a wide range of complimentary terms to describe Dr. Gawad’s success as a resident, one thing everyone can agree on is that she embodies “the whole package” of resident achievement.
