Abraham “Abe“ Fuks, MDCM, FRCP(C), former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, passed away on December 1. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) community extends its condolences to Dr. Fuks’ family, friends and loved ones.
Dr. Fuks was known as “the philosopher dean” for his wise insights, wide-ranging interests and humanistic vision of patient care. He never retired and was a recognizable figure on campus, always dapper in his signature bowties, with a ready smile and a joke to share. Immensely generous with his time, Dr. Fuks always made himself available to lend an ear, sit on a committee or offer support to a student or colleague.
“Abe made immeasurable contributions over his long and varied career: as a clinician, researcher, Dean, and as a wonderful mentor, teacher, colleague and friend to so many in our FMHS community,” says Lesley Fellows, MDCM, DPhil, Vice-President (Health Affairs) and Dean of the FMHS.
Medicine and research
Abraham Fuks obtained his medical degree at McGill in 1970, after which he completed residencies in internal medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital and clinical immunology at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH). He then undertook five years of postdoctoral research at the MGH with Phil Gold before moving on to Harvard for biochemistry and molecular biology research.
Dr. Fuks returned to his alma mater as an academic in 1978, eventually rising to the rank of Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Pathology and Oncology, as well as working as an attending in the MGH’s Division of Immunology.
As a researcher, he was at the vanguard of immunology research as well as health professions education research. Dr. Fuks’ contributions to Canadian medical research include investigations into the immunological aspects of type 1 diabetes, the molecular nature of tumours, the ethics of clinical trial design, and professionalism and physicianship.
Leading through change
In 1995, Dr. Fuks was appointed Dean of the Faculty. His two terms were marked by rapid medical advancements and reorganizations of patient care and health education in Quebec.
Dr. Fuks played a key role in the 1997 merger of McGill-affiliated hospitals – the Montreal General, the Royal Victoria, the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Montreal Children’s – to create the McGill University Health Centre, along with its Research Institute. He also helped plan the complex move to the Glen site for teaching and research activities.
On campus, Dr. Fuks helped plan the construction of the McGill Medical Simulation Centre (now the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning) – the first of its kind in Canada – which opened its doors in 2006, as well as the opening of the state-of-the-art research hub, the Life Sciences Complex, in 2008, which comprises the McIntyre Medical Building, the Bellini Building and the Goodman Cancer Institute. He also helped initiate an expansion of the Centre for Medical Education (now the Institute for Health Sciences Education), supporting important work by Sylvia Cruess, Richard Cruess, Yvonne Steinert and others.
Budget cuts were a constant during his tenure, but he was nevertheless able to oversee the creation of new endowed chairs and the recruitment of new junior faculty. Under Dr. Fuks a new medical curriculum was developed that included the Physicianship component, introduced in 2005. After his tenure as Dean ended, Dr. Fuks spent a year as Visiting Professor in the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard University from 2007 to 2008.
Compassionate teacher and clinician
As an educator, Dr. Fuks taught countless trainees in immunology, the biology of malignancy, research ethics and clinical reasoning. He had a deep interest in medical education, physicianship and clinical discourse. He co-authored Physicianship and the Rebirth of Medical Education and wrote the sentinel book, The Language of Medicine, and was a prolific speaker and author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Dr. Fuks was a dedicated teacher and mentor, and was adored by his students and mentees. “One of the lovely things about having a leadership role is having the chance to be involved with successful young people like these,” Dr. Fuks remarked at a reception held for him when he stepped down as Dean in 2005. “It’s like academic parenthood.”
Dr. Fuks was a strong believer in this notion that medical teachers fulfil a loco parentis role and it was under his guidance and support that McGill’s undergraduate medical program inaugurated the Donning the Healer’s Habit White Coat Ceremony in 2001.
A humanistic approach to providing patient care was another passion of Dr. Fuks’. He and palliative care legend Balfour Mount, MD, founded McGill’s world-leading Programs in Whole Person Care in 1999, a revolutionary approach that promotes the idea that medical teaching should pay considerable attention to empathy and healing, not just fixing and curing.
A lifetime of commitment
Up until the time of his passing, Dr. Fuks held the appointment of Director of the Office for Respectful Environments and headed the Faculty’s awards review committee, among many roles he continued to fulfil. Most recently, Dr. Fuks led the creation of the Academy of Exemplary Physicians, established in 2023, to recognize the FMHS’ outstanding doctors who are role models for their peers and students. He recently recorded a series of videos, released just last month, featuring one on one interviews with Academy laureates that capture Dr. Fuks’ indefatigable passion for both medicine and for learning about people.
Dr. Fuks received many accolades over his distinguished career: he was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2018; he was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, to name but a small selection of the honours bestowed upon him.
A cherished mentor and role model, a brilliant scientist, a champion for patients, and amongst the most collegial of colleagues, Dr. Fuks leaves behind a rich and far-reaching legacy at McGill that will not be forgotten.
Read Dr. Fuks’ full obituary. Donations in his memory may be made to the “Dr. Abraham Fuks Memorial Fund” c/o the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University, (514) 398-2787
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The philosopher dean
Photo: Owen Egan and Joni Dufour
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