On December 12, the Michener community gathered to honour Catherine Brown and her immense contribution to Michener and the Diagnostic Cytology program. After 38 years of teaching at Michener, Catherine has connected with each of us in some way, and we all know how meaningful it was to work alongside her.
Catherine graduated from the Toronto Institute of Medical Technology (what is now The Michener Institute) in 1980. She began working as a part-time instructor at the Institute in 1985 and moved to a full-time faculty position one year later. This was the start of Catherine’s long and fulfilling career in healthcare education at Michener.
Catherine had a vision for the program and for how Michener should teach such a specialized area to new students. She spearheaded many changes that not only improved the program pedagogy, but also made the program accessible and student focused.
In 1994, Catherine was a member of the national committee that developed the first competency profile for cytology in Canada. A few years later, she initiated a distance education format in the program to accommodate students who lived and worked outside the GTA — a progressive idea well before the days of Teams or Zoom.
During the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, Catherine helped launch the program’s first simulated clinical placement. This vision allowed Michener and the Diagnostic Cytology program to pivot quickly so that students could complete their clinical rotations in a safe space.
Michener’s Diagnostic Cytology program was suspended twice in Catherine’s career to re-examine the skillset within the profession. Catherine created all new program material from scratch after the first suspension, and again with the help of a colleague the second time. Catherine’s expertise in the field, along with her teaching best practices, made her an invaluable leader and advocate for the program updates.
“Catherine is always reliable and approachable,” says Fiona Cherryman, Michener’s Vice Principal Academic and Operations. “She is level-headed, creative and embodies the Michener principles of transforming lives and making healthcare happen.”
Premier’s Award recipient, continuing education instructor, union president, published journal author, 2003 Ron Bentley Faculty Award recipient, 2015 Michener Values and Action Award recipient — the impressive list goes on for Catherine.
December 31 was Catherine’s last day at Michener. On behalf of the entire Michener community, we wish Catherine the very best in this new chapter. It has been an honour and a delight to work, teach and learn with Catherine.
