Osler Auditorium to exceed former glory with much deserved facelift

Have you noticed you haven’t had any meetings in the Osler Auditorium lately?

As it turns out, in November 2021, while we were all busy managing a global pandemic, the auditorium fell victim to a flood which kept it completely out of business until now. After a $1.2 million renovation, the auditorium now exceeds its former glory.

"Within the heart of The Montreal General Hospital, the Osler auditorium resurfaces, a testament to the hard work of our project management team. The new space will give the MUHC and MGH community a much-needed area for teaching, training and meetings, with limitless opportunities for growth,” says Pierre-Marc Legris, director of Technical Services at the MUHC.

The Osler legacy

The Osler Auditorium isn’t just any old meeting room. It is a venue that perpetuates Sir William Osler’s legacy and his vision for medical innovation, knowledge exchange and teaching.

‘‘We all have many memories of being in the Osler Auditorium for grand rounds, visiting professors, teaching and meetings. The auditorium represents the Osler legacy of clinical excellence and teaching that we are all proud of at the MGH,” says Dr. Liane Feldman, Osler Fellow, surgeon-in-chief of the MUHC.

Sir William Osler received his medical degree from McGill University in 1872. He became a professor in the same faculty two years later and went on to hold various senior positions at the MGH.

Frequently described as the Father of modern medicine, Dr. Osler transformed the field in countless ways. Not only was he the first to bring medical students out of the lecture hall and to the bedside for clinical training, he also created the first residency program and published The Principles and Practice of Medicine.

“Dr. Osler was a pillar of the scientific approach to medicine that laid the foundation for modern medicine,” says Dr. Marc Rodger, physician-in-chief of the MUHC.

Bringing the Osler auditorium back to life

The renovated space now has 148 seats with electrical outlets and USB plugs, and space to accommodate three wheelchairs. Other improvements are better acoustics, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and an adjustable lighting system.

“The new Osler has much to offer. It is beautiful, practical, comfortable, and exactly what we wanted from the start,” says Jacques Avital, project supervisor in Technical Services at the MUHC.

The renovation of Osler Auditorium was partly funded by the MGH Foundation, which is still fundraising to support the project.

Video:  The renovated Osler Auditorium at the Montreal General Hospital - MUHC