Dr. James Rourke knows what it means to seize an opportunity and make his mark on the world.
Rourke grew up on a farm in the Bruce Peninsula and attended a one-room school house. Although education was a core family value – his mother was a school teacher – he knew there would be challenges to fulfilling his dream of attending university.
Dr. James Rourke
With the help of significant student loans, scholarships and bursaries, he attended The University of Western Ontario and with the support of many mentors, he later received his MD (’76) and residency training in Family Medicine (’78). He also received a master’s of Clinical Science (Family Medicine) in 1993.
“Every day in my career as a physician and now as Dean of Medicine (Memorial University) I’ve used the knowledge, skills and attitudes that I built here while at Western,” he says.
Rourke spoke to about 300 graduates from the faculties of Engineering, Science/Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry – fourth yr., Science, BMSc programs and the School of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the June 10 afternoon session of Western’s 293rd Convocation.
He encouraged them to reflect on the many influences that have guided their educational experience, much like his own.
A Western education will serve as a “solid foundation for your lives and careers in the years to come,” he says. “Use your opportunity to make the world a better place.”
The university conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws upon Rourke in recognition of his long-standing interest in rural medicine and medical education, and his recognized leadership at provincial, national and international levels.
He has served as dean and professor of Family Medicine at Memorial University, Atlantic Canada’s largest university, since his appointment in 2004. He previously served as the assistant dean of Rural Regional Medicine at Western, where he was a professor in the Department of Family Medicine.
Rourke was an active rural family physician (including obstetrics and emergency work) in Goderich, Ont. for 25 years with his wife and partner Leslie, whom he met while studying at Western. Their practice was one of the first rural teaching sites for Western.
He was the founding director of the Southwestern Ontario Rural Regional Medical Education, Research and Development Unit. Started in 1997, this became a strong, integrated undergraduate and postgraduate rural and regional medical education network.
Rourke has received many honours and awards, including the College of Family Physicians of Canada, W. Victor Johnston Award in 2007, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario Council Award in 2004, the D.I. Rice Merit Award from the College of Family Physicians of Canada; the Western Award of Excellence in Teaching by Part-time Faculty; the Western Martin J. Bass Recognition Award for Exceptional Contribution to Family Medicine; and the Community Teacher of the Year from the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
In her citation, Dr. Carol Herbert, Dean of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, spoke of Rourke’s tireless work as an advocate on behalf of rural and regional communities, transforming medical education in Southwestern Ontario, and influencing the development of rural and regional medicine across Canada and worldwide.
“An outstanding physician, teacher, mentor and administrator, Dr. Rourke has also become one of the world’s foremost experts on rural medicine,” says Herbert.
“Dr. Rourke is someone for whom I have the greatest respect. He is thoughtful, persuasive, articulate, warm and passionate about the health care rights and needs of those in rural and regional communities everywhere in the world.”