Recognizing Professionalism
& Leadership
Gold-Headed Cane award
The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia Gold-Headed Cane Award recognizes an outstanding community-based physician who exemplifies professionalism in service to their patients, profession and community.
BSc(Hons), MD, FRCPC
The College is pleased to announce Dr. Kara MacNeill as the recipient of its 2019 Gold-Headed Cane Award. Dr. MacNeill is a psychiatrist who practices in Amherst and works for Cumberland Mental Health Services. Dr. MacNeill is recognized for her dedication to continual learning, patients, healthcare colleagues, and the profession.
Dr. MacNeill is a graduate of the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. Since her graduation from residency in Psychiatry in 2007, Dr. MacNeill has worked diligently in rural community settings, doing inpatient care, outpatient visits, nursing home visits, group home visits, and home visits in numerous locations in both Cumberland and Pictou counties. She also teaches and mentors medical students. In addition, Dr. MacNeill also has a BSc (Hons) in biology from Acadia University and a certificate of medical education from the University of Dundee, she teaches Family Medicine residents from the North Nova Family Medicine Program in Cumberland and Pictou Counties and is an Assistant Professor at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. MacNeill’s areas of clinical interest are seniors and adults with intellectual disabilities and her excellence in teaching exemplifies her professionalism where she was recognized for this by receiving the Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry Community Teacher of the Year Award in 2017.
For many years, Dr. MacNeill has been an examiner for the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) and the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). As well, she’s a Practice Assessor for the College, she is currently studying Spanish with a plan to volunteer internationally as a psychiatrist in the future, and she volunteers with Habitat Global Village doing international builds.
The College’s annual province-wide recognition is awarded as part of a co-sponsored Gold-Headed Cane ceremony in partnership with the Medical Humanities Program at Dalhousie University. The award will be presented to Dr. MacNeill at the Gold-Headed Cane Awards dinner tentatively set for the Fall.