Arms of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa

Blazon

Per pale Gules and Argent on a fess wavy between three snakes nowed and erect counterchanged the Royal Crown proper, all within a bordure Sable charged with eight open books Or bound Gules;

Symbolism

Red and white are the national colours of Canada. Here, they represent English and French, the nation’s two official languages, and, consequently, the fact that the University of Ottawa is a bilingual institution. The wavy central band represents the Ottawa River. The Royal Crown recalls that Ottawa is the national capital. The coiled snakes evoke that of the rod of Aesculapius, the traditional emblem of medicine. The three snakes also represent the Faculty’s three levels of studies: undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral. The golden books on the black border evoke the light of science and knowledge overcoming the darkness of ignorance and fear.