Emma Garson was just 16 years old when she discovered medicine could offer the perfect balance for her passion for science and her desire to give back to the community.

After assisting her grandmother’s post-surgery recovery and supporting her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Garson developed a keen sense of what great patient care should look like and how she could make a difference.

Garson is now a newly-minted doctor from the Southern Medical Program (SMP) at UBC Okanagan. This summer, she returns to her hometown of Kamloops to complete residency training in family medicine.

Her initial leanings towards to family medicine as a career solidified during her first-year training experience with a family physician in Kelowna.

“My preceptor showed how valuable family medicine can be from a chronic disease management perspective and the importance of great working relationships with your patients,” says Garson. “The doctor truly gave his time to his patients, never made them feel rushed, and was an excellent role model.”

Garson acknowledges her generalist personality fits nicely with family medicine and the ability to develop a variety of skill sets. During the next two years, she plans to tailor her residency training based on the needs of the community.

“I am interested in finding what my patients need and letting that help shape my learning,” she adds. “It will allow me to better serve the Kamloops community, where I hope to one day practice.”

Garson’s hometown roots have remained firmly planted throughout her academics. After graduating from Thompson Rivers University with a Bachelor’s of Science, she jumped at the opportunity to complete her medical degree with the SMP including a year at Royal Inland Hospital.

“Kamloops is a unique and supportive environment that fosters good clinical skills and learning,” she says. “The collegiality of the healthcare teams at the hospital and in the community is an attribute that I really came to value.”

Garson excitedly returns home with two fellow SMP graduates and Kamloops locals for the next two years.

“I can definitely see myself working in the community as part of a team, possibly with a focus in palliative care,” adds Garson. “It’s what prompted this whole process in the first place, and remains near and dear to my heart.”

A message from Dermot Kelleher, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice-President, Health, The University of British Columbia and Roger Wong, Executive Associate Dean, Education, Faculty of Medicine, The University of British Columbia

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sarah Brears as Interim Regional Associate Dean, Interior for a one-year term beginning July 1, 2019.

In this role, Dr. Brears will be responsible for providing strategic leadership of the Faculty’s undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programs for the Interior. This includes working collaboratively with partners, including Interior Health and UBC Okanagan, to ensure a high-quality educational experience for all our learners in the region, as well as facilitating the health research strategy for the Interior.

Dr. Brears is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine. Since joining the SMP in 2012, she has served as the Family Practice Site Director for Years 1 and 2, as well as the Clinical Experiences Integration Co-Lead (since 2015) and the MEDD 422 Course Co-Director (since 2018). Prior to joining the SMP, Dr. Brears was a Clinical Lecturer in the University of Alberta’s Department of Family Medicine, and the Regional Site Coordinator for the Alberta Rural Family Medicine Network in Grand Prairie.

Dr. Brears’ appointment follows the leadership of Dr. Allan Jones as the inaugural Regional Associate Dean, Interior from March 1, 2009 to June 30, 2019. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Jones for his exceptional contributions and leadership in launching and establishing the SMP.

The recruitment process for the role of Regional Associate Dean, Interior is currently underway. We encourage all members of the SMP community to get involved in this process. A further communication will follow.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Brears on her interim appointment to this role.

A UBC medical student has determined that a new surgical guideline is making a difference for breast cancer patients.

Alex Monaghan, a second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student at UBC Okanagan, recently completed a study using patient data from BC Cancer-Kelowna. His research compared re-operation rates for breast cancer patients before and after a new surgical guideline was introduced five years ago.

Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiation therapy is a common first step in treating early-stage breast cancer. Following BCS, the removed portion of a woman’s breast is inked with permanent dye to allow doctors to measure the amount of healthy tissue surrounding a tumour and to determine whether the surgery was adequate.

Historically, debate has centred on the desired amount or margin of space between the tumour and inked edges to optimize patient outcome. With a lack of consensus, re-operation rates as reported by North America public-health institutions have varied considerably between 17 to 35 per cent.

In 2014, the Society of Surgical Oncology and American Society for Radiation Oncology released the new guideline of ‘no tumour on ink’ for cancer patients undergoing BCS.

“The guideline states that if a tumour does not touch the inked portion of tissue, re-operation may not be warranted,” says Monaghan lead author of the study. “Further surgery can lead to increased risk of medical complications and worsened cosmetic effects, without any evidence of prolonged survival or decreased cancer recurrence.”

Monaghan compared data of more than 1,100 patients from 2011 to 2017 to measure re-operation rates before and after the guidelines came into practice. As the primary referral centre for Interior Health, BC Cancer-Kelowna services 10 regional hospitals across the BC Interior. He conducted his research under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Baliski, a surgical oncologist at Kelowna General Hospital and BC Cancer, as well as an SMP clinical assistant professor.

Based on his findings, Monaghan found that a woman with early-stage breast cancer is 72 per cent less likely to have a re-operation after a lumpectomy today compared to 2014 and earlier.

“The research shows how the guideline has been adopted by community surgeons across the BC Interior,” says Monaghan. “Patients can avoid potential surgical complications, added stress, and the cosmetic effects are minimized. In addition, healthcare costs are reduced as a whole.”

Monaghan presented his work at the 105th meeting of the North Pacific Surgical Association in November of 2018. The study, supported by BC Cancer’s Surgical Oncology Network, was published recently in the American Journal of Surgery.

In partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Southern Medical Program students invite you to attend a discussion panel examining the systemic inequities underlying substance use. Healthcare students, professionals, and community members are welcome.

Real Talk to Recover Hope: Discussion Panel

Tuesday, March 26, 2019
6:30 to 8:00 pm,
Clinical Academic Campus, CAC 106 (Lecture Theatre)
2312 Pandosy Street, Kelowna, BC

For more information, contact katie.frese@alumni.ubc.ca.

Fourth-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student Sarah Fraser recently published an article in the BMC Medical Journal examining UBC’s renewed curriculum and the topic of concussion. First introduced in 2015, the renewed curriculum replaced the traditional block model with spirals of integrated themes, systems, and clinical experiences. We caught up with Fraser, in her final stages of her medical degree, to discuss her research project.

An important side note, Fraser is the recent recipient of the William A. Webber Memorial Scholarship in Medicine. Recognized as the Faculty of Medicine’s most prestigious award for medical students, the annual award acknowledges outstanding academic record, a genuine commitment to medicine and community, enthusiasm for sports or the arts, leadership qualities, and the promise of an exceptional career.

How did the project start?

The research first started as part of my FLEX (Flexible and Enhanced Learning) project when I was studying concussion physiology in a UBC Okanagan lab. We came across a publication in our journal club that suggested medical students did not get enough exposure to the topic of concussion. Additionally, it stated residents and physicians were often inconsistent in their diagnosis and management.

What did you do next?

We designed a study to take advantage of the concurrent delivery of Concussion Week and the Brain and Behaviour Block and determine if there were any learning differences. Students from the MD Class of 2019 (renewed curriculum) were compared to the MD Classes of 2016-2018 (old curriculum) with respect to their knowledge of concussion. Dr. Olusgeun Oyedele, SMP Course Director, and Dr. Peter Choi, Associate Director of Curriculum, Years 1 & 2 assisted in the initial phases of the research to help identify the curricular objectives we planned to compare.

What did you discover?

We demonstrated several relative advantages of the spiral curriculum. Spiral students (renewed curriculum) had more formal exposure and could recognize whiplash as a mechanism of concussion and acknowledge long-term consequences like CTE, Second Impact Syndrome, or Parkinsonism more than both block students (old curriculum) and the original study cohort. Block students had substantially more clinical exposure and a better understanding of the physical exam requirements, presumably related. Both block and spiral students had an excellent understanding of red flag symptoms. They were also very similar to the original study cohort that found 22% of all respondents did not believe “every concussed individual should see a physician.”

How does FLEX contribute to your education?

I used FLEX to explore self-identified knowledge gaps. In first year, I struggled with neurology so I used my FLEX project time to work in the concussion lab learning the physiology of concussions. Additionally, I volunteered with an interdisciplinary team working with people rehabilitating from severe traumatic brain injuries and stroke. These activities solidified my understanding of neurology and provided useful knowledge translation and communication skills that I use almost every day. Using FLEX in this way, and going outside of my comfort zone, was hugely beneficial to my education and future practice.

Co-authors for the study include Sandy Wright, MD/PhD student, Dr. Jonathan Smirl, Post Doctoral Fellow, and Dr. Paul van Donnkelar, Professor at UBC Okanagan. Click to view the full article.

On behalf of the Southern Medical Program (SMP), I am thrilled to share news that the entire SMP Class of 2019 matched after the first round of the CaRMS (Canadian Resident Matching Service) match. Our faculty and staff across the region could not be happier and excited for each of our students. Here are a few highlights from the 2019 match:

• All 32 students from the SMP Class of 2019 matched after the first round.
• 16 students (50%) matched to Family Medicine.
• 16 students matched to specialty programs including Internal Medicine (5), Emergency Medicine (3), Ophthalmology (2), Pediatrics (2), Anesthesiology, Diagnostic Radiology, General Surgery, and Psychiatry.
• 5 students matched to residency programs in the BC Interior including Family Medicine in Kamloops (3) and Kelowna (1), and Emergency Medicine in Kelowna (1).
• 21 students (66%) matched to residency programs at UBC.

Congratulations to the SMP Class of 2019. We are all so proud and look forward to celebrating your upcoming graduation in May.

Allan R. Jones, MD, FRCPC
Regional Associate Dean, Interior, UBC Faculty of Medicine
Associate Vice Provost, Medical Sciences, UBC Okanagan

View photos from the 2019 CaRMS match event in Kelowna.

The Southern Medical Program invites you to attend the 2019 UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference March 18, 2019 at the Clinical Academic Campus at Kelowna General Hospital. Join us as students share their research and public health experiences with the local research community and health professionals. Featuring poster presentations from the Southern Medical Program, UBC Okanagan, and BC Cancer-Kelowna. A special guest presentation by Dr. Donna Kurtz, Associate Professor, UBC Okanagan School of Nursing will follow the poster presentations.

Monday, March 18, 2019

4:00 pm Posters available for viewing.

6:00 pm Poster presentations begin.

The event is free to attend. For more information, please contact linda.misura@ubc.ca or 250-807-9187.

UBC Clinical Academic Campus, Kelowna General Hospital, 2312 Pandosy Street

Mark Cornett
Hometown: King Township, Ontario

Why did you choose a career in medicine?

Working as a police officer before entering medical school, I learned through experiences both wonderful and equally horrid how I perceive the human condition and how woven together biological, psychological and sociological factors are in the basis of disease. I have had the opportunity to perform life-saving CPR, advocate for those I have apprehended under the Mental Health Act and brought to a hospital for care, and discovered for myself that I experience a deep, personal satisfaction by ensuring the well-being of a person, whether that be their physical, mental or emotional health. I learned I am comfortable making split-second decisions, working with and depending on my colleagues as part of a team, and serving the community at large just as physicians do on a daily basis.

I chose a career in medicine because I want to apply my theoretical knowledge surrounding the biopsychosocial determinants of disease, advocate ferociously for my patients, ensure their participation in their own healthcare journey, be a source of comfort for them in tough times, and be personally challenged every single day.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Enjoy great food and wine with friends, hiking, diving, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, backcountry camping, sailing, skiing, wakeboarding, travelling, and spending as much time doing all of the above with my dog Jake.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

Back to the Philippines or Indonesia because the diving is out of this world.

What are you most looking forward to about training with the Southern Medical Program?

I’m very much looking forward to the smaller and close-knit learning environment in the Southern Medical Program. I think the opportunities to interact with faculty and preceptors will be invaluable and our small class size will create lifelong friendships!

Svetlana Hadikin
Hometown: Castlegar, BC

Why did you choose a career in medicine?

Having grown up in a rural town in BC, I experienced first-hand the challenges that rural communities face when it comes to accessing healthcare. The doctor shortage seems to be the most obvious in the rural and remote regions of our province. I decided to pursue a career in medicine in order to help alleviate some of the issues that small, out of reach communities face. I intend on living and working in a small town in my future as a physician, and actively working toward improving the health care system for those who have the most struggles accessing good quality care.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I have always loved to read and to sing, so I will never turn down the chance to pick up a good book, or to sing with a choir or a group. I also love the outdoors, and spend much of my time with my family and my dog, hiking, swimming, and skiing in the beautiful province that we are so fortunate to live in.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?

I have many wonderful sounding places on my bucket list, and I hope to travel to many amazing places in my lifetime, though there are two that stand out the most in my mind. The first is Costa Rica. I love tropical vacations and I also want to immerse myself into the culture of the area I am visiting and to explore the region. Costa Rica has always had a certain appeal to me, and I feel that it would be able to check all the boxes as far as climate, culture, and adventure go. I would love to make my way over there at some point. The second place would be Russia. My ancestors all came from Russia, and I still speak the language and hang on to bits of the culture. I would love the opportunity to see where my history comes from and to be immersed in the Russian way of life.

What are you most looking forward to about training with the Southern Medical Program?

Training in the SMP will allow me to stay closer to my family, as the majority lives in the BC interior. Visiting with my parents, grandparents, and other extended family will be made much easier by being a little closer to them all. I am also looking forward to having more rural training and volunteering opportunities, because I believe it will better prepare me for my future as a rural physician.

The Southern Medical Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Delilah Topic as the new Year 4 Transition into Professional Practice (TIPP) Co-Lead for the Southern Medical Program. Dr. Topic is a medical oncologist based at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) and Clinical Assistant Professor with the UBC Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology.

Dr. Topic completed her medical degree and residency training at the University of Toronto. For the past six years, she has worked with the BCCA Cancer Agency, Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior. During her medical practice, Dr. Topic has served the SMP as a Case-Based Learning (CBL) tutor and a preceptor for third and fourth year students training at KGH. Dr. Topic is the 2018 recipient of the SMP Year 1 Excellence Award, awarded for excellence in medical education by first year SMP students.

Dr. Topic will work closely with her counterpart Dr. Graeme McCauley, Year 4 TIPP Co-Lead for the SMP. The TIPP course is designed to facilitate effective transition of medical students into residency and medical practice. Dr. Topic will also work collaboratively with TIPP Leads at the Island Medical Program, Northern Medical Program and Vancouver-Fraser Medical Program