The Southern Medical Program Excellence (SMP) Awards recognize faculty, staff, tutors, and mentors for their exceptional contributions to medical education across the program’s education sites. The entire award process including nomination and selection is completely undertaken by SMP students. On behalf of the SMP, congratulations to the 2017 honourees and thank you for your esteemed contributions to medical education for our students.

Year 1 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award
Matt Daalder, Lab Assistant, Southern Medical Program

Matt Daalder is the lab assistant for the SMP and assists with the gross anatomy, histology, and neuroanatomy labs for first and second year students.

Matt was acknowledged for his love of teaching and his creative ways to help students remember complicated anatomy. Matt consistently goes out of his way to offer support and is always willing to spend extra time with those students looking to take their knowledge to a higher level.

Year 2 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award
Dr. Ahmad Alshrbini, Adjunct Professor, Southern Medical Program

Dr. Ahmad Alshrbini is a case-based learning tutor and FLEX (flexible and enhance learning) course advisor for first and second year students.

Students consider him as an incredibly knowledgeable tutor, positive mentor, and excellent facilitator of group discussions. Dr. Alshirbini is incredibly supportive and goes above and beyond his responsibilities to effectively inform and guide students in their tasks and learning goals.

Year 3 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award – Kamloops
Dr. Amy Thibeault, Clinical Instructor, UBC Department of Psychiatry

Dr. Amy Thibeault is a psychiatrist and preceptor with the SMP’s Kamloops Clerkship Program based at Royal Inland Hospital.

She is recognized for her exceptional teaching and ability to continually provide genuine, objective, and honest guidance. Dr. Thibeault also demonstrates great communication skills with patients and staff helping students to learn how to effectively interact with everyone in the hospital setting. Students cannot help but feel constantly engaged and interested in the field of psychiatry.

Year 3 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award – Kelowna
Dr. Steven Finkleman, Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Family Practice

Dr. Steven Finkleman is a pediatrician and preceptor with the SMP’s Kelowna Clerkship Program based at Kelowna General Hospital.

He is acknowledged for his interactive and engaging teaching sessions and taking extra efforts to ensure students have a good grasp of common pediatric conditions. Students greatly appreciate his dedication to teaching core pediatric principles which ultimately helps them succeed in both their pediatric rotation and future practice.

Year 3 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award – Vernon
Dr. Brian Chai, Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Medicine

Dr. Brian Chai is an internist and preceptor for the Vernon Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) program based at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

He is highly-regarded for optimizing learning sessions during the internal medicine rotation for Vernon ICC students. Dr. Chai continually makes the effort to turn every clinical encounter into a learning experience, whether it’s in the office, endoscopy, or intensive care unit. He demonstrates a true enthusiasm for teaching and spends extra time working with students to hone their skills.

Year 3 Southern Medical Program Excellence Award – Trail
Dr. Anne Davies, Clinical Instructor, Department of Family Practice

Dr. Anne Davies is a family physician and primary family practice preceptor with the Trail ICC program based at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.

She is acknowledged as an irreplaceable mentor for Trail ICC students, a fantastic teacher, and for continually fostering a safe learning environment. Dr. Davies consistently takes the time to teach and ensures students have the same educational opportunities as they would in larger centres.

2017 Southern Medical Program Graduating Class Award
Dr. Olusegun Oyedele, Course Director and Senior Instructor, Southern Medical Program

Dr. Olusegun Oyedele leads the teaching of first and second year SMP students in anatomy, embryology, neuroanatomy, and histology in addition to serving as SMP Course Director for the Foundations of Medicine course.

The graduating SMP Class of 2017 recognized him for his extraordinary teaching efforts during their first two years of medical school. Dr. Oyedele is always willing to invest extra time to review learning objectives and presents concepts in a teaching style that allows student to retain the information for the long-term.

Dr. Kasia Wieckowski
Southern Medical Program Class of 2015
Rural Family Practice Resident PGY2, Lethbridge, Alberta

Tell us about your current training
As a rural family practice resident, my day typically includes a little bit of everything. When not on a specialty rotation, I start my day rounding on my inpatients and performing small day procedures (e.g., biopsies, Vandenbos procedure, and other excisions). I then spend the rest of the day in clinic seeing patients. Every fourth day, I am on call and manage the rural emergency department of the hospital I am working at. When not in clinic I do obstetrics, surgical assist, or work with the GP anesthetist.

Today in healthcare it’s important to…
Listen to your patients, particularly when you’ve had a long complicated day and are exhausted.

The best professional advice I ever received
Is to be present. When you’re at work – work hard and focus. But when you go home, put work aside and be present with your family and friends. The latter is sometimes hard to do.

Favourite memory of the Faculty of Medicine
Looking at the smiling faces of my SMP classmates on graduation day. Every one of us was there and we were all just a little bit smarter and wiser for the past four years of training.

Advice for current medical students
If I were to give one piece of advice to incoming students it would be to not forget who you are at your core. Medicine challenges you in ways that you would not anticipate and it’s important to not loose sight of who you are.

Bucket list item
If I were to have one bucket list item, it is to never have a bucket list. I hope to do everything as soon as the opportunity presents itself because who knows what the future holds.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery acknowledged Dr. Maureen Leia-Stephen, Kamloops surgeon and Clinical Instructor with the H. Rocke Robertson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Surgical Teaching. The annual award spotlights a UBC clinical faculty member for outstanding teaching contributions to the MD Undergraduate Program as regarded by medical students.

In addition to her teaching, Dr. Leia-Stephen serves as the surgery rotation lead for the Southern Medical Program’s Kamloops Clerkship Program since its beginning in 2012. She proficiently oversees the surgery rotation scheduling, orientation, and exam preparation for all third-year Kamloops clerkship students. Dr. Leia-Stephen continues to be recognized as an exceptional preceptor and mentor for students training at Royal Inland Hospital.

The Southern Medical Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kevin Oswald as the new Clinical Skills Co-Course Director based at the Clinical Academic Campus at Kelowna General Hospital. Dr. Oswald practices family and hospitalist medicine in Vernon and is a clinical instructor with the UBC Department of Family Practice.

Dr. Oswald completed his medical degree and family medicine residency at Queen’s University in Kingston followed by further training in oncology. Working as a hospitalist for the past three years, he has practiced family medicine for close to 30 years. Dr. Oswald is a fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.

Dr. Oswald has a keen interest in supporting and growing medical education opportunities in the region. Dr. Oswald also recently served as a Clinical Skills preceptor for first and second year SMP students who have consistently rated his teaching as excellent.

Dr. Oswald will work closely with his counterpart Dr. Brandy Bursey, SMP Clinical Skills Co-Course Director in leading the development and implementation of Clinical Skills courses for first and second year SMP students.

Students from the Southern Medical Program and BC Cancer Agency will be presenting their research projects during the months of June, July, and August. Learn more about interesting student research supported through the Faculty of Medicine’s Summer Student Research Program and BC Cancer Agency Internship Program.

Presentations will be held in the Okanagan Room at the BC Cancer Agency Centre for the Southern Interior at Kelowna General Hospital.

Time:  12:00 to 1:00 PM

Remaining Dates:
Tuesday July 25
Tuesday August 8
Tuesday August 22

Presentations are free to attend and open to the public. For more info, contact carolyn.roque@ubc.ca.

Stephanie Schindler (middle), first year UBC medical student leads hands-on activity for students at LV Rogers Secondary in Nelson as part of the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow.

A diverse group of university students from across BC and Canada recently spent a week in rural BC to inspire high school students to pursue future careers in healthcare.

“The healthcare travelling roadshow is designed to help address rural healthcare shortages by reaching out to high school students,” says Leah Trippell, a first-year Southern Medical Program student at UBC Okanagan. “At the same time we provide education about the breadth of careers available and what type of careers are needed in rural communities.”

Nine students representing UBC medicine, midwifery and pharmacy along with licensed practical nursing (Vancouver Island University), respiratory therapy (Thompson Rivers University), and optometry (University of Waterloo) participated in this year’s week-long trek trip to Grand Forks, Trail, and Nelson.

The roadshow is an eye-opening experience for countless high school students, who discovered that thumbs have pulses, and babies turn during birth. Many are surprised to learn about the existence of midwives and respiratory therapists and the scope of practice each profession represents.

In total, more than 600 students from Grand Forks Secondary School, JL Crowe secondary in Trail, and LV Rogers secondary in Nelson participated in the travelling exhibition.

“The roadshow was a fantastic experience for our students,” says Hellen Argue, Student Services and Career Prep Coordinator at Grand Forks secondary. “The greatest testimony came from the students who thought it ‘would be a waste of time because they weren’t going to be doctors.’ After the session, these same students were raving about the presentation and the hands-on activities.”

As part of the trip, the university students had an opportunity to explore each community, tour local healthcare facilities to speak with rural practitioners, and connect with local mayors and councils.

“It was amazing to spend time becoming familiar with some of the communities in rural BC,” adds Trippell. “Each community welcomed us with open arms and was so excited to show us what makes their city unique and to highlight the benefits of living in smaller communities where the work-life balance is an appealing part of the lifestyle.”

The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow was conceived and developed by Dr. Sean Maurice at the Northern Medical Program based at the University of Northern BC. The provincial initiative is sustained by support from the Northern Medical Programs Trust, Rural Education Action Plan, Interior Health, and UBC Southern Medical Program.

The program has grown to include three regional trips this year including Kootenay (Grand Forks, Trail, Nelson), Cariboo (Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House), and Robson (McBride, Valemount, Clearwater, and Barriere). Since its inception, the roadshow has connected with more than 7,000 teenagers in 32 communities throughout BC.

2017 Southern Medical Program Graduate – Jacqueline Reid

What attracted you to your field?
I became interested in internal medicine when I was working as a nurse on a medical and cardiology ward. I enjoyed the complex cases, and was intrigued by the problem solving process, as well as working closely with patients and the health care team. My internal medicine rotations throughout medical school sealed the deal for me.

In 10 years, what UBC moment will you still be talking about?
I will always remember meeting my Southern Medical Program friends at the first lunch social. The people I connected with on that first day are still my closest friends.

What’s next for you?
I am very excited to be heading to Vancouver with my husband and our cat, Clawde, to start a residency program in internal medicine.

As you look ahead, who inspires you?
I have always been inspired by the late Dr. Nelems, who I was fortunate enough to have as a teacher and mentor during medical school. I admired his passion for medicine, his dedication to advance medicine, and his genuine care for patients.

 Name one thing on your bucket list.
I have always dreamed of travelling to Italy to cycle through the country, while sampling cheese and olives, and drinking wine. Sounds nice!

2017 Southern Medical Program Graduate – Aaron Sobkowicz

What attracted you to your field?
Going through our clinical years, I found myself really enjoying pretty much every rotation. When decision time came it made a lot of sense for me to remain a generalist. Family medicine allows for huge flexibility throughout a career, and I’m excited to be able to pursue my interests in acute and hospital medicine while having the option to pursue other areas of medicine in the future. I’ve also always wanted the opportunity to form longitudinal relationships with my patients and family medicine provides that opportunity to a degree not really seen elsewhere.

In 10 years, what UBC moment will you still be talking about?
It’s hard to choose just one moment over the last four years to reminisce about.  There have been so many amazing (and difficult) experiences throughout this journey, and it’s not a stretch to say it’s been transformative. One thing I’ll always take with me is the relationships I’ve made. I remember someone telling us in our first week of school that our future best friends were in that same lecture theatre as us, and how true that has turned out to be!

What’s next for you?
I’ll be heading up to Nanaimo to pursue further training in family medicine. I’m extra excited since some of my close friends will be accompanying me! After that, I’ll most likely be settling down in BC – my wife and I both love the Okanagan and Vancouver Island!

As you look ahead, who inspires you?
Medicine requires a lot of sacrifice, and there are constant pressures and stressors that can cause burnout if we’re not careful. The people I have always been inspired by are those who are able to maintain a caring, patient and empathetic attitude towards their patients despite all the craziness. I’ve had the good fortune of having some really great friends in my class during medical school, and I frequently find myself inspired by their excitement and passion for learning medicine. My goal is to continue to surround myself with such amazing individuals throughout my career.

Name one thing on your bucket list.
It used to be riding a horse until I had a patient with a pretty nasty open fracture after falling off of one during a trail ride. Now I’d say surfing is probably next on my list of fun activities I haven’t tried yet!