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!

2017 Southern Medical Program Graduate  – Celine Akyurekli

What attracted you to your field?
For a number of years, I had volunteered at my local hospital in the palliative care unit. I enjoyed visiting with patients and learning about their individual stories. I studied molecular biology in my undergraduate degree and was interested in working in the medical field but after many summers of work in medical research laboratories, I missed having interactions with patients. So therefore, I pursued a career in medicine so I could have a direct impact on the health and care of individuals.

In 10 years, what UBC moment will you still be talking about?
I have especially fond memories of my rural family medicine placement in Port McNeil. During that month, I had the opportunity to be a part of a very compassionate and skilled team of rural health care providers who practice the full spectrum of primary care in a remote setting. During this elective, I had one particular experience that solidified my desire to practice rural family medicine. When on call in the local emergency room, I treated a young woman who was very sick with a gallbladder infection. I then managed her care as an inpatient in the hospital. A few weeks later while I was working at a remote outreach clinic in her community, I had the opportunity to follow up with this woman on her recovery, and meet her young daughter. The ability to practice that spectrum of medicine, in a variety of environments, and to have continuity of care with my patients was extremely engaging and rewarding.

What’s next for you?
I will embark on a two year residency in Rural Family Medicine at UBC’s rural Okanagan program in Kelowna. I look forward to working with world class medical professionals and growing my knowledge base and experience. I am also very excited at the opportunities that await me in the R-2 year to practice in other rural communities of BC.

As you look ahead, who inspires you?
I am inspired by the rural physicians that I have had the opportunity to work with over the past two years. These physicians are devoted to caring for the health of their communities. Their broad medical knowledge and skills are impressive and yet they also know the personal stories of each patient in their practice and are always practicing patient centered care. I am inspired to be able to practice the full spectrum of primary care as they do following my residency.

Name one thing on your bucket list.
I am looking forward to more outdoor adventures in BC with my partner and our dog Gunnerbro. I am hoping to take a climbing trip to the Bugaboos in the near future.

2017 Southern Medical Program Graduate  – Alistair Hart

What attracted you to your field?
Medicine provides a unique opportunity to help people physically or mentally by providing direct care or providing advice and being a source of support. All while providing a rewarding and ever-changing career to the practitioner. This duo of a challenging career that allows you to continuously develop, and potentially make large differences in people’s lives for the better is why I chose medicine.

In 10 years what UBC moment will you still be talking about?
I will always remember the very first real lecture we had as a whole class in Vancouver. Everyone was chatting as usual in the lecture hall, but when the signal was given for the lecture to start it went dead silent in a hurry. Everyone was watching Dr. Crawford give one of his classic lessons like hawks, and the noise of scribbling pens and fingers typing was louder than I had ever heard. I remember sitting there thinking is this what med school was like? I thought it was just like something out of a movie, all these people doing their best to jot down and slam information into their brains while an experienced teacher was demonstrating embryology with colour-coded models. It’s nice to remember how excited we were to start and I expect to feel the same way in July.

Whats next for you?
In July, I will be heading to Edmonton to start my residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Alberta.

As you look ahead, who inspires you?
Over my couple years of training I came across many great clinicians, their examples inspire me to try emulate the parts of their practices that I thought were exemplary. Combine this with the stories of the patients you see being helped, and it is easy to stay committed to learning and doing your best. Personally, I want to provide work that is meaningful and I can be proud of in the future, and I am lucky to have siblings that are successful in health care that also push me/ inspire me.

Name one thing on your bucket list.
Ride the Maratona dles dolomites.

Candice Quinn, PhD student, Biology took top honours in the Science/Gastroenterology category at the 2017 conference

The fourth annual UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Student Health Conference showcased some of the great student research underway at UBC Okanagan and Kelowna General Hospital. Students from the Southern Medical Program, Faculty of Health and Social Development, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, and BC Cancer Agency presented their research in four different categories: Science, Science/Gastroenterology, Clinical, and Public Health.

The event was held on March 16, 2017 at the UBC Clinical Academic Campus. Congratulations to all of the winners and honourable mentions:

Science
Top Honours – Caitlin Pointer: The effect of extracellular cardiolipin on microglia-‐mediated cytotoxicity and neuronal survival
Honourable Mention – Lisa Renaud: Investigating the effects of dietary fatty acids in drosophila

Science/Gastroenterology
Top Honours – Candice Quinn: The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on the developing infant microbiome
Honourable Mention – Sandeep Gill: Designer probiotics as a novel therapeutic against inflammatory bowel disease

Clinical
Top Honours (Tie) – Carson Gill, Brendan Arnold, and Sean Nugent: Review of pediatric psychosocial assessment documentation in emergency departments in BC; Lauren Hughes : Personal REsponse Determinants In Cancer Therapy (PREDICT) as a multidisciplinary research initiative to increase patient involvement in research and expand cancer research studies

Honourable Mention – Marc Jutras: Ultra-high resolution imaging for the characterization of the histological features of lung cancer subtypes

Public Health
Top Honours –  Haleema Jaffer: Tailoring the University of British Columbia’s positive space workshop for medical students
Honourable Mention – Golshan Massah: Implementation of preventive interventions for care of patients with type 2 diabetes at primary care clinics in British Columbia, Canada

A special thanks to adjudicators Brent Parker, Dr. Charlotte Jones, Dr. Silvian Mema, Dr. Kamran Golmohammadi, and special guest speaker Dr. Deanna Gibson, Associate Professor, Biology at UBC Okanagan.

Sarah Fraser and Michael Slater, second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) students have been recognized for excellence in academics, leadership, and community service with the 2017 Reichwald Family Foundation Southern Medical Program award.

Born in Ontario and raised in Nanaimo, Fraser attended Vancouver Island University and earned BSc in molecular biology before joining UBC medicine. Through her medical studies and research interests, she has worked with the Sexual Assault Response Team at Kelowna General Hospital, CONNECT Communities for Acquired Brain Injury, and Sport Concussion Lab at UBC Okanagan. She serves as chief copy editor for the UBC medical journal and president and cofounder of the Institute of Health Improvement Open School UBC Okanagan Chapter, an organization that provides opportunities to learn why errors happen, how to prevent them, and how to become agents of change in patient safety, quality improvement, and the culture of medicine

Growing up on Vancouver Island, Slater earned a BSc in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria and work as a personal trainer prior to entering medical school. Serving as SMP Class Vice President for the past two years, he serves as advocate for his classmates on all curricular matters. With a research interest in social media and medical education, he co-presented a one-hour interactive workshop for health profession students at the Universitas 21 Health Science Group annual meeting in Birmingham, UK. Slater has also participated in numerous community outreach events including the Talk to Your Doctor workshops, UBC Okanagan Pre-Med Club events, and the recent MD Admissions information session for Okanagan high school students and parents.

Both students will receive $10,000 towards their medical education. Fraser will soon begin her third-year clerkship at Kelowna General Hospital while Slater will be relocating to Chilliwack for an integrated community clerkship.

The Healthcare Travelling Roadshow will be visiting Grand Forks, Trail, and Nelson in early May with the goal of recruiting the next generation of rural BC health professionals.

High school students at Grand Forks Secondary, JL Crowe Secondary, and LV Rogers Secondary will get an opportunity to experience numerous hands-on activities and engage with healthcare students from medicine, nursing, licensed practical nursing, respiratory therapy, midwifery, and optometry.

Since its inception, the roadshow has connected with more than 5,000 youth in 22 communities throughout B.C. The roadshow initiative has grown to three regional trips this year including Kootenay/Boundary, Cariboo (Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House), and North Thompson/Robson (McBride, Valemount, Clearwater, and Barriere).

The program is supported by the UBC Faculty of Medicine and University of Northern British Columbia. The Kootenay/Boundary trip is funded through the Southern Medical Program, Rural Education Action Plan, and Interior Health. For more information, contact warren.brock@ubc.ca.

Dr. Olusegun Oyedele, Course Director and Senior Instructor, UBC Southern Medical Program has been acknowledged with the Canadian Association of Medical Education (CAME) 2017 Certificate of Merit Award. The annual award recognizes faculty across Canadian medical schools who have made valued contributions to medical education.

Dr. Oyedele was recruited to join the SMP as Basic Science Instructor in 2011, relocating from South Africa as a senior lecturer for the University of Witwatersrand. Commencing with the SMP’s inaugural class, Dr. Oyedele has led the teaching of first and second year SMP students in anatomy, embryology, neuroanatomy, and histology. Dr. Oyedele has been integral in both building the technical aspects of the anatomy and histology laboratories from the ground-up in addition to creating the SMP Basic Science Program.

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Oyedele has continued to expand his leadership roles within the Faculty of Medicine. In 2015, he was recruited to serve as SMP Course Director, Foundations of Medicine helping to oversee this robust course on both provincial and local levels. He has also served as SMP Director of Anatomical Sciences Education and SMP Faculty Development Lead for small group learning providing education and support for over 50 problem-based learning tutors. In November 2016, Dr. Oyedele led a Faculty of Medicine pilot project to create video recordings of case based learning (CBL) best practice scenarios to be used as a faculty development resource for CBL tutors provincially

Dr. Oyedele continues to play a critical role in the success and evolution of the SMP. His teaching contributions are exceptional and he continues to have a significant impact on countless learners within the SMP and across UBC’s distributed MD Undergraduate Program.