Southern Medical Program Class of 2016 Graduate Profiles

Patricia Caddy
Hometown: Nanaimo BC

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?
Without a doubt, the people. My SMP classmates have rallied around one another in times of stress and uncertainty, and have celebrated together in times of success. That kind of support is priceless. And countless doctors have taken the time to guide us with kindness and honesty. Mostly though, I’ve enjoyed and been grateful to the patients who have let us into their lives now, so that we can be of better service to others in the future.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
What hasn’t surprised me or challenged me might be the better question. Putting down roots in Interior BC with 30 new friends was fun and exciting, as was travelling everywhere for rotations and CaRMS. At the same time, starting a new job in a new place every 2-4 weeks throughout fourth year was not without it’s own challenges. I have learned a lot about medicine, but more, I think, about myself, over these last 4 years.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
The courses that feel “fluffy” in the first couple years actually teach you things that, I promise, you will use every single day in medicine, no matter what specialty you choose. You will be sorry if you don’t learn those “soft skills” now. You can know the textbook, back to front, but if you don’t connect with the person in front of you, you’re not being as helpful as you could be.

What’s next for you?
I’m beyond proud to be heading back to my hometown of Nanaimo BC to pursue a career in family medicine. I hope to one day have a practice that is sensitive to the social determinants of health, and aims to reduce barriers to healthcare for stigmatized populations. And I hope to keep writing, learning, and sharing.

Julia Hassler
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience? 
Patients. Individuals are so remarkable and unique. In medicine we are privileged to people’s personal lives and getting to know their whole story. I have so much enjoyed getting to know each patient. And most of all, I have loved the responsibility of providing care. Particularly through engaging in discussions and individualizing medicine to give the best care possible. It’s been so rewarding to carry out my passions towards a constructive purpose.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
With all the demands and responsibilities in Medicine, maintaining self-care and leading a balanced lifestyle has been a challenge. There have been lots of sacrifices but a lot of unexpected rewards too – medical school and I have definitely had a give & take relationship!

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
Recognize your values and protect the ideals you came here for. Make it your prerogative to make time for friends, family and activities outside of medicine – personal development is key to success for exams, stress & empathy and development as a professional. Oh and always say YES!!! to new adventures.

What’s next for you?
Family medicine in Victoria BC. This residency is a perfect fit for me as I like to keep busy and it’s filled with lots of exposure and acuity! I see myself delivering comprehensive family practice while also working in emergency departments. I now call BC home and hope to return to a community to call my own.

Kurt Hoskin
Hometown: Surrey, BC

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?
Clinical rotations were definitely the best part of medical school as we got to piece together everything we learned in the first two years and apply it to the complexities of actual patients on the wards. I still remember the first time I reviewed a patient’s chart on a hospital ward; I was blown away by how many chronic diseases a patient could have. It was intimidating, but also motivating to learn and understand how to appropriately manage such complicated cases.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
I was most surprised at how a patient changes from initial presentation to discharge. Some patients come in on the verge of death, and in a couple days they can be back to their ordinary self, smiling and laughing with family. Being a part of this transformation is an absolute privilege and it never gets old.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
Medical school is a lot of fun and it goes by extremely quickly, so please get everything out of it that you can. Be that positive medical student that wants to be involved in all aspects of medicine. Even if you think you know what specialty you want, go into every rotation with an open mind. You may be surprised what you actually like best.

Also be prepared for lots of feedback; probably more feedback than you have ever gotten before. And please, don’t take it personally, but instead use it to constantly make yourself a better medical student. You’ll get to work with so many different types of physicians that will all impact on how you practice as a future doctor.

Lastly, make sure you have a balanced approach to medical school. Don’t forget about your family and friends and always make sure you take time for yourself; whether that be regular exercise or some other activity, you need to have things outside of medicine that you look forward to.

What’s next for you?
I am excited to say that I get to stay in BC and start my residency in Internal Medicine in Vancouver.

Travis Thompson
Hometown: Oliver, BC

 What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?
The people involved in the SMP (students, physicians, staff and others) are who made this whole experience a once in a lifetime deal! The friends that I have made, people that I have met and experiences that I have had were fantastic!

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
I’m not able to think of anything in particular that was surprising because each day was full of little surprises. All were positive experiences though. Each day was full of challenges especially once the clinical years started. Learning how to function in the hospital setting was quite a learning curve.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
Have fun (but not too much fun haha)! Work hard and stay as positive as possible. There will be days that don’t go as you would have hoped, but it all works out in the end if you put in the time!

What’s next for you?
I’m headed to Penticton for the next two years for residency in family medicine. Hopefully I will  be able to stay in the South Okanagan to practice once I’m done!

Congratulations to the inaugural recipients of the Southern Medical Program (SMP) Excellence Awards. The new awards program recognizes SMP faculty, tutors, staff, and mentors who have made outstanding contributions to the medical education of our students. The nomination and selection process for the awards program is completely undertaken by SMP students. On behalf of the SMP and our students, we would like to express our sincere appreciation for their exceptional efforts. Below is the full list of this year’s award recipients:

Year 1 SMP Excellence Award & Year 2 SMP Excellence Award: Kelly Heyer, Lab Assistant

Kelly Heyer has been the Lab Assistant for the SMP for the past three years and this year’s recipient for both Year 1 and Year 2 awards. She is recognized for her exemplary teaching for gross anatomy and neuroanatomy labs as well as providing a safe and inclusive learning environment. Kelly is also acknowledged for her willingness to offer additional help to students outside the regularly scheduled labs. We would like to wish her all the best as she leaves the SMP to pursue her own career goals of becoming a physician.

Year 3 SMP Excellence Award – Kelowna: Dr. Marie Michaud, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

Dr. Marie Michaud is a nephrologist and preceptor for the Internal Medicine rotation for the SMP’s third-year clerkship program at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). She is recognized as an outstanding teacher and role model for students. Dr. Michaud is noted for taking the time out of her day to sit down and discuss approaches to common nephrology problems and her amazing rapport with patients and their families.

Year 3 SMP Excellence Award – Kamloops: Dr. Hilary Baikie, Clinical Instructor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Hilary Baikie is an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and rotation lead for the SMP’s third-year clerkship program at Royal Inland Hospital. She is recognized for her gifted teaching and excellent role modelling for Kamloops students. Dr. Baikie consistently makes extra time in her schedule to help students prepare for exams including spending numerous hours reviewing concepts and differentials.

Year 3 SMP Excellence Award – Trail: Dr. Andrew Lawe, Clinical Instructor, Department of Surgery

Dr. Andrew Lawe is a general surgeon and preceptor for the Trail Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) program based at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital. He is recognized as an excellent preceptor and ensures students are fully involved in the entire patient care process from pre-surgical assessments to surgery to rounding after surgery. Dr. Lawe also provides invaluable mentoring on topics such as work-life balance and best approaches to difficult aspects of medical practice.

Year 3 SMP Excellence Award – Vernon:  Dr. Ron Long, Clinical Instructor, Department of Family Medicine

Dr. Ron Long is a family physician and primary Family Medicine preceptor for the Vernon ICC program based at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. He is acknowledged as outstanding teacher who gives valuable teaching points while simultaneously providing comfort to his patients. Dr. Long is also acknowledged as a fantastic mentor and someone who contributes much of his time to the success of the Vernon ICC program.

2016 SMP Graduating Class Award: Dr. Christopher Ng, Clinical Instructor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dr. Christopher Ng is an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) and preceptor with the third-year clerkship program at KGH. He is recognized for his passion for teaching, enthusiastic attitude, and approach to involving students. Dr. Ng is also appreciated for his personal interest in students’ career development and has a habit of leaving students feeling motivated and excited about learning medicine.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is hosting the 13th annual Aboriginal Pre-Admissions Workshop from July 18 to 20, 2016 at UBC Okanagan in partnership with the Southern Medical Program.

The purpose of the workshop is to provide Aboriginal students with the necessary tools to be successful in the application process and completing their studies with the MD Undergraduate Program. The workshop is led by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal physicians, medical students and residents, university staff and faculty members.

Aboriginal Grade 11 and 12 students as well as those attending university/college are encouraged to register. Please note travel to and from the workshop will be the student’s responsibility. Space is limited, so apply early.

Application deadline: June 17, 2016

To apply, please contact James Andrew, Aboriginal Student Initiatives Coordinator at (604) 875-4111 ext. 68946 or aboriginal.md@ubc.ca.

Exposure to rural family practice is a key component of the Faculty of Medicine’s curriculum for third-year medical students. Often, it can have a transformative effect on students who are at a pivotal stage charting their future career paths.

The Rural Family Practice Clerkship is a mandatory four-week rotation completed in a rural BC community aimed at showcasing the wide range of skills, expertise, and advocacy that are core to the life of a rural family physician. Within the BC Interior, there are approximately 130 rural family physicians teaching these rotations in 34 different communities.

The educational experience of third-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student Kirsten Mossington is typical:

They say it takes a village to raise a child. One of the strongest messages I got from my rural family practice rotation was that it takes an entire community to train a physician. This past winter, I was placed in Christina Lake for one month to experience rural family medicine. Each morning, I would meet my preceptor at the hospital in Grand Forks where we would see follow-up patients, perform minor procedures, round on in-patients, and see long-term care patients before heading off to the clinic in Christina Lake, or completing a shift in the emergency department. This was the case for each of the family physicians in the area, as well as the rural family residents who were in Grand Forks for their placements.

I was lucky to have had the opportunity to spend time with each and every one of them. As such, I was able to see a wide variety of patients and problems. I spent time learning about chemotherapy from the family physician that runs the oncology clinic. I was called into the trauma room several times to watch (and press the button for) electrical cardioversions and learned a lot about arrhythmias. I was invited to observe stress testing performed by one of the other family physicians and had great discussions about ECG interpretation. One of the resident physicians led me through performing a thoracentesis on a patient with a large pleural effusion; the other took the time to review the FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma) with me, among other things. It was such a great experience that each and every one of these doctors took me under their wing and imparted some of their wisdom.

Furthermore, none of these experiences would have been available had it not been for willing patients. The people of these small communities were agreeable and often quite pleased to chat with me. It was evident that they had a lot of trust in their physician, and therefore trusted me. One of the clearest lessons that I learned was how important it is to listen to your patients, because oftentimes, even if they don’t leave with a diagnosis or prescription, they leave feeling a bit better.  

The flip-side of the experience is that of a rural family physician such as Dr. Bob Lewis who has been teaching students in Christina Lake for the past six years. Dr. Lewis’s teaching emphasizes the differences in small town practice versus larger centres, the various roles physicians play within the community, and an in-depth understanding of the health care costs and resource limitations of rural practice. Aside from contributing to the education of future physicians, the students can positively impact both the rural physician and their practice:

Every student brings new insights into my practice and I learn what is new in medicine from the students’ up-to-date learning. Teaching also keeps me on my toes with all the questions these keen students ask. It also makes me think about not just what I do but why I do it.

Kirsten made an impact on my patients. Many of them stated how pleasant she was to talk to and what a great listener and communicator she was. She voluntarily stayed up late with me when I was on call to get as much exposure to as wide an array of medical cases that she could. She was always well prepared and asked great questions.

The SMP is recruiting new preceptors to join our network of rural physicians to grow medical education opportunities across the BC Interior and help expose students to the rewards and challenges of rural practice. To learn more about how to get involved, contact Dr. Marjorie Docherty, Clerkship Site Leader, Rural Family Practice at marjdoc@gmail.com or 250-469-2858.

(L-R) Second year Southern Medical Program students Jasmine Gurm, Robin Whitty, and Kibby Milsom

As part of the Faculty of Medicine’s Doctor, Patient, & Society (DPAS) course, second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) students Kibby Milsom, Jasmine Gurm, and Robin Whitty have been working with the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) to help enhance the team’s profile within the local medical community. Here’s our Q & A with SMP students:

Q: What is the background for your DPAS project?
A: SART is a group of specially-trained family physicians who provide support for survivors of sexual assault. Based at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), they have provided medical and emotional support to hundreds of women and men for more than 20 years. While the team is funded to be on call, any additional promotion or training is essentially done off the side of their desks.

If someone has been sexually assaulted and seeks medical care within seven days, they can access a SART physician by request through the KGH Emergency Department. A friend or family member is welcome to accompany the person to offer support. Staff from the Elizabeth Fry Society are also available. The SART physician will examine and treat injuries, prescribe any necessary medications, and provide emotional support and resources. They are also able to collect samples for a police investigation; however, the decision to report to the police rests solely with the patient. All services are provided free of charge.

Q: What has been the focus of your work?

A: Our DPAS group came together to try to fill some of the gaps. Despite the amazing work done by the team, they had absolutely no online presence and many physicians and community organizations were unaware their services exists.

To help gain a better understanding, each of us takes a week each month to be on call with a SART physician. When a call comes in, we are at the hospital with the physician assisting with evidence collection and report writing. We are also there to provide emotional support to the patient and connect them with other resources in the community. The hands-on experience has really helped us to focus on where information resources are most valuable. For instance, since vulnerable women such as those who are unstably housed or sex workers are more likely to be the victims of sexual assault, we wanted to ensure that organizations who work with those populations were aware of SART.

We also realized that the lasting impacts of sexual assaults on survivors’ health is a topic that is often overlooked in the medical curriculum. We hoped to fill that gap by raising awareness amongst SMP students.

Q: How have you help raised awareness?

A: To date, we have worked with more than 10 different service organizations to raise awareness within the community. For instance, when we first contacted HOPE (Helping Out People Exploited), an organization that supports sex workers in Kelowna, our goal was to see if they would post SART information on their website. They were so passionate about collaborating that beyond posting a blurb online, they incorporated the information we provided into their training for new volunteers and invited us to come to their events. At one of their monthly pizza nights, we went to raise awareness and were able to identify some of their barriers in accessing care and report back to the SART team.

To reach our classmates, we took a different tactic. In the first month of each term, we made a brief presentation about the SART team and our DPAS project. We also hosted a documentary screening of ‘The Hunting Ground’ in early March and invited community groups and SART physicians. Not only were we able to put SART on people’s radar, but we also helped identify ourselves as point-of-contacts for those seeking more information about sexual assault services. The side conversations and informal dialogues are difficult to quantify, but we certainly have raised the profile of sexual assault with our classmates. Moreover, the first year class is organizing a tour of the sexual assault service in Kelowna and meeting with the Elizabeth Fry Society to gain a better understanding on how to support survivors.

Q: What are your next steps?

A: We are hoping to leave a bit of a legacy with the project. We are currently working to establish an annual donation of underwear from various clothing stores in Kelowna. For victims of sexual assault, giving up their underwear as part of forensic evidence collection can be a degrading experience. Our hope is by having a selection of underwear on hand, we can potentially help reduce the shame and offer a small step towards their healing.

We presented an abstract and poster presentation for the UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Health Conference which enabled the issue of sexual assault and the SART services to reach a broader, interdisciplinary audience. As part of that poster, we created an infographic which highlights how to access sexual assault services to be used as a standalone poster for bars, restaurants and around campuses. Look for it to start showing up in bathroom stalls and physician offices in the near future.

Download Infographic

Third-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student Vincent Wong has been recognized with the 2016 Medical Student Leadership Award from the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) and MD Financial Management. The annual award is given to one student from each of the 14 CFMS-member schools.

Vincent was recognized for his contributions to the SMP through his past student council roles as Year 1 SMP Vice-President and SMP Vice-President for the Medical Undergraduate Society and now current roles as Year 3 SMP Vice-President Academic and Co-Chair for the SMP Family Medicine Interest Group.

Each winner was presented with a certificate of recognition, a cash prize of $2000, and an opportunity to attend the CFMS Spring General Meeting held in Montreal from April 15-16, 2016. Congratulations to Vincent on his award and recognition for his contributions to the SMP community.

Second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) students Marc Jutras and Sydney White are the 2016 recipients of the Reichwald Family Foundation Southern Medical Program award. The annual award provides $10,000 each for two SMP students who have demonstrated excellence in academics, leadership capabilities, and community service. Congratulations to both Marc and Sydney on their awards and their outstanding contributions to the program and the community.

Marc Jutras

Born in Saskatchewan and raised in Abbotsford, Marc Jutras earned a Bachelor of Business Administration at Simon Fraser University with a joint major in Psychology prior to beginning his medical studies with the SMP. During first year, he received funding through UBC’s Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) to participate in a research project at the BC Cancer Agency in Kelowna entitled Development of Ultra-High Resolution CT for Differential Diagnosis of Lung Nodules found using Low-Dose CT, a project he remains currently involved with. In addition to his research, Marc serves numerous student groups including SMP Site Representative for the Student Interest Group in Neurology, Treasurer for the SMP Stem Cell Club, Executive for the SMP Ultrasound Interest Group, as well as a staff writer for the UBC Medical Journal. He also serves as one of the Histology Block representatives for the MD class of 2018 and volunteers as a content developer for the website www.teachingmedicine.com.

Sydney White

Prior to entering medical school, Sydney White lived and worked in Revelstoke as Paramedic with the BC Ambulance Service and Ski Patrol at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. She earned a BSc. Honours in Biochemistry from UBC Okanagan during which time she participated in numerous Alzheimer’s research projects. Now with the SMP, Sydney serves as student representative from the Aboriginal Health Initiative, Emergency Medicine Interest Group, and Wilderness Medicine Society. She is Co-Chair for the Mass Gathering Medicine Club working with regional event organizers to connect medical student learners with events such as the BC Winter Games and BMO Marathon. Through funding from UBC’s SSRP, Sydney hopes to make a broader impact through her research by examining ways medical care at music festivals can improve safety and reduce facilities. She has also established an annual Ambulance Ride-Along Program for second-year students to experience pre-hospital care in emergency settings.

Name: Sarah Fraser
Hometown: Nanaimo, BC

What attracted you to the field of medicine?
There are so many great things about the field of medicine. You get to interact with all types of people in very unique ways and build real connections. Additionally, I have always loved puzzles and medicine provides so many opportunities to put pieces together and solve complex problems.

What are you most excited about beginning your studies with the (Southern Medical Program)?
I am most excited to be a part of such a small and cohesive class. The opportunities to know your colleagues and the incredible SMP faculty are so abundant. Also, the facilities and lifestyle that the Southern Medical Program provide are incredible, I mean, there are volleyball courts right outside class!

What do you like to do in your spare time to relax and have fun?
Basketball is my stress reliever but I also like to get outside and go for hikes or play some beach volleyball. If I’m not doing that, I’ll be binge-watching Netflix or travelling (this summer I’m going to Tanzania!)

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
My first ever concert was Nickelback – and I liked it!

Name:  Taran Main
Hometown: Armstrong

What attracted you to the field of medicine?
Dr. Naismith was my family physician growing up and he was kind, smart and professional. From the age of six onwards, I knew I wanted to go into medicine and become a doctor. I am excited to be in a profession where I am always learning and striving to be a better person.

What are you most excited about beginning your studies with the (Southern Medical Program)?
I am excited to be in a smaller medical program with all my great classmates and enjoy everything that the beautiful interior has to offer.  I really enjoy that the faculty all know you by your first name and the incredible first-hand experience you get when working in a smaller community.

What do you like to do in your spare time to relax and have fun?
When I have time to relax, I love to paint when it is raining out, ski when it is snowing out and play sports and fish when the sun is shining.

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
I have a collection of about 300+ plastic miniatures that I build, paint and have played competitively with at tournaments and may have won a few times….

Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the 2016 UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Health Conference on March 15, 2016 at the Clinical Academic Campus. Check out the photos from the event on the Southern Medical Program’s Facebook page.  Here’s the list of the research presentation winners by category:

The UBC Faculty of Medicine Southern Medical Program is hosting an evening information session for local high school students. Learn about the admission requirements, application process, and how the program is training the next generation of physicians for our province.

The event will be held on Monday, May 2nd from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Reichwald Health Sciences Centre at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Presenters include Dr. Bruce Fleming, Associate Dean, MD Admissions, current Southern Medical Program students, and a UBC Student Recruiter and Advisor.

Click here to register

For more info, contact Warren Brock, Communications Manager, Southern Medical Program at warren.brock@ubc.ca or 250.807.8601.