Join the Southern Medical Program (SMP) students for the 4th annual SMP Student Golf Tournament at Sunset Ranch – Sunday, September 20, 2015.

Message from Parm Brar and Kevin Janz, Class of SMP 2018

We would like to formally invite you to the 4th annual SMP Student Golf Tournament. This year, we are hoping to grow the numbers of golfers to 80.

The tournament will once again be held at the Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club. It will be a fun event for all skill levels with a golf scramble format. It’s an amazing opportunity for everyone to connect and have fun including students, faculty, staff, and their families. Golf includes warm-up balls at the range, a shared golf cart and 18 holes of golf. Golf will start at 12:30 pm sharp.

Golf will be followed by a premium buffet and awards dinner. There will also be a silent auction with the proceeds going to Kidsport Kelowna. Kidsport is a registered charity that provides funding for kids wanting to participate in organized sport. As tournament organizers, we hope you can join us in celebrating the importance of sport in the lives of our community’s children.

We would like to thank our tournament sponsors Scotiabank and Meyers Norris Penny for supporting our event.

Registration details below:

Register by August 8th (Golf & Dinner) : Students – $50; Faculty/Staff – $130

After August 8th (Golf & Dinner) : Students – $70; Faculty/Staff – $150

No Early Bird (Dinner only): Students/Faculty/Staff – $30.

Click here to register. Once you have registered through Eventbrite, one of our SMP Student Organizers will contact you by phone to obtain your credit card information to process your registration fee. More details on Eventbrite registration page. Final registration deadline is September 10, 2015.

For more information, contact Parm Brar or Kevin Janz. We hope you can join us for a great day of golf, laughs, and conversation. See you on the links!

Southern Medical Program students Jackie Reid and Vincent Wong are this year’s recipients of the Reichwald Family Foundation Southern Medical Program award. Established by the Reichwald family, the award recognizes exceptional academic standing, strong leadership, volunteerism, and financial need. The annual award provides $10,000 for each student.

Jackie Reid
Growing up in the Okanagan, Jackie Reid completed a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology and Genetics at UBC Vancouver followed by a Bachelor of Nursing with the University of Calgary. Prior to entering medical school, she worked as a registered nurse for three years in Victoria and Vernon. In her first year of studies with the SMP, she became involved with the Talk to Your Doc program and served as a representative for Students Offering Support program. Working with SMP clinical faculty and staff, she has initiated an ultrasound interest group to provide opportunities for students to learn point-of-care ultrasound skills.

Vincent Wong
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, Vincent Wong completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at UBC working briefly as a pharmacist before beginning his studies with the SMP. During his first year of medical school, he served as Year 1 Class President and Vice President SMP for the UBC Medical Undergraduate Society. He is the current Junior Co-Chair for the Family Medicine Interest Group and coordinated a suturing workshop for SMP students with family medicine residents based at Kelowna General Hospital. He also serves as a member of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee with Doctors of BC.

Congratulations to Jackie and Vincent for their tremendous acknowledgement and great work with the SMP.

The Southern Medical Program held its graduation celebration for the inaugural class on May 2, 2015 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Kelowna. Over 100 SMP faculty, staff, students, and special guests were joined by family and friends to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Each student was presented with a print of an original piece of artwork created by Leanne Spanza, local Lake Country artist, in recognition of the inaugural class’ graduation. A special note of thanks to Dr. Gail Plecash for her contribution, which enabled the purchase of this unique grad gift. The SMP faculty and staff were also presented with an original piece of artwork from Kathi Bond, SMP graduate Alex Bond’s mother. Best of luck to the students as they enter the next phase of their medical training in BC and across the country.

Excerpts from speech by SMP Valedictorian, Angus Cherry

Here we are, we’ve made it to the end of this part in our training. We’ve spent four great and challenging years in the Okanagan together, and it’s a pleasure and an honour to speak to you during this special moment. 

Sending a graduating class of medical students out for the first time, is a crowning achievement for the SMP. We’ve shaped it as it has shaped us. Many people will look to us as representatives of the school in the years to come and I know that I am not alone in counting myself proud to be one of those representatives.

To be graduates of UBC medicine, we had to be determined and passionate in our efforts to become doctors. It’s a process that involves a great deal of time with our role models already in the field.  In the Interior of BC, the experience and the passion of the physician teachers supported us in our academic endeavours and personally as well. I’ll never forget my time in Kelowna.

I feel very lucky to have studied here. It’s a beautiful place to live and an excellent place to study medicine, and I think many of us are looking forward to returning to the Interior of BC. How nice was it to be enjoying post call outdoor recreation in April!

To the friends and family that are here, and those that couldn’t make it today, thank you for all your support. The graduates in this room are not the only ones that felt the stress of applications years ago. Sharing the joy of our training and the growing sense of responsibilities with you, carried us through some difficult schooling, and will carry us through the challenging and rewarding years ahead. Thank you for being here.

Much is going to be expected of us from today on, in our residencies, and in our practice. Looking back, I know we will be so glad to have shared this time together.

Looking forward, as we all pursue mastery of our specialties, I hope that we all can continue to find the ever-evolving reward and personal satisfaction that comes from caring for others. If no longer through the mastered details of our cuts with cold steel, and orders with borrowed pens, then the artfulness of a compassionate patient encounter. Thank you and good luck with your future endeavors.

Diane Oorebeek, Standardized Patient and Volunteer Patient Recruiter and Trainer

The 1,000^th volunteer patient session for the Southern Medical Program (SMP) recently occurred without much fanfare. Not because it wasn’t a significant milestone, but rather it was somewhat lost in the now steady state of patient programs underway during the academic year.

Diane Oorebeek, Standardized Patient and Volunteer Patient Recruiter and Trainer, is the force behind the SMP Patient Programs. Since joining the SMP in 2011, Oorebeek has built the Patient Programs from the ground up engaging more than 300 community members from across the Okanagan Valley.

The Patient Programs are crucial to the SMP’s operations. During the past three years, over 200 volunteer patients have partaken in clinical skills sessions. Under the guidance of a physician preceptor, students learn how to do basic clinical exams, take a medical history, and practice their communication skills – all within a safe learning environment. Each session is closely tied with the MD curriculum’s lecture material, thus requiring volunteers from the young to the elderly to the perfectly healthy to those suffering with chronic disease.

“We’ve had a really positive response from the community,” says Oorebeek. “Our volunteers are excited about helping to train future physicians while at the same time learning more about medicine.”

Oorebeek acknowledges there can be challenges in recruiting volunteers suffering from chronic diseases. Some of the volunteers spend a lot of their time in medical appointments already and it may be difficult for them to participate; however, they recognize the value of their involvement as it often provides a chance to help raise awareness.

The Standardized Patient Program relies heavily on the local acting community to assist with patient portrayals for student examinations and communication skills sessions. To date, 81 standardized patients have portrayed 266 different roles. The complexity of each patient’s background can vary considerably and training can be fairly intensive. The patient actors must be able to fully grasp their role and deliver a consistent patient portrayal for examination and teaching purposes.

It’s the diversity of patient scenarios that keeps Oorebeek constantly on the lookout for potential recruits. “I never felt like such an opportunist in my life,” says Oorebeek. “I find myself constantly looking at people in the grocery store or out in the community to see if they might be a good fit for one of our patient cases.”

Lastly, Oorebeek runs the Clinical Teaching Associate program comprised of women educators who teach breast and pelvic exams. The role of the clinical teaching associate is complex with the dual responsibility of both educator and patient. The training is also rigorous as they need to be able to guide students through the learning process and provide accurate and timely feedback on communication skills, body language, and technique.

As the SMP has developed over the past four years, the number of sessions and scope of patient cases has increased significantly. Oorebeek has amassed a tremendous network of contacts with community organizations, local physicians, and high schools to assist in the ongoing recruitment for these programs. She admits it can be a balancing act in fulfilling the educational needs of the program while keeping a large group of people adequately engaged over the course of the academic year. Last minute cancellations can even require Oorebeek to recruit a staff member or jump in herself to participate, but all is handled in stride.

“The people I get to work with are inspiring, amazing, and talented individuals,” adds Oorebeek. “I feel quite honored to meet these people, learn a lot of things in the process, and truly value the quality and variety of interactions.”

Name: Christabelle Bitgood

Hometown: Kelowna, BC

Program: SMP

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?
While sitting at the feet of world-renowned teachers during our pre-clinical years was such a joy, the real privilege was learning from the patients I encountered on the wards and clinic offices while a medical student intern. It was certainly rewarding to be a part of their disease prevention, treatment, and occasionally cure, but the real teaching came from their perspectives of illness and suffering. As they let me feel physical findings on their broken bodies and discover their laboratory abnormalities I learnt the patterns of disease and was welcomed into a supernatural experience of hope and healing. I will never forget some of these precious encounters and the lessons I learned at the foot of a hospital bed.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
The learning curve for the last four years has been incredibly steep, and rising to that challenge has helped me grow in character. That I have now completed this challenge is the dearest surprise. The sheer volume of information we must study has at times been overwhelming but learning to swim in that depth of knowledge will certainly help me as I enter a career of general medicine.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
Keep an open mind about moving around during medical school. A nomadic lifestyle really becomes the new normal for a while, as you take on electives in 3rd and 4th year. Remember that electives continue in residency and these adventures will help you gain perspective to locuming as well as finding a home as a new practitioner. My clinical training found me completing clerkship as 1 of 6 students in Kamloops and then in 4th year had me driving across our supernatural province – from Dawson Creek on the Alaskan Highway to Nanaimo on the mystical Vancouver Island – with an autumn trip to the east coast in New Brunswick. While I didn’t anticipate the traveling early on in training, I am so grateful for all the learning I completed in these places.

What’s next for you?
My residency will take place in the rural corners of beautiful BC where I begin my next endeavour training as a family doctor, based out of Prince George.

Name: Jesse Ory

Hometown: Victoria

Program: SMP

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?Getting an opportunity to pursue my training amongst such a broad range of locations and experiences. I was privileged to be a part of the inaugural class in Kelowna, and then move to Chilliwack for my first year training in the hospital. Both were small programs with extremely supportive staff. My training was punctuated by personal experiences with caring teachers, and the small teacher:student ratio fit my learning style perfectly. I hope to pass on that same attitude to learners in the future.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
The most surprising aspect for me was the barrage of medical questions from family, friends, and strangers, starting as early as my first year of training. Thankfully I’ve been able to hide behind my “I’m just a student” defence for 4 years. Now I have to think of a new line! The most challenging thing for me was that despite all of the training we undergo, there seems to be a distrust of doctors when it comes to a variety of issues; something I saw first-hand in Chilliwack with the measles outbreak and vaccine resistance – opinions that are often formed based off of hearsay, rumor, and anecdote, which unfortunately end up hurting those we are all trying to protect.

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
Try not to stick with the status quo. There is a plethora of personal and professional rewards that can be achieved from trying new experiences and pursuing the “unsafe” option. My experiences in Kelowna and Chilliwack followed this mentality and rewarded me enormously.

What’s next for you?
Urology in Halifax! 5 years of training there, then possibly a fellowship in pediatrics or infertility, to eventually settle down somewhere in Canada with a small farm and a commune of doctors (that’s the dream, anyways).

Name: Dianne Valenzuela

Hometown: Abbotsford

Program: SMP

What have you enjoyed the most about your MD Undergraduate experience?
I greatly enjoyed learning from and interacting with patients in various settings, and going through the rigours of medical training with amazing colleagues who will now be my lifelong friends.

What has surprised or challenged you in medical school?
I am surprised by how fast the 4 years went by!

What advice would you offer to upcoming students in the UBC MD program?
My advice to upcoming students is to make the most out of every opportunity and to enjoy the ride.

What’s next for you?
I am excited to begin residency training in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at UBC in Vancouver.

UBC’s newest doctors head across Canada to begin residency programs

As UBC celebrates the 10th anniversary of its distributed medical doctor undergraduate program, the Okanagan campus has some celebrating of its own to cheer about.

The first cohort of medical students, who received their training as the inaugural class of the Southern Medical Program (SMP), is graduating this spring. This cohort includes 30 students, from across the province; all who have been educated and trained in the B.C. Interior. They began their training in September 2011, and now, as part of the largest medical class in UBC’s history, these new doctors are preparing to enter residency training in family medicine or various specialties for the next two to five years across Canada.

These SMP students did most of their academic work—lectures, labs and small-group workshops—at UBC Okanagan, and received their clinical training at various hospitals and clinics throughout the Interior, explains Dr. Allan Jones Regional Associate Dean, Interior.

“We are incredibly proud of what our inaugural class has achieved during their studies with us in the BC Interior, says Dr. Jones. “They have played an instrumental role in shaping the educational experience for future generations of doctors who will study and train with the Southern Medical Program.”

Dr. Jones explains that thanks to UBC’s SMP, the way doctors are trained in B.C. continues to evolve. The SMP is delivered in partnership with Interior Health, UBC Okanagan and more than 800 Interior-based health professionals who are involved in teaching medical students and residents in 30 different communities.

The expansion of residency training in B.C. includes a new family medicine training site, with four residents, in Trail and Kootenay Boundary region. Two other sites in the Interior—a family medicine site in Kamloops and an emergency medicine site in Kelowna—are welcoming their second round of trainees in July.

More than half of the SMP’s graduates will pursue training in primary care—family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics. Here is a quick look at four young doctors, as they set out and embark on their residency programs.

Alex Bond, Southern Medical Program Graduate 2015

Alex Bond likes a good mystery. She likes to ask questions, investigate mysteries, and solve problems.

Heading into a career in internal medicine, starting her four-year residency at UBC Vancouver, the idea of helping people get better, solving what ails them, excites Bond.

“I really wanted to be at a large urban centre where I would be exposed to a breadth of learning opportunities and a diverse patient population,” says Bond. “The prospect of getting involved with teaching as a resident is so exciting and there are ample opportunities at UBC.”

Bond, who grew up in Surrey, B.C., completed her undergrad in neuroscience at Washington State University, where she attended on a rowing scholarship. Initially, she was looking at a career in neuroscience and considered staying at Washington for her PhD.

“I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t like working with lab rats,” she says, admitting she’s a people person. “People are much more interesting; the time invested in getting to know my patients is so rewarding and I am grateful that patients and families have been willing to participate in medical education here in Kelowna.”

She describes internal medicine as the inner workings of the patient; like the boiler room. Everything, each vital organ, has a job to do; and if one thing isn’t working properly, it will affect the efficiency of everything else and the patient’s general state of health.

“With internal medicine, you have to be methodical in combining medical knowledge and a thorough investigation to develop comprehensive assessments for every unique patient case,” she explains. “There are a complexity of cases and problems and it’s like solving a mystery. You need to solve what’s going on, and it might be something wrong with the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal system, and kidneys. It’s like the Sherlock Holmes of medicine.”

Bond says her experience at UBC Okanagan and her training at the clinical campus at Kelowna General Hospital has inspired her to be the best she can be, while helping others lead healthy lives. She recognizes the support all medical students have received from the staff at KGH and UBC.

“I have had some truly inspiring preceptors along the way,” she says. “The medical staff here is so keen to teach. I’ve often been called in to work on a case because my preceptors knew it would specifically interest me. Everyone here is so supportive. You’re not just a number; you are a student and they want you, as an individual, to succeed.”

Bond, who was class president for this cohort, plans to spend at least four years at UBC Vancouver’s campus. Along the way, she’s hoping to have a hand in training new residents; returning the favour she’s received from supportive mentors at UBC Okanagan. And she has advice that she’s happy to share.

“I would say to anybody entering medical school, make sure you find something you are truly passionate about,” she says. “For all of its challenges, if it’s something meaningful to you, if your heart’s in it, you’re going to enjoy what you do and the rewards will be well worth the time and effort.”

Robyn Buna, Southern Medical Program Graduate 2015

Something clicked for Robyn Buna when she was taking science classes in high school. Back then, Buna, who grew up in Kelowna, got a sense that health care was in her future.

“I loved courses that taught about the human body; physiology, anatomy. I just love the sciences,” she recalls. “And because I’m a people person, I wasn’t as interested in research, so going into medicine seemed the best approach as I would be able to interact with people and do something I enjoyed.”

She completed her undergrad in biomedical physiology at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and while at SFU, made the decision to pursue a career as a doctor. She began her studies in medicine in September 2011, returning to Kelowna in the Southern Medical Program.

This July, Buna will begin her residency program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, where she will focus on pediatric care. She says not only is she looking forward to the variety of pediatrics, but she’s also looking forward to working with young patients.

“You deal with pretty much everything with pediatric care; there is a variety of presentations, and a good variety of cases,” says Buna. “I have spent time working with and coaching kids and I’ve always enjoyed working with them. They are entertaining, funny, and honest.”

You certainly have to know your stuff, and Buna says pediatrics can stretch from fevers, to broken bones, to internal medicine where a patient may present with a tummy pain describing it only as ‘something that doesn’t feel right.’

“Part of the challenge of working with kids is that you’re interpreting their body language, their words, their symptoms,” she says. “They are giving you clues and you’re working to turn it into a medical answer.”

She also notes that as a pediatrician, you work with the entire family. That’s where people skills come in handy as you may have two parents and the child all giving you signs and symptoms, while you look for answers.

“While you have to work with, and relate directly to the young patient, you also have to discuss everything with the family,” she says. “A child might be scared or in pain, and not want to cooperate. A parent on the other hand may be scared or worried, but will also be looking for definite answers. While I love that, it is certainly part of the challenge of working with kids.”

Jim Huang, Southern Medical Program Graduate 2015

Jim Huang says he came to the world of medicine late, acknowledging that at 30, he is a few years older than most of his SMP cohorts.

But he hasn’t been idle; Huang has an undergraduate honours degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University, and earned a Master’s at UBC in Medical Genetics with the Faculty of Medicine. To add to that, he has just completed his medical degree with UBC’s Southern Medicine Program.

And in July, Huang will begin his rural family medicine residency at Kelowna General Hospital, with eventual goals of being a family practitioner. While he enjoyed the researched-based medical genetics program at UBC, he also recognized that he likes interacting with, and helping, people. He wants to practice family medicine in a rural community.

“In family practice you learn pretty quickly how to handle a lot of different situations,” he says. “You have to be able to help everybody who comes in through your door.”

Huang decided a few years ago that family medicine would be his path, mostly because he likes the scope of family medicine. But he also confesses a love of the surgical skills he has acquired while participating in the clinical rotations at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Huang dreams of having the best of both worlds. Ideally, he would be a partner in a family medicine clinic, but also have the opportunity for emergency or surgical shifts at the hospital. In a rural community, that would be the life of a family practitioner.

“I want to be a part of someone’s life; not just seeing them once and then never again, like in some specialties,” he says. “I want to help them through their life journey, as they age, as they have children, and their children have children. The family doctor-patient relationship can become a lifelong partnership, through good times and bad.”

He likes looking for solutions, asking questions, providing care. To be able to guide a patient, provide medical care and advice throughout their lives is his dream of becoming a successful doctor.

“To become a part of someone’s life, be there for them as their practitioner, and accompany them as they age as well as providing care to a multi-generation family would be fantastic,” he says. “To be a family doctor like that would not be a role or a career. It would be a privilege and I would consider it an honour.”

Jordan Nostedt, Southern Medical Program Graduate 2015

Jordan Nostedt is one of those lucky people who knew at a fairly young age what he wanted to when he grew up. A doctor. While he wasn’t sure about what type of medicine, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in biomedical physiology, at Simon Fraser University. Just months after graduation, he became one of the first medical students at UBC’s Southern Medical Program.

Now, four years later, and after spending his clinical rotation at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, Nostedt will begin his general surgery residency program at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

“During my second year at SFU I realized that I really enjoyed learning anatomy and physiology and medicine seemed like a natural progression for me,” he says. “The general surgery residency is five years and I’ll be learning the entire time. Surgery is always evolving, you’re never done learning.”

There is no ‘ick factor’ for Nostedt. Surgery is an exact science and any day of the week he might be repairing or removing bowels, livers, spleens, gall bladders or an appendix. Being able to operate on a person and begin their road to recovery is what drives this young doctor and he wears his passion on his sleeve, showing his excitement for his new career.

“I absolutely love being in the OR and managing surgical patients on the floor,” he says. “It really is exciting. I feel comfortable there and I know I have chosen the right career path.”

Nostedt will spend the next five years completing his surgical residency in Alberta. He’s not sure yet if he will stay as a clinical surgeon, or perhaps turn to the world of academics and train future doctors. He just knows that for now, he has found his spot and he’s happy to begin his surgical career.

“Every day when I wake up, I know this is what I want to do. It’s challenging, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s very rewarding,” he says. “While I’m a little bit nervous, I’m also very excited. My approach is to go in there with my eyes wide open, learn as much as I can, find out what I like to do and run with it. The ultimate reward will be to one day make a difference in someone’s life.”

Dr. Gerhard Schumacher (fourth from the right) with the Operating Room staff at Kapsowar Hospital in rural Kenya.

Dr. Gerhard Schumacher, Site Co-Leader, Undergraduate Education, Kamloops, first joined the Southern Medical Program (SMP) in 2007 in an effort to develop new fourth-year electives at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH). At the time, medical students were seldom on the wards with only a handful of physicians offering electives.

“Initially, we weren’t thought of as a teaching hospital,” says Dr. Schumacher. “Teaching was not a big part of the culture; however, UBC recognized the need to develop more capacity.” In a span of two years, he worked with RIH physicians to expand fourth-year offerings from five to eighteen different electives.

In 2009, the question was posed whether Kamloops could offer a full third-year traditional clerkship program for SMP students. A self-described optimist, Dr. Schumacher thought of course they could and immediately began discussions with a group of physicians who could help deliver the program.

A short while later, Dr. Anise Barton, a general surgeon at RIH was recruited as Site Co-Leader, Undergraduate Education and together they worked with physician champions to pilot each of the ten discipline rotations. In 2012, they were able to offer their first prototypical year, a full pilot clerkship with four third-year students.

“The students were keen learners and the physicians really enjoyed having the constant presence of students on the wards,” says Dr. Schumacher. “By and large, we received a strong endorsement from the students which reinforced our ability to offer a real quality program.”

Since then, the third-year clerkship has grown in popularity amongst SMP students which offers a mixture of both traditional and integrated community models for a select cohort of six students. This past year, the program was oversubscribed with more applicants than spots available. Dr. Schumacher acknowledges the tremendous work by Deb Lingel, Years 3 & 4 Program Assistant as a key factor in the program’s continued growth and success.

Time for Change

Over the course of his career, Dr. Schumacher and his wife Janie, a Biology instructor at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) have pursued a passion for international work with underserved populations. Their volunteer work has lead them to stints in Cameroon, India, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, and several trips to Kenya.

This past fall, he accepted a request from Kapsowar Hospital in rural Kenya to become the hospital’s new Medical Director. He and his wife will serve at the same hospital they have developed a true connection with.  His work will focus on supporting the hospital’s much needed facility expansion, quality of care improvements, and increasing efficiency. His wife leaves behind her teaching position at TRU to continue her work teaching anatomy and physiology at the hospital’s nursing school.

Dr. Schumacher acknowledges his somewhat reluctance to leave his UBC position, but recognizes the program is well-established.  “I sometimes measure what I do in my life on where I can make the most impact at a particular time,” says Dr. Schumacher. “At this point, I can make the most impact serving in the developing world.”

“Dr. Schumacher has been an instrumental leader for the SMP and helped developed an outstanding clerkship program for our students, says Dr. Allan Jones, Regional Associate Dean, Interior. “He has also played a key role in building the medical teaching community in Kamloops which now includes over 150 physicians.”

The evolution of teaching at RIH and in the community has helped foster the growth in residency training including the new Kamloops family medicine residency which launched last summer. “It’s been a pleasure to be involved with a program that has momentum,” adds Dr. Schumacher. “I’ve always felt excited in the progress that has occurred every year and feel it will continue to grow.”

Medical student Maksim Parfyonov, second from right, leads the weekly art class with Connect residents Amadee Hollowink, Glen O’Connor, and Matthew McKay.

New idea tackles depression and social isolation while creating useable art work

Second-year medical student Maksim Parfyonov has always had a keen interest in neuroscience. And art. When he was offered the chance to work with CONNECT as part of his Southern Medical Program studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, it seemed like the perfect fit.

Parfyonov began his work with CONNECT, a residential rehabilitation program for people with acquired brain injury, in September as part of the MD curriculum’s Doctor, Patient, and Society course.

The invaluable learning opportunity has turned into weekly art lessons for CONNECT residents that will culminate in a public art show in Lake Country next month.

“I visited a weekly support group run by a psychologist, where I discovered that many of the residents struggle with depression,” says Parfyonov. “Social isolation is one of the contributing factors, as residents rarely interact with each other outside of meal times.”

For the first few weeks, the young student focused primarily on getting to know the residents and staff at CONNECT. Through his weekly visits, he enjoyed spending time with the residents and was able to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges often faced during their recovery.

Parfyonov established a weekly art workshop where residents could work on their creative projects in a club-like, social atmosphere. Parfyonov loved art, taking lessons throughout high school. However, he had to set aside his artistic passion during his medical studies. The weekly art workshops at CONNECT seemed liked a natural fit for him to get back into painting and at the same time assist the residents with their recovery.

With the added bonus of having a lot more art on the walls in the building, CONNECT occupational therapist and independence coach Brian Hall says he noticed a groundswell of excitement prior to the art classes. The class size has grown in numbers each week, and some residents, those he had no idea had an interest or aptitude in art, are involved in the sessions.

“Along with a few key people becoming very engaged, some mutual respect has been gained by residents seeing other residents create meaningful art,” says Hall, appreciating that Parfyonov brings the art classes to the residents. “I think people like to have the opportunity to be creatively engaged; we take people to pottery but that isn’t always the best option for those who struggle with over stimulating environments or the logistics of travelling.”

CONNECT operates specialized residential environments for people living with brain injury. Whether long-term or transitional, all programs address the physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural needs of the residents. The Lake Country condominium contains six homes, and each has seven private bedrooms, a kitchen, dining and living rooms.

Artwork created during the weekly workshops with Parfyonov will be showcased as an art exhibition from May 4 to 8 at the Lake Country Art Gallery’s Art House, 10356A Bottom Wood Lake Rd. A “meet the artists” event with refreshments will be held on May 4 at 2 p.m. The exhibition is supported by the Rachael Bagnall Arts in Medicine grant.

The goal of the exhibition says Hall is to help the community better understand people living with brain injuries.

“I hope the residents will feel a sense of pride from seeing their work on display,” says Parfyonov, “and they acknowledge their accomplishments in the face of adversity.”

Interior Health Board Chair Erwin Malzer, left, met with Dr. Allan Jones and the first class of graduating students from UBC’s Southern Medical Program, at a special event at Kelowna General Hospital Monday.

The first medical students to be fully educated and trained in the B.C. Interior are set to graduate from the University of British Columbia this spring.

UBC Okanagan welcomed the inaugural class of the Southern Medical Program in September 2011. Now, as part of the largest medical class in UBC history, these new doctors are preparing to enter residency training in family medicine or various specialties for the next two to five years.

“The past four years have been a great journey for both our students and our program,” says Dr. Allan Jones, Regional Associate Dean, Interior. “We are incredibly proud of these students who pioneered this program, and proud of the many players — instructors, staff, nurses and many others — who, by enabling their success, are supporting the health care needs of Interior communities.”

Students in the Southern Medical Program did most of their academic work — lectures, labs and small-group workshops — at UBC Okanagan, and received their clinical training at various hospitals and clinics throughout the Interior.

More than half of the SMP’s graduates will pursue training in primary care — family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics. One of them, Alexandra Bond, who grew up in Surrey, will head to Vancouver to begin a five-year residency in internal medicine at UBC.

“I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to complete my medical education with the Southern Medical Program’s inaugural class,” says Bond. “The SMP has a supportive learning environment that is cultivated by a team of dedicated administrative staff, talented physicians, an enthusiastic medical community, and incredible classmates. This has made for a truly exceptional experience.”

“On behalf of the Interior Health board as well as our physicians and staff, congratulations to the Southern Medical Program’s first graduating class,” says Interior Health Board Chair Erwin Malzer. “We are proud to play an important role in the future of tomorrow’s doctors, and we look forward to building upon our successful partnership with UBC.”

Bolstered by the Southern Medical Program, UBC will be graduating 292 MD students — its largest class ever — on May 20 at UBC’s Vancouver campus. UBC’s medical education program is now the fifth-largest in North America.

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 Tuesday, May 5th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in the Reichwald Health Sciences Centre at UBC Okanagan.

Presenters to include Dr. Bruce Fleming, Associate Dean, MD Admissions, current Southern Medical Program students, and the UBC Okanagan Recruitment and Advising Office.

To register, first create student profile with UBC Okanagan (https://account.you.ubc.ca/ubc/myEvents.do) and then select event. Parents are welcome.

For more info, contact Warren Brock, Communications Manager, Southern Medical Program at warren.brock@ubc.ca or 250.807.8601. For more info about the Southern Medical Program, visit www.smp.med.ubc.ca.