On March 11, 2021, Canadian Women in Medicine, a non-profit organization that connects and supports women physicians, invites everyone to celebrate the first ever Canadian Women Physicians’ Day. March 11th was chosen to honour Dr. Jennie Trout, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Canada.

Meet Dr. Hilary Baikie, an obstetrician-gynecologist based at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Tell us a bit about your practice:

I am a general OB-GYN in Kamloops, BC. Native Labradorian lured to BC by progressive moves across the country to enjoy the outdoors! A busy practice keeps me motivated and moving—working closely with a small group of medical students keeps me on my toes!

Words of advice for future women physicians:

Love what you do!

On March 11, 2021, Canadian Women in Medicine, a non-profit organization that connects and supports women physicians, invites everyone to celebrate the first ever Canadian Women Physicians’ Day. March 11th was chosen to honour Dr. Jennie Trout, the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Canada.

Meet Dr. Carmen Larsen, a family physician and Site Director for the Southern Medical Program’s Integrated Community Clerkship in Vernon.

Tell us a bit about your practice:

I am a family doctor with a varied practice of locums, OR assist, corrections medicine, virtual medicine and end-of-life care. As the Site Director in Vernon, I try to not only foster the medical skills and education of the Year 3 students, but also offer an example of creating your own path in medicine that is sustainable and impactful for individuals and families.

Words of advice for future women physicians:

It took me too long to recognize the irreplaceable delight of female mentors and colleagues for laughter, collaboration and even promotion. Do not undervalue the importance of social networks of women to make change and push for equity. Finally, be gentle to yourself for the ups and downs of life, in work and at home. None of us gets it perfect: if you see someone you think is making it look easy, ask her to go for tea or coffee and then get the real story.

Name:  Dr. Travis Thompson, SMP Class of 2016

Tell us about your current practice:

I’m currently working in Oliver and Penticton and spending the majority of my time working in the General Practitioner in Oncology (GPO) role at the Penticton oncology clinic. The rest of my time is spent doing family practice locums in Oliver. I also spend some time providing surgical assistance in the operating room in Penticton.

Fondest memory with the SMP:

All of the people involved with the SMP made the whole experience fantastic. I especially had a great time with the rest of my group from the class of 2016. There are too many good memories to share.

Best words of advice you received during your training:

Spend time actively listening to your patient as this will enhance their overall care.

Dr. Tara Gill has been appointed the new Site Director for the Trail Integrated Community Clerkship (ICC) for the Southern Medical Program (SMP). As part of the leadership transition, Dr. Gill will work alongside the current Site Director Dr. Libby McCoid for the next six months. Dr. Gill is an emergency physician at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH) and a Clinical Instructor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Gill completed her medical degree at the University of Toronto and residency training at UBC and Queen’s University. Since the launch of the Trail ICC in 2011, Dr. Gill has taught extensively with students training at KBRH. She has also served as the Emergency Medicine Rotation Lead for the ICC program and a past Medical Director for the Interior Health Rural Mobile Simulation program. In her new leadership role, Dr. Gill will oversee the education and training of ICC students training at KBRH and within the Greater Trail region. She will also work collaboratively with ICC Site Directors in Vernon and across the province to support the delivery of the ICC program.

The SMP would like to acknowledge Dr. McCoid for her contributions to the SMP over the past ten years. Dr. McCoid served as a key faculty lead in the creation of the Trail ICC and the Site Director for the past four and a half years. In 2019, Dr. McCoid was awarded the UBC Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Practice Teaching.

Dr. Daryl Wile has been appointed Clinical Investigator with the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM) based at the Southern Medical Program (SMP). Dr. Wile is a Kelowna-based neurologist and Clinical Assistant Professor with the UBC Department of Medicine’s Division of Neurology. He most recently served as the Clinical Education Leader for Neurology for the SMP and affiliate investigator with the CCDPM.

Dr. Wile completed his medical degree and neurology residency training at the University of Calgary. He then completed a Clinical Movement Disorders Fellowship at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre in Vancouver. In 2015, Dr. Wile relocated to Kelowna to open the Okanagan Movement Disorders Clinic which focuses on providing clinical care and improved services for people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders throughout the IH region. During his time with UBC, Dr. Wile has served as a provincial lecturer, FLEX course supervisor, OSCE examiner, and an excellent preceptor for students and residents training at Kelowna General Hospital.

Dr. Wile’s research interests focus on clinical trials in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, the integration of information technology and telemedicine, and collaborative projects with UBC Okanagan scientists. He is also a Principal Investigator for ParkinSMART, a study of symptom monitoring and activity recording technology in Parkinson’s disease. In his new role as Clinical Investigator, Dr. Wile will work collaboratively with CCDPM scientists to develop and support patient/population-health research programs that focus on chronic disease prevention and management.

Name: Dr. Joshua Nero, SMP 2015

Tell us about your current practice:

I currently have a busy gastroenterology practice in Kamloops, BC. I see a wide range of patients, ranging from those with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis to those with inflammatory bowel disease or functional GI disorders. I also respond to emergencies in the hospital on call including acute GI bleeds and removal of foreign bodies.

Fondest memory with the SMP:

Singing and doing a skit in our Halloween costumes at the Kelowna Medical Society party, and then seeing my family medicine preceptor play in a rock band right after us.

Best words of advice you received during your training:

If you always put the patient first, it is difficult to be in the wrong.

SMP Student Janine Olsen

Student Name: Janine Olsen, SMP Class of 2021

Supervisor Name: Dr. Christine Voss, investigator, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

Funder: Southern Medical Program

Tell us about your research project:

The overall project aims to determine the quality of current pediatric diabetes care in the Interior Health region by evaluating key indicators in patient data, characterizing the volume and distribution of pediatric type 1 diabetes patients in the IH catchment area in addition to addressing the patient experience and satisfaction. This is a collaborative project undertaken by Interior Health, Child Health BC (CHBC), and the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management through its Clinical Research and Quality Improvement Incubator. The project is utilizing the CHBC Diabetes Tiers of Service report as a foundation for the project goals. During my funding period, I conducted a literature search and wrote a background literature review to provide an overview of the evidence around the multi-factoral determinants of well-managed type 1 diabetes in children and youth. The purpose of my literature review was to inform the next steps of the larger project. I also recently had the opportunity to present my literature review, as well as the larger project goals at the virtual Vancouver Diabetes Research Day. As the larger project enters its next phase, I will be working closely with the IH research department to lead an extensive chart review over the course of the next few months.

What are the results and potential impact?

There is a complex interplay between clinical, environmental, psychosocial, and behavioural factors and their influence on glycemic control. My literature review helped identify how some of these factors relate to each other and affect glycemic control in. In our study, we are specifically planning to evaluate the effects of geography and clinic structures in the IH region on glycemic control and overall disease management by collecting data on specific metrics for diabetes management related to glycemic control, comorbidities, and complications of diabetes. We plan to analyze this data in relation to distance to care, and the various clinic models. The details of this study will contribute to how diabetes care in the IH regon and help identify areas that may need to be enhanced to provide optimal care. This project will inform further provincial work through CHBC regarding the development of quality measures for children with diabetes.

Dr. Marjorie Docherty has been appointed the new Year 1 and 2 Family Practice Lead for the Southern Medical Program (SMP). Dr. Docherty is a Kelowna-based family physician and a Clinical Professor with the UBC Department of Family Practice. Over the past five years, she has served as the SMP’s Rural Family Practice Site Lead and greatly expanded rural education opportunities across the Interior Health region.

Throughout her career, Dr. Docherty has been passionate about supporting preceptors, students, and residents in their family medicine experience. She is a previous longstanding faculty member with the Kelowna Family Practice Residency Program, a past President with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, and current President of the British Columbia College of Family Physicians. Dr. Docherty has been recognized extensively for her work as a physician and educator including the Rural Family Practice Teaching award, Dr. Peter Grantham award for postgraduate teaching excellence, 2011 BC Family Physician of the Year award from the CCFP, and the inaugural BCCFP Coin of Excellence in Family Medicine for her contributions to family medicine in B.C. In 2019, she was awarded the David M. Bachop Gold Medal for Distinguished Medical Service from the Doctors of BC.

In addition to continuing her role as Rural Family Practice Site Lead, Dr. Docherty will work closely with MEDD 411/412/421/422 Course Directors, the Family Practice Leads for the Vancouver-Fraser Medical Program, Island Medical Program, and Northern Medical Program, and SMP faculty and staff to ensure the goals and objectives of the Year 1 and 2 Family Practice courses are met. /

Rural family physician Dr. Shaun Van Zyl has been recognized by the UBC Faculty of Medicine as a 2020 recipient of the Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Practice. Dr. Van Zyl, a Clinical Instructor with the Southern Medical Program, was acknowledged for his 14 years of clinical teaching excellence for medical students and residents in the community of Kimberley and at East Kootenay Regional Hospital.

Dr. Van Zyl is a strong advocate of medical education in the region and has inspired numerous students to pursue rural family medicine for their future careers. Dr. Van Zyl is highly regarded as an excellent preceptor, role model, and rural family physician providing patient-centered care. Past students and residents noted his ability to foster a welcoming and supportive learning environment and never missing an opportunity to harness a teachable moment.

“Teaching medical students is real privilege and has been a highlight  of my career,“ says Van Zyl.

Spinal cord injury research at UBC receives $48M grant

An international research team, co-led by researchers at the University of British Columbia, has received a $48 million grant (US$36.5M) for research that aims to improve long-term outcomes for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI).

The five-year project—made possible through a grant from the United States Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)—will revolutionize SCI treatments using innovative, implantable technologies.

Dr. Chris West, associate professor in UBC’s department of cellular and physiological sciences, and Dr. Babak Shadgan, assistant professor in UBC’s department of orthopaedics, are part of the UBC team, led by Dr. Brian Kwon, Canada Research Chair in Spinal Cord Injury and professor in the UBC faculty of medicine’s department of orthopaedics

“The innovation potential from combining leading technologies in the field is truly exciting,” says West, an investigator with the Faculty of Medicine’s Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management based at UBC Okanagan. “Collectively, we have the ability to dramatically improve the health outcomes of people living with a spinal cord injury.”

The research team is tackling the entire continuum of care, beginning with the stabilization of acute injury using revolutionary biologic and engineering techniques. They will also address the challenges of chronic paralysis by regenerating lost connections between the patient’s brain and spinal cord through the delivery of neural stem cells to the injury site through a 3D-printed biodegradable scaffold.

With the aim of restoring lost function in people living with SCI, the researchers will also use implantable technologies to electrically stimulate the spinal cord and record signals from the brain to drive voluntary movements.

“There is an enormous need to advance treatment options for people living with spinal cord injury here in Canada and around the world,” said Dr. Dermot Kelleher, Dean of UBC’s faculty of Medicine and Vice President, Health at UBC. “This award represents an unprecedented opportunity to embrace cutting-edge technologies to accelerate the translation of research to patient care.”

The UBC team will lead the project’s acute injury stabilization efforts, developing fully implantable technologies to monitor the status of the injured spinal cord. This information will then be fed into an electrical stimulation system that will control a patient’s blood pressure to optimize delivery of blood and oxygen to the damaged spinal cord tissue.

Their aim is to see this technology implanted into an acutely injured patient with SCI at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) by the final year of the DARPA grant.

“Thanks to the rich multi-disciplinary research and clinical environment at UBC and VGH, we have a unique opportunity to bring scientific discovery to human application,” said Kwon, a spine surgeon at VGH and associate director of clinical research at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD). “We have our sights set high on making a real difference in the lives of those who have been severely affected by spinal cord injury.”

The international research group is being led by Dr. Karen Moxon at the University of California, Davis, in conjunction with the UBC team, Dr. Gregoire Courtine at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and Dr. Mark Tuszynski at the University of California, San Diego.

The project team is comprised of 12 institutions: UBC, UCDavis, UCSD, EPFL, UC San Francisco, University of Calgary, biotech startups Pathonix Innovation Inc., GTX Medical, and Teliatry, non-profit institutions Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, and Battelle Memorial Institute and a regulatory consultant firm NetValue BioConsulting Inc.

An original version of the story appeared on the Faculty of Medicine website.