The Southern Medical Program provides comprehensive support to help students best prepare for a successful career in medicine.

Office of Student Affairs

The Office of Student Affairs provides supportive and confidential service for students throughout their medical school training. We maintain an open-door policy and an “arms-length” relationship with the academic team.

We promote students’ professional growth and well-being by…

  • supporting students through all stages of their medical education from first-year orientation to graduation
  • providing advice and advocacy for academic, personal, medical and financial issues
  • connecting to appropriate campus and community resources to deal with these issues
  • assisting with career planning in a timely, step-wise fashion during medical school
  • supporting student initiatives that promote well-being (student-driven interest groups; health & wellness research, activities, and events)
  • supporting student initiatives that involve the community, including charitable events

When should students contact Student Affairs?

Whenever a question, concern or need arises that may impact on a student’s studies or well-being
contact us early, before issues intensify (problems that seem small may become troubling or disruptive if not dealt with promptly)

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.

Carri Folk
Student Affairs and Admissions Coordinator
Southern Medical Program

Phone: 250.807.9576
Email: carri.folk@ubc.ca

Dr. Robyn Hutchings
Assistant Dean, Student Affairs
Southern Medical Program

Phone: 250.807.8789
Email: robyn.hutchings@ubc.ca 

The Faculty of Medicine is committed to creating a learning and work environment conducive to optimal education, research, and clinical care.

If mistreatment happens:

  1. Make yourself safe: stay calm, remain polite, get yourself out of the situation. If you need to call security or 911, do so. You shouldn’t go back if you won’t be safe.
  2. Talk to someone you trust
    • This initial discussion can help
    • Some suggestions: peer, trusted faculty member, family, friends, formal student representatives, religious leader, family doctor
  3. Document what happened from your perspective for your future reference
  4. Talk to someone within UBC and/or the Faculty of Medicine. You are encouraged to speak initially with someone within your program or at your site.
  5. Report the mistreatment by contacting one of the following people or use the online reporting form.

Visit the Mistreatment Help website for more information.

The Southern Medical Program has a librarian based on the UBC Okanagan to support student research. Group and individual sessions are available on a range of topics:

  • searching the medical literature
  • getting the most out of PubMed
  • citation and data management
  • evaluating and selecting journals for potential publication, and
  • navigating the realm of literature reviews from rapid reviews to comprehensive systematic reviews.

If you have questions, or would like to book an appointment, contact Mathew Vis-Dunbar at mathew.vis-dunbar@ubc.ca.

Other Library Resources

SMP students have numerous opportunities to engage in research opportunities in the BC Interior including:

  • Flexible and Enhanced Learning (FLEX) Course
  • Summer Student Research Projects
  • Studentships with the BCCA-SAHCSI or British Columbia Cancer Agency, Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Central Southern Interior
  • The Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation Studentships at the BCCA-SAHCS

For more information, visit Student Research.

While job shadowing is endorsed by the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) at all four UBC sites (VMP, IMP, NMP, SMP), it is considered a non-curricular activity.

Medical students wanting to job shadow within the SMP region must:

  1. Hold a valid BC Educational License from the BC College of Physicians & Surgeons
  2. Have UBC FoM General Liability & Medical Malpractice Insurance
  3. Sign an Interior Health Confidentiality Agreement

For more information, contact Dawn Milat at dawn.milat@interiorhealth.ca.

Physician participation in job shadowing is entirely voluntary with no remuneration.