As the second Regional Associate Dean, Vancouver Island and Head of the UVic Division of Medical Sciences, Dr. Bruce Wright facilitated the continued development of distributed medical education on Vancouver Island. We connected with Dr. Wright to ask about his experiences during this time, his current projects, and his future hopes for the future of medical education.
What drew you to the role of Regional Associate Dean (RAD), Vancouver Island?
I became aware of the position at the UBC MDUP IMP when I was nearing the end of my second term as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) at the University of Calgary, and I met with Dr. Oscar Casiro at a conference soon after to learn more about it. I discovered the role had some major similarities to the one I was already in, which I thought was perfect, and it offered the opportunity to start out on a new adventure in the middle of my career. So, I thought, “Yeah, I’d like to give this a whorl.”
When you first took on the role of RAD, what was your 10-year vision for the UBC MDUP IMP?
I wanted to ensure that when I left, the program was in better shape than when I first arrived… which was a tall order! Dr. Casiro and his team had done such a great job creating this program from the ground up, and there were already a lot of good things going on here.
More seriously, though, I didn’t develop a vision right away. I took the time to understand the ins and outs of the program and to identify what I wanted to prioritize. One of the major goals I landed on was to ensure our curriculum prepares medical students to work in (and hopefully to help shape) a healthcare system that truly supports BC’s present and future population. So, I facilitated increased exposure to family medicine—specifically, team-based family care—geriatrics, and palliative care. Also, “facilitated” is the important word there; this was truly a team endeavour.
Which of the accomplishments made during your time at RAD are you most proud of?
Aside from the work I just mentioned, I’m particularly proud of a project from my last six months. Our team created a mandatory UGME experience in which UBC MDUP IMP students begin to learn cultural humility and trauma-informed care from Indigenous standardized patients in a simulation environment. This curriculum was in part based on the Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Training (ISART) program, a continuing professional development course co-created by Indigenous communities and leaders, UBC MDUP IMP team members, and other partners.
What makes the UBC MDUP IMP and medical education on Vancouver Island special?
First, our partnerships. We have fabulous partnerships with UVic and Island Health, and we have strong connections with and support from the medical community here. Second, our sense of community. The UBC MDUP IMP’s leaders, staff, teachers, and students are all pulling in the same direction, and I think they all really identify with the program and the Island community. And third, our people. We seem to produce some pretty good leaders. In fact, a few of the provincial leaders in the UBC Faculty of Medicine got their start at the UBC MDUP IMP.
Looking forward, how would you like to see the UBC MDUP IMP evolve in the next 20 years?
More of the same! I really hope to see the mandatory family medicine and geriatric focus accentuated. I would like to see the program’s sense of family perpetuated, too, which I think Dr. Laura Farrell has covered. Of course, I’ll also watch with interest to see what great ideas our next generation of leaders will come up with.
What have you been doing since ending your term as RAD? Any exciting plans for the future?
For nine months, I was a special advisor on health education at UVic, supporting the development of their new Faculty of Health. I proposed health programing ideas, helped onboard the new dean, and supported the potential creation of a team-based academic teaching unit.
Recently, I’ve also been appointed as a strategic advisor at Simon Fraser University’s School of Medicine. Here, I’ll support the dean’s leadership team with strategic priorities, faculty mentorship, accreditation, and curriculum development. I feel grateful for this opportunity; building a medical school is something that’s only happened 17 times in the history of Canada.
And though I am currently on administrative leave, I am a professor in the UVic School of Medical Sciences and I will continue to teach at the UBC MDUP IMP.