Many things have changed at the UBC MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP) Island Medical Program (IMP), but Kurt McBurney and Dr. Jane Gair’s presence have remained consistent. The teaching professors, who are based in the University of Victoria (UVic) Faculty of Health’s School of Medical Sciences (formerly, the Division of Medical Sciences), have both worked with the program for 20 years. They are two of many faculty members in the School of Medical Sciences who provide teaching support for the IMP.
We were able to connect with Kurt to learn more about his experiences working and teaching in the gross anatomy lab, as well as his thoughts on the past, present, and future of medical education on the Island.
When did you start at the UBC MDUP IMP and UVic School of Medical Sciences?
I was hired November 15, 2004, as the lab technician for the IMP’s gross anatomy lab. I then transitioned into the role of lab instructor, and I did that until I became faculty in about 2010. I became a teaching professor with tenure in 2021.
What is your main role at the UBC MDUP IMP today?
I am the designated site lead for anatomy at the IMP. My main role is to teach gross anatomy to Years 1 & 2 medical students, and I also have a Year 4 elective. Last year, I started teaching anatomy for the UBC Master of Physical Therapy distributed program in Victoria too.
Aside from teaching, what are some of the other projects you’ve worked on during your time with the program?
I’ve had more than 60 students do FLEX projects with me, and they created some learning resources for anatomy in the process. They did excellent work! Some of these resources are still used every year.
What’s the best part about your job?
This is the easiest question of all! It’s the students, of course. I am very lucky to work with such a great group of individuals each and every year.
What has been the biggest change in health and medical education that you’ve seen in the past 20 years?
I think since the pandemic, the biggest change in health and medical education is the desire and the ability for people to work remotely. In some ways, I think this is good because people can do things at their own pace. But, while the convenience is excellent, I think we’ve lost something too. Luckily for me, things like gross anatomy are not conducive to remote education. In-person is best for these classes, and that’s just fine with me.
What makes medical and health education on Vancouver Island so unique?
I think what makes it so unique is the small class size. This makes for better opportunities for our students – and it is excellent for me because I get to know all my students as people. I know them all by name and they all know me by name. We can tease each other, have fun, and all learn some anatomy along the way. It gives a nice, small-town feel to the educational experience. I think this is an excellent place to learn medicine.
When you think ahead to the future, how can we continue to improve health and medical education on Vancouver Island?
I think the best way for us to improve medical education on Vancouver Island is to simply refine what we’re doing while not changing too much, honestly. We are already doing an excellent job!