Congratulations to Waheeda Esmail, Dr. Richard Alexander, Dr. Jennifer Balfour, and the Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Training (ISART) team on receiving the following 2024 Faculty of Medicine Awards!
Waheeda Esmail Dean’s Staff Award for Respectful Environment, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Dr. Richard Alexander Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching
Dr. Jennifer Balfour Clinical Faculty Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching
ISART Team Award for Innovation in CME/CPD
These awards recognize people throughout the Faculty of Medicine for their excellence in teaching, research, administration, innovation, and public service. You can read the full awards story on the Faculty of Medicine’s website. You can read more about the ISART team’s innovation award on the UBC CPD website.
Do you want to know more about the Island Medical Program (IMP) and learn how you can earn your MD on Vancouver Island?
Join the IMP Admissions Coordinator for one of our free hour-long information sessions, which you can attend in-person on UVic campus or join simultaneously on Zoom.
At the sessions, you will learn everything you need to know about applying to the IMP, including admissions requirements, application dates and deadlines, academic and non-academic requirements, application pathways, and an overview of the application process and selection criteria. You’ll also learn more about the program and have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Please RSVP for your preferred session as well as how you would like to attend by clicking the corresponding link below. Please note, in-person seating is limited to 72 people and Zoom spaces are unlimited.
After completing the registration survey, you will receive a confirmation email with either a Zoom link or in-person attendance details.
August 21, 2024, at 12 p.m. — Registration closed
September 18, 2024, at 12 p.m. — Registration closed
October 16, 2024, at 12 p.m. — Registration closed
November 20, 2024, at 12 p.m. — Registration closed
March 21, 2025, at 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. — Register here (This special evening info session will be hosted by Dr. Shahin Shirzad, Assistant Dean of Admissions; the IMP admissions coordinator; and current IMP medical students.)
Last winter and spring, medical students Michael Smith (IMP Class of 2026, pictured right) and Derek Anderson (Vancouver Fraser Medical Program Class of 2026, pictured left) hosted a series of online public health education lectures called Mini Med School (MMS). With a target audience of people aged 55 and older, the series covered a range of well-researched topics from current events to common health conditions. These included accessing a family doctor in BC to the new 2023 Canadian alcohol use guidelines. Following each live lecture, audience members also had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session.
One of the main goals of MMS is to answer general healthcare questions. To evaluate how effectively their lecture series did this, Michael and Derek asked participants to take part in an optional research study.
Understanding if MMS can answer questions and increase public health knowledge is especially important given the current public health climate, the students say. An estimated 12 per cent of Canadians do not have access to a primary care provider that can answer their healthcare questions. That number is higher in British Columbia, where 17 per cent – more than 700,000 people – lack primary care access. These healthcare questions can range from specific personal inquiries to general medical knowledge requests, with the latter requiring similar or even more provider time and resources to answer appropriately. In a 2024 survey of 2,500 Canadian adults, the Canadian Medical Association found that there are significant differences in the trustworthiness and reliability of different formal and informal sources of medical information. This has led to real negative health consequences, with 40 per cent of respondents indicating that misinformation contributed to mental distress or increased anxiety and 35 per cent indicating it resulted in a delay in seeking appropriate medical care or treatment.
To conduct their research, Michael and Derek sent out a survey prior to their MMS lectures that asked participants about their existing knowledge of the presentation topics and for any questions they may have on those topics. After each lecture, the students sent another survey asking participants about how well the lecture answered their questions and how satisfied they were with the talks on a 5-point Likert scale.
In analyzing the data, Michael and Derek found that positive results:
82.1% indicated they strongly or somewhat agreed that the lecture was an effective method for answering participant questions,
76.8% of responses agreed that the information presented in the lecture answered their questions about the topic, and
87.5% agreed that they were satisfied with the quality of the lecture presentation.
Participants were also able to leave written comments about the series’ usefulness in answering general health questions, virtual delivery, and accessibility of this lecture series. The comments were also largely positive, with participants saying:
“Overall a great learning opportunity for me. Accessible health education for the win.”
“I think the format and content is appropriately broad and of interest to many … individuals have particular questions and situations that require more specific information and/or interventions.”
“I love the Zoom delivery and the Saturday morning time. I would also attend these in person.”
“Great method of distributing medical information. I learned lots!”
It is important to mention that participants needed to attend at least four lectures to be included in the research. This was necessary for a robust results analysis, Michael and Derek say. As most participants attended one to three lectures each, only 33 participants provided data for the research results above. Michael and Derek say the lectures overall had lower-than-expected turnout, and they believe that Zoom fatigue is likely a contributing factor to engagement. Despite this, the students feel that it is still important to communicate their findings to demonstrate the impact of the lecture series and to help inform future iterations of the MMS.
“We know already from previous years’ students that MMS has been shown to be an effective intervention in increasing participant health literacy and virtual connectedness during COVID. In our ongoing investigation of the utility of MMS in public health education, it’s important to respond to attendance and feedback to ensure participant satisfaction and robust survey outcomes for reporting,” says Michael. “Our advice for future iterations is to offer MMS as a hybrid in-person program with available online participation while integrating community physicians and experts to incentivize in-person attendance.”
Now that their series and research are complete, Michael and Derek are ready to pass the MMS torch to new students. They encourage others to get involved as a way to practice engaging with the local community in public health education initiatives and to develop presentation communication skills.
“From researching the topics, creating the slides, rehearsing the lecture with Dr. Gair before each lecture, presenting the topic, and reflecting on the feedback I was given, I gained great insight and confidence in my abilities to communicate medical knowledge to the public,” says Michael.
“I chose Mini Med School as my FLEX project with the goal of improving my verbal communication skills and presentation confidence. Not only is this relevant for CanMEDs and clinical practice, but also for challenging myself to manage my speech impediment I’ve had since I was eight years old. While it has been an ongoing barrier in my life, this project has given me the opportunity to practice and develop verbal presentation skills that will benefit me in medical school and future clinical practice.”
They encourage other medical students to contact Dr. Jane Gair at jgair@uvic.ca to get involved in developing their own MMS. Community members or clinicians interested in learning more about the series are welcome to reach out as well.
Michael and Derek’s 2023/24 series was the fourth iteration of the MMS developed by UBC medical students in collaboration with Dr. Jane Gair. Recordings of the presentations are available online on Dr. Gair’s website under “Student Presentations” → “2023 – 2024 Presentations.” Recordings of lectures in past MMS series that were presented via Zoom can also be found on this website.
The Island Medical Program (IMP) welcomed its newest – and largest ever – class to Victoria last week. As the IMP Class of 2028 starts its second week of medical school on the Island, we’d like to introduce you to a few of its 40 members: Erika, Kellie, and Vincent.
Erika Colebank (she/her)
What inspired you to pursue medicine? I wanted to be in medicine since early childhood, probably because my mom was a nurse and taught us how to change dressings and start pretend IVs. Also, I grew up on a hobby farm, where we often had to perform medical procedures on animals. University wasn’t an option for me, so I entered a two-year college program to be a denturist, which temporarily scratched that medical itch for about 15 years. Just before the pandemic, my husband encouraged me to go back to school to pursue my dream, and now here I am!
Why did you choose the UBC IMP? My husband and I live in Duncan with two children. When I started this journey, I knew that the only way I could become a doctor was by getting into the IMP; I was not willing to disrupt my children by relocating to fulfill my dreams. For me, it was IMP or nothing! I was razor focused on my academics and did everything I could to be a successful applicant because with only one school (that has only 40 seats) to apply to, the odds were stacked against me!
What are you looking forward to most in your first year of medical school? I am really excited to be in a proper school setting with classmates. To fit academics around my family and work obligations, I did nearly all my undergrad courses online. As a result, I missed out on the social aspects of school. I am also excited to “get my hands wet” (with gloves on of course!) with real medical stuff. When I saw on the course schedule that gross anatomy starts in week two, I felt so excited. I feel like I am summating a massive mountain!
What is your Vancouver Island bucket list item and why? We recently went on a fossil tour at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. I found out from our paleontologist guide that Vancouver Island is full of fossils from the Cambrian era, and there is a must-do fossil tour at the museum in Courtenay. You get to learn how to find fossils and dig for them yourself! Now I am just itching to get our family up to Courtenay and enjoy this amazing Island at a whole different level!
Kellie Chin (she/her)
What inspired you to pursue medicine? I came to medicine through a very non-traditional route. As a mature applicant with a completely different background, I wanted a career that spoke to my strengths and one where I could serve my community. I’m also a huge people person – I work best when I’m face-to-face with someone. It took a while to pivot from my previous career as an architect. I interviewed a variety of professionals in different industries, but once I arrived at this decision, medicine seemed like a natural fit.
Why did you choose the UBC IMP? I’m actually from Ontario, but I was really drawn to the smaller class size. The Island seems to offer a variety of activities, both indoor and outdoor. I’m an avid gardener, so I’ll admit I was also drawn to the temperate climate and longer growing season.
What are you looking forward to most in your first year of medical school? Being a student again! It has been a while since I was in school, so I’m equally excited and nervous. I can’t wait to learn all the material and dive into content that I find fascinating and that is a huge pivot from my previous education. I also love new beginnings; it feels like I can do anything. Though, I’m sure I’ll be eating my words come exam season.
What is your Vancouver Island bucket list item and why? Visiting the Butchart Gardens. I’m obsessed with botanical gardens, and I’ve even had family members who live in Jamaica telling me they want to come visit just to see the gardens! Moving to the Island from Toronto means I’ve had to leave behind all my indoor houseplants, so I’m excited to gain inspiration from Butchart as a slowly curate my new indoor garden on the Island.
Vincent Michaud (he/him)
What inspired you to pursue medicine? I was inspired to pursue medicine by the great mentors I had the opportunity to work with during my previous career as a military medical technician. I saw firsthand the type of attitude that was required to provide comfort to people during troublesome times, and I found myself profoundly attracted to that type of work. I believe it to be an honour when people trust you to provide them with care, and I look forward to creating a space where each worry is properly acknowledged and addressed.
Why did you choose the UBC IMP? I was attracted by the depth of connections I observed between the program and smaller communities in the north of the Island like Campbell River. I attended my first two years of undergrad there at North Island College and found myself calling that place home very quickly. As a part of the IMP, I appreciate that I’ll hopefully have the opportunity to start networking there early on in the program.
What are you looking forward to most in your first year of medical school? I’m excited and truly looking forward to getting to know my classmates. I want to know what attracted each of them to medicine and what were their pathways to get here. I’m also excited to get to know how UBC is leading the way with patient-centered, evidence-based, culturally sensitive medical practices that acknowledge the extremely privileged position doctors hold in society.
What is your Vancouver Island bucket list item and why? I hope to find someone that can teach me how to fish along our coast or in our many rivers! I have never been fishing in my life despite having been on the Island since 2021, but I would love to experience it in ways that respects the living world around us and discover what drew so many people to a beautiful life here.
Nooreen’s academic background spans science, theatre, and public health. She uses this multi-disciplinary background to spark collaboration, build community, and empower learners. Her roles over the arc of her career highlight her versality and include theatre practitioner, team coach, learning and development consultant, organizational skills facilitator, and leadership trainer, among others. Nooreen is dedicated to continuous personal growth as well as contributing to the learning and skills development of others.
Nooreen lived and worked internationally for more than two decades. Now back in Canada, she is grateful to be based in Victoria, BC.
The White Coat Warm heART exhibit celebrates artistic creativity within the medical field. Held each year at the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM), the long-standing art show features work in a variety of mediums by physicians, residents, fellows, medical students, and medical faculty.
Nick Marshall (IMP Class of 2026) and Mia Kennedy (IMP Class of 2025) each submitted work to the exhibition at ICAM 2024, held in Vancouver earlier this year. We sat down with them to learn more about their creative efforts, as well as their thoughts on how art and medicine are connected.
Can you describe the pieces you submitted to the exhibition? What inspired your work and creative process?
Nick: I submitted a drawing that I called Imposter. It is a photorealistic replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Using graphite pencil and graphite powder, my goal was to create an artwork that was as close to the original as possible with respect to detail and composition.
Throughout my first and second years in medical school, I (like many others) experienced imposter syndrome. Feeling like an imposter stole from me the ability to acknowledge and accept my own achievements. As I adjusted to medical school in a new city, I was inspired to return to something I excelled at: drawing.
Mia: I actually submitted two pieces to the exhibit that were both accepted and displayed! The Happy Gut is a gouache histology painting. I was diagnosed with celiac disease when I was 12 years old. It was this experience and my encounters with exceptional doctors that inspired me to pursue becoming a physician myself. I recently moved in with another celiac med student and I made this painting of a healthy gut to serve as an “inspiration photo” in our place, which we’ve named the Villi Villa!
My second piece, The Heart of the Ocean, is a watercolour bull kelp/heart-inspired painting. Having grown up on Vancouver Island, my heart has always belonged to the ocean. This piece was inspired by the majestic kelp forests I see below the surface while paddle boarding. The imagery of a heart was inspired by a line of a Margaret Atwood poem: “All hearts float in their own deep oceans of no light.” (From “The Woman Who Could Not Live With Her Faulty Heart,” by Margaret Atwood.)
The Happy Gut by Mia KennedyImposter by Nick MarshallThe Heart of the Ocean by Mia Kennedy
What motivated you to submit a piece into the exhibition?
Mia: Two years ago, I went to ICAM to present my research for the first time and stopped by the White Coat Warm heART exhibit as Dr. Carol-AnnCourneya was organizing the exhibit. I was blown away by the talent and passion shown by the medical professionals who submitted their art. I went to the artist Q&A session and was immediately inspired to go home and create art! I knew I had to submit my own pieces the next year, and I felt so honoured that my pieces were chosen and displayed amongst such exceptional artists this year.
Nick: In a 2014 commencement address, actor Jim Carrey said the following before sharing his own art with a large audience: “You can join the game, fight the wars, play with form all you want. But to find real peace, you have to let the armor go … Don’t let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.”
How do you think art and health/medicine are connected?
Nick: Walking the corridors at Royal Jubilee Hospital, you would be hard pressed to find a wall without art on it. Art might help a patient feel like they are somewhere other than the hospital, a family member accept loss, or a physician connect with the side of themselves they leave at home. The latter is what art does for me. That’s where the connection is for me.
Mia: I think art is something that exists overarching through all aspects of life, particularly in medicine. To me, art is deep-rooted in humility, empathy, and compassion, and it provides a way to processing emotions. As a medical student in my clinical years, art gives me a safe space to reflect on performance, recognize biases, and prioritize my own well-being to enable more meaningful connections with patients and prevent burnout.
Mia KennedyNick Marshall
Mia, at ICAM 2024 you also presented a study that you did with Dr. Courneya on art and narrative medicine. Can you tell us a little about that study?
Mia: I have been working on a project with Dr. Courneya investigating the role of artmaking as a mindfulness tool for medical students. I am very passionate about the mental well-being of medical students – it is well known that the medical student population experiences high rates of depression and anxiety, and I believe it is vital to provide tools for medical students to monitor and support their own well-being.
Through qualitative studies that involved medical student artmaking, our research has revealed many benefits to using artmaking as a mindfulness tool. I have presented my studies at both local and national conferences to hopefully encourage more meaningful integration of mindfulness into the medical school curriculum to prioritize medical student well-being.
Nick, is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Nick: If you are an artist and a UBC medical student, I challenge you to create a FLEX project that incorporates your art. It can be done, and it may be more unique and fulfilling than choosing to do a project you are not as passionate about.
Katie Nordgren (she/her) joins the Island Medical Program with an extensive administrative background from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and Vancouver Island University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in gender, sexuality, and women’s studies from SFU and a Masters of Creative Writing in scriptwriting from the University of East Anglia. In her spare time, Katie enjoys writing and pursuing the visual and performing arts.
Sarah Petreny (she/her) started working with the Island Medical Program in the spring of 2024. Previously, she gained administrative and leadership experience working in senior living facilities throughout Victoria. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in geography and environmental studies from the University of Victoria (UVic), and she has engaged in the restoration of natural systems diploma and administrative technology program through UVic’s Continuing Studies. Outside of work, Sarah has a green thumb and spends many hours attending to her houseplants.
Do you want to know more about the Island Medical Program (IMP) and learn how you can earn your MD on Vancouver Island?
Join the IMP Admissions Coordinator for one of our free hour-long information sessions, which you can attend in-person on UVic campus or join simultaneously on Zoom.
At the sessions, you will learn everything you need to know about applying to the IMP, including admissions requirements, application dates and deadlines, academic and non-academic requirements, and an overview of the application process and selection criteria. You’ll also learn more about the program and have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Please RSVP for your preferred session as well as how you would like to attend by clicking the corresponding link below. Please note, in-person seating is limited to 72 people and Zoom spaces are unlimited.
After completing the registration survey, you will receive a confirmation email with either a Zoom link or in-person attendance details.
Have you ever wondered what sort of role artificial intelligence could play in healthcare? Do you want to know more about the new Canadian alcohol use guidelines? Are you curious about various skin conditions and concerns?
Join medical students Michael Smith (IMP Class of 2026) and Derek Anderson (Vancouver Fraser Medical Program Class of 2026) as they address these varied topics and more in their Mini Med School lecture series.
Everyone is welcome to attend any or all the series’ six talks, which will be held virtually on Saturday mornings between November 2023 and February 2024. The dates and topics are as follows:
Nov. 18, 2023 @ 9 a.m. — New Canadian Alcohol Use Guidelines
Nov. 25, 2023 @ 9 a.m. — Accessing a Family Doctor in BC
Jan. 20, 2024 @ 9 a.m. — Depression in the Elderly
Feb. 3, 2024 @ 9 a.m. — Ozempic and other GLP-1 Agonists
Feb. 10, 2024 @ 9 a.m. — Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
When it came to choosing presentation topics, Michael says, “the decision came down to a combination of diversifying from what previous Mini Med School programs have presented on – which involved including what we feel is relevant for our target audience of people aged 55 and older – and focusing on what are some current events and issues today that people may be curious about. Subjects such as accessing a family doctor in BC and the new 2023 Canadian alcohol use guidelines meet all these criteria as they are new, informative, and current!”
Each lecture will last 1 – 1.5 hours, with additional time for questions at the end.
To register for any or all of these lectures, please fill out this registration form. Zoom links and other instructions will be provided via email after registration. Please register no later than 24 hours before your desired talk(s) to ensure you receive the meeting information. All of the Mini Med School talks will also be recorded and posted online for the public to view. You can access the recording on Dr. Gair’s website under “Student Presentations” → “2023 – 2024 Presentations.”
If interested, attendees can fill out this optional survey before the lecture series. The data collected will help Michael and Derek with their research on whether Mini Med School is an effective platform for answering participants’ health questions. “With the state of primary care in BC, having medical questions answered by a doctor directly can be difficult. We want to know if our participants can have their questions answered during our lectures,” says Michael.
“We feel they [participants] will be more likely to have questions about relevant and new health care topics,” he adds. “We are excited to present all our topics since we feel that we can attract a diverse audience who all may benefit from the content we cover and from having their questions answered.”
Participants will also be invited to fill out post-lecture surveys. Anyone who views the lectures asynchronously on their own time can still opt to complete the pre- and post-lecture surveys if they wish.
For more information, please contact the Mini Med School team at uvicminimed@gmail.com. This project is sponsored by Dr. Jane Gair. She may be reached at jgair@uvic.ca.
