Medical Council of Canada Honours IMP Student

Robin Stone (IMP Class of 2024) saw an opportunity when COVID-19 temporarily shut down clinical skills sessions at the IMP. Drawing on her previous experience and connections in the tech industry, she led the development of an app that allows medical students to conduct GI, Cardiac, and HEENT exams with a diverse group of virtual patients.

Now, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) has recognized Robin for her role in the innovative project. She received the Dr. W Dale Dauphinee Award for Excellence in Medical Education and Assessment, which honours medical learners who have made significant contributions to the betterment and accessibility of medical education and/or assessment practices.

The award also recognizes Robin’s many years of advocacy to improve the delivery and experience of medical education. She has held the IMP site student representative position on the Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) Committee for the past four years, and she has been on the UGME Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Task Force since it’s inception in March 2020.

Spring 2023 IMP Info Session Dates Released

(Note, registration links are below)

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.

January 19, 2023, at 12 p.m. — Register here

February 16, 2023, at 12 p.m. — Register here

March 16, 2023, at 12 p.m. — Register here

April 13, 2023, at 12 p.m. — Register here

If you have any questions, please contact the IMP Admissions Coordinator at impadmcom@uvic.ca

Give the Gift of Lifelong Learning and Health

Alexa Tymkiw, Cole Daley, and Zovya Wasylyk (IMP Class of 2025) are asking for your help in supporting early literacy and lifelong health outcomes for local youth. As co-chairs of the Reading Bear Society (RBS) Victoria Chapter, they have set up a holiday book drive and are looking for donations of new or gently used books for children aged 2 – 10 years old.

Research has show that having books in the home during early childhood can increase lifelong learning and health outcomes, Alexa, Cole, and Zovya explain.

Book drive boxes are located at coffee shops, fitness studios, and bookstores throughout Victoria, as well as in the lobby of UVic’s Medical Sciences Building. You can also arrange to have your donation picked up. (Contact information below.) The RBS Victoria Chapter will collect books until January 10, 2023, at which point they will send the donations to The Cridge Centre for the Family.

L – R: Zovya Wasylyk, Alexa Tymkiw, and Cole Daley (IMP Class of 2025)

The RBS is a not-for-profit initiative that aims to promote early literacy and healthy living in children through intergenerational leadership. There are four RBS chapters, one at each UBC MD Undergraduate Program distributed site. Along with organizing book drives and other resource collection and fundraising initiatives, RBS members establish buddy-reading programs, develop pediatric resources through FLEX projects, and engage in community visits to support learning and reading curiosity.

Alexa, Cole, and Zovya say their chapter aims to establish strong relationships within the Victoria community and its elementary schools through “Dr. Bear Visits” this coming year. During “Dr. Bear Visits,” medical students use teddy bears and interactive stories to teach young schoolchildren about visiting the doctor’s office. These visits allow children to engage in health literacy, as well as function to help reduce anxiety and uncertainty about visiting the doctor’s office, the co-chairs say.

To arrange for a book donation pickup, please email islandrbs@gmail.com with the subject line “Holiday Book Drive.”

Dr. Amita Modi

OSCE Site Lead, Year 3; Clerkship Director, Year 4
250-370-8111 ext. 13715
amodi@uvic.ca

Dr. Amita Modi completed her Bachelor of Science honours degree in physiology and her MD at the University of British Columbia (UBC), followed by a residency in family medicine. She later received a diploma in sport medicine (CASEM). Her involvement with undergraduate education and with the Island Medical Program (IMP) began in 2005. She was the OSCE Pillar Lead for the UBC MD Undergraduate Program from 2014 – 2020 and is currently a Master Teacher, Year 3 OSCE Site Lead, and Year 4 Clerkship Director with IMP. She loves travel and hiking with her family and plays violin in the Victoria Chamber Orchestra.

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Dr. Ian Thompson

Site Director
250-472-5517
ianbthompson@uvic.ca

Dr. Ian Thompson completed his MD at Queen’s University and went on to complete a family medicine residency at Memorial University in Newfoundland. He practised as a rural family physician in northern Ontario for many years and also served as a Coroner, Chief of Staff, Base Hospital Director and Site Director for the Family Medicine Residency Program at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University’s Thunder Bay site. In addition to his role with the Island Medical Program, he is the Executive Medical Director for Medical Staff Governance at Island Health. He enjoys international travel and a variety of outdoor activities.

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Tamara Young

Clinical Nurse Educator, Simulation
tamara.young@islandhealth.ca

Tamara Young completed her nursing degree at the University of Victoria and did her critical care specialty training through the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her nursing experience includes working in adult ICU, CCU, PACU, EP labs, as well as time spent nursing in the Northwest Territories. Tamara has been teaching with the Island Medical Program since 2017, and is currently the Clinical Nurse Educator for the Island Health simulation program, supporting simulation capacity building for the health authority.

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Dr. Harold Hunt

Clerkship Director, Year 3
250-370-8111 ext. 11828
haroldhunt@uvic.ca

Dr. Harold Hunt was born and raised in Vancouver and did a BSc at the University of British Columbia before going to medical school at Western University in London, Ontario. He returned to Vancouver and completed his OB-GYN training in 1999. Dr. Hunt has lived and worked on Vancouver Island since, practicing in Comox, Nanaimo, and Victoria. He was the Discipline-specific Site Leader for the OB-GYN rotation for the first five years of the Island Medical Program(IMP). Most recently, he has working as the IMP Year 3 Clerkship Director. He was the division head for five years and now am involved in PQI and health system redesign.

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Eleanor Good

Curriculum Manager, Years 1 & 2
250-519-1502
egood@uvic.ca

Eleanor Good (she/her) started with the Island Medical Program (IMP) back in 2011, after her time as a student at the University of Victoria. In her decade with IMP, she has covered various positions with the Year 1 & 2 Curriculum team before settling in to be the Year 1 & 2 Curriculum Manager. In her current role, Eleanor oversees the planning and delivery of the Year 1 & 2 curriculum at IMP and is happy to help with questions related to Clinical Skills, Family Practice, FLEX, CBL, Lectures, and Labs.

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Jack Sjostrom

Simulation Operations Specialist
simops@islandhealth.ca

Jack Sjostrom provides technical support for the Simulation Centre, maintains the equipment and provides operational training. Jack is originally from Sweden and has a background in nursing.

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Monika Spence

UBC Senior Program Administrator, Psychiatry
250-370-8111 ext. 17088
psychadmin@uvic.ca

Monika Spence (she/they) completed a Bachelor of Science at the University of Victoria in 2016, with a combined major in biology and psychology. In 2022, Monika completed a certificate in project management through the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Monika has an extensive background in aviation, having spent 10 years working as a dispatcher and through obtaining a private pilot’s licence in 2011. Currently working out of the Royal Jubilee Hospital, Monika manages both the undergraduate and postgraduate psychiatry programs at the Victoria site.

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