Celebrating the transformational impact of UBC resident doctors
More than 1,500 UBC resident doctors are delivering care in urban, rural, remote and Indigenous communities across B.C.
From assisting in complex surgeries and cancer treatments to delivering babies and providing critical mental-health support, UBC resident doctors play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of British Columbians in every corner of the province.
A record 1,500+ UBC resident doctors, including more than 400 family medicine residents, are currently training and practicing in urban, rural, remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province. Training alongside thousands of skilled UBC clinical faculty members, they are delivering excellent care, contributing to research and mentoring others as they deepen their experience in family medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, surgery — and many other specialties.
Dr. Sonia Butterworth
“UBC’s resident doctors embody the commitment, compassion and dedication of excellence in medicine, and I am tremendously proud of the exceptional care they provide to patients and families across our province, each and every day,” says Dr. Sonia Butterworth, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education. “With the largest group of first-year resident doctors in the history of the Faculty, I am once again inspired by the purpose and enthusiasm of all our trainee doctors and clinical faculty members in enhancing the health of our communities.”
After completing their residencies, most will establish themselves as licensed physicians in the province; 93 per cent of UBC MD graduates who attend UBC for postgraduate medical training remain in B.C. to practice, often maintaining a long-term presence in the communities where they train.
As part of Resident Doctors Appreciation Week, we caught up with a few UBC resident doctors to ask them about their experiences.
Program: Psychiatry Location: Kelowna Year in Program: 2
What moment inspired you to work in your chosen specialty?
My first experience in psychiatry was during my medical school clerkship in the Kootenays as part of UBC’s Integrated Community Clerkship program. I was fascinated and inspired by the breadth of psychiatric practice in smaller communities. These early clinical experiences taught me that every patient’s journey is unique and that no two days in psychiatry are ever the same. The specialty provides an opportunity to approach each new day with curiosity, which I find both rewarding and exciting.
What’s your favourite part about training in the community you’re in?
My favourite part is the people. Our attending physicians are enthusiastic teachers who provide invaluable mentorship. Our allied health and administrative colleagues have been incredibly welcoming and foster a safe, supportive learning environment. I am grateful to train alongside an amazing group of co-residents who make even the most challenging aspects of residency rewarding. Outside of medicine, exploring the incredible outdoor recreation the Interior has to offer has been a true privilege.
Program: General Surgery Location: Vancouver Year in Program: 2
What moment inspired you to work in your chosen specialty?
Twelve years ago, my grandfather required a liver transplant. Living in Pakistan, he did not have access to the surgical care that he needed. Millions of people across the world face a similar challenge, hampered simply by geographic inequity. This realization inspired me to pursue general surgery, a specialty that combines breadth in technical expertise with a strong grounding in medicine. The versatility of this specialty uniquely positions graduates to build surgical capacity in rural Canada and abroad, all while supporting patients through some of the most challenging moments of their life.
What’s your favourite part about training in the community you’re in?
Training in the UBC General Surgery program is unique: residents not only serve the vibrant people of Vancouver and Lower Mainland, but also have the humbling privilege to join distributed communities across this beautiful province. My favorite part about training in B.C. has been the immense generosity of the patients in these communities, who so graciously invite us into their lives, sharing their experiences with illness, and trusting us to be a part of their surgical care teams as trainees and learners. This profound experience is further enriched by supportive co-residents and dedicated program staff.
Program: Emergency Medicine Location: Fraser Year in Program: 3
What moment inspired you to work in your chosen specialty?
I am a Nlaka’pamux and Secwepemc woman who was raised in a small town with little to no access to emergency care. People in our community live with the oppressive reality that an emergency may occur with limited or delayed access to emergency services. In medical school, I was first drawn to the organized chaos of the emergency department (ED) and later found myself continually inspired by the moments of humanity so frequently exhibited by ED teams. Now, as third-year resident, I still find awe in both the frenzy and the routine. I am privileged to hold a role uniquely positioned to contribute to the growing body of work aimed at making the emergency room a more accessible and culturally safe space for marginalized folks in their most vulnerable moments.
What’s your favourite part about training in the community you’re in?
The UBC Emergency Medicine cohort is filled to the brim with excellent humor, an impressive tolerance for uncertainty, and — most importantly — clever, kindred spirits. I feel immensely grateful to be surrounded by a group of residents and staff dedicated to excellence in our field while maintaining a strong commitment to advocacy for our patients and departments. At Royal Columbian Hospital, I am equally honoured to learn from and be mentored by leaders across a breadth of emergency medicine subspecialties. While I’m a Fraser resident, I have had access to the full breadth of practice, from remote regions to quaternary centres, fostering a tight knit professional community across emergency departments throughout the province.
Program: Pediatrics Location: Victoria Year in Program: 4
What moment inspired you to work in your chosen specialty?
For me, inspiration came gradually over the years, specifically through my older brother. He was born with a rare chromosomal deletion and growing up, he faced significant challenges with communication and independence. Despite these challenges, he always found a way to light up a room. Much of our work in pediatrics focuses on helping those who can’t always speak up for themselves, and also embraces the undeniable charm and resilience of our patients. So for me, caring for children and working with families has always felt right, and has always felt like home.
What’s your favourite part about training in the community you’re in?
It’s the people. As I’m finishing up my final year of residency in Victoria, I have nothing but gratitude for the community that has supported my training. We have a small cohort of two pediatric residents a year, which has fostered tightly-knit bonds and lifelong friendships. Our amazing pediatric staff have supported our growth and continue to demonstrate the importance of treating the patient, not just the disease. Above all, as the tertiary pediatric center for Vancouver Island, it’s a privilege to care for children from all across the Island, keeping care as close to home as possible.
Program: Family Medicine Location: Rural Northwest – Terrace Year in Program: 2
What moment inspired you to work in your chosen specialty?
Early in my medical training, I realized that what brought me the most fulfillment in medicine was building relationships with my colleagues and patients. It was not one single moment that inspired me to become a rural generalist, but countless connections built over my rural training that allowed me to see the impact I can have on the communities in which I live and work. I wanted to become a doctor who had the skills to help anyone, at any time, with whatever they needed – so I realized that I needed to become a rural generalist.
What’s your favourite part about training in the community you’re in?
Terrace is a small but mighty residency program that is truly invested in the development of full-scope rural generalist physicians who are also good and well-balanced humans. I love the scope of our work, and that the community of physicians is genuinely kind, supportive and collegial. I love that many of the Terrace residency program graduates have stayed in Terrace to practice. This fact has created a physician community that understands the philosophy of our flexible longitudinal training program and that genuinely views me and my family medicine co-residents as colleagues-in-training.
Impact by the Numbers
By training more resident doctors across the province, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is expanding and strengthening the healthcare workforce and improving the health of millions — both here in B.C. and beyond.
1,500+
resident doctors are training across the province
98%
of UBC MD grads who did emergency medicine training at UBC are practicing in B.C.
400+
family medicine resident doctors are training in regional, rural, remote and Indigenous communities across B.C.
76
UBC specialty and subspecialty training programs including surgery, cardiology, neurology and more
