Celebrating Resident Doctors Appreciation Week

From family medicine clinics to specialist units around British Columbia, there are more than 1300 UBC resident doctors training in regional, rural and remote communities.

Guided by UBC clinical faculty, resident doctors provide compassionate care to families and patients, and play a crucial role in our healthcare system. They also contribute their skills and knowledge beyond the clinic.

“Resident doctors support the education of medical students, conduct research and strengthen health care as they train to become expert practitioners in numerous specialties,” says Dr. Ravi Sidhu, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education. “I am grateful for their dedication to serving and enhancing health of communities across B.C.”

Thank you to all UBC resident doctors for the care you provide communities across B.C.

As part of Resident Doctors Appreciation Week, we caught up with a few UBC resident doctors to learn more about their experience by asking the following question: “How has residency training informed your future practice?”

Mehar Kang

Psychiatry, Fraser

“I feel very fortunate to be able to pursue psychiatry training in an age where mental health awareness is growing. I value the opportunity to train in a diverse range of hospital and community settings. Residency has emphasized contemporary, compassionate, and evidence-based medicine that puts patients and families first. I’m grateful to work alongside a wonderful team of co-residents, staff, and allied health professionals who are passionate about teaching and advocating for biopsychosocial care.”

Yotakahron Jonathan

Indigenous Family Medicine, Vancouver Island

“The Indigenous Family Medicine program has been an incredibly rewarding experience. As a Mohawk Bear Clan from Six Nations, I knew I wanted to work rurally, particularly within Indigenous communities. This program has offered me the chance to see the variety that exists within rural medicine through the “choose your own adventure” style for placements. This has allowed me to get a sense of the spaces I would like to practice in and learn from a variety of people. Along with learning the skills needed for rural and remote medicine, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many people within different communities while seeing much of this beautiful place.”

Zach Sagorin

General Surgery, Vancouver

“Residency training is informing every aspect of my future practice. During my time in general surgery I have been transformed by the generosity of my patients and the incredible privilege of providing surgical care to a diversity of patients and individuals. Through my residency training I am developing the technical skills and knowledge to offer excellent surgical care to my patients in the future. I learn from incredible surgeons and alongside amazing co-residents, medical students, allied health professionals, and many others. I get to take part in treating cancer patients, saving lives, and decreasing suffering every day. We have the great honour of caring for people as they recover and return to the community. Every day I am reminded to be humble and reciprocate the honour my patients share with me.”

Dayle Ostapiuk

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Prince George

“My residency program has taken me to all four corners of British Columbia. My specific site in Prince George has been fortunate to be home to a mentorship community that is invested in furthering the mental health of northern and rural communities. Both within my site and the greater UBC program, psychiatry residency has focused on flexibility, practicality and capitalizing on my learning through connection to outreach, further training through subspecialists services and exposing me to my niche, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. My program is invested in my success and I, in turn, have been able to focus on my joy, patient care.”

Alice Wang

Orthopaedic Surgery, Vancouver

“Working with diverse populations that have various musculoskeletal injuries and pathologies has been an eye-opening and rewarding experience. With each case, there is always something new to learn. Residency has confirmed the importance of teamwork and I am grateful to be in a program where I am supported by my colleagues and staff. At this point in my training, I am excited to continue refining the skills that will help guide my future career as an orthopaedic surgeon. I look forward to pursuing a future practice where I hope to continue my interests in research and teaching.”

Brad Stebner

Emergency Medicine, Kelowna

“Residency prepares you for practice through reading cases and studying for exams and your knowledge base expands immensely. However, I think the biggest takeaways from residency that will inform my future practice are the lessons learned and passed down by all the staff physicians I have had the pleasure of working with. Residency is a great time to learn from other physicians’ experiences, triumphs, and even challenges. I like to think that these lessons and the wisdom that has been passed down to me over the last five years prepares me to be a much better physician.”

Patrick Mckernan

Pediatrics, Victoria

“I found residency to be both the most fulfilling and most humbling part of medical training. The busy on-call schedule, travel, and steep learning curve can feel overwhelming at times, but I was really lucky to have a supportive partner, colleagues, and mentors in my program to stay grounded. Starting a family in medical school and residency also really pushed me to find ways to nurture both my personal and professional life and to appreciate that these domains are inextricably linked. Moving into independent practice, I really appreciate the importance of nurturing all parts of your life.”

Svetlana Hadikin

Family Medicine, Kootenay Boundary

“Residency training is providing me with experiences that are solidifying my love of longitudinal family medicine. I most value the opportunities when I see the same person in my family practice clinic who I had previously seen in the hospital setting; I believe the continuity improves patient care and strengthens the patient/physician relationship. I have worked with many skilled, engaging teachers and mentors, both specialists and family doctors, who are helping to refine my competence with procedures, mental health care, and more. Eventually, I hope to offer a wide range of services in a rural family practice clinic to improve access to medical care for patients in an underserved community.”

Brian Hwanki Kim

General Internal Medicine, Vancouver

“During my residency, I have witnessed the impacts of inequitable distribution of health services on patients living with chronic diseases. Efforts that singly addressed the multitudes of issues they were experiencing, resulted in further fragmentation and delays in care. Working alongside general internists across B.C. impressed upon me how well-rounded expertise in a wide range of medical disciplines can consolidate care for patients with competing and complex medical needs. In my future practice, I will take the training that I have been privileged with and strive to provide comprehensive and holistic care to patients living with multi-system illnesses.”

Published: February 6, 2023