Submit a Cedar Award Nomination!

The Cedar Awards recognize the many contributions of people within the department. With this initiative, we are looking to foster a sense of connection and keep people informed. Submit nominations here.

2024 Faculty of Medicine Awards

Celebrating an extraordinary community of people

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Faculty of Medicine Awards.

This suite of awards provides an opportunity to acknowledge outstanding faculty and staff members who demonstrate exceptional contributions to the faculty, and who are also dedicated to advancing our values and our vision of transforming health for everyone.

Please review the awards and nomination guidelines carefully and submit your nominations by Friday, June 14, 2024. Recipients will be announced this summer, and the awards will be presented at our annual reception in the fall.

See categories and nominate here.

Events

Reinventing Cardiac Care: A New AI-Empowered Paradigm 

Join the UBC Data Science and Health Cluster for an engaging conversation about how AI and your data can transform heart failure care, and potentially the healthcare system.

Date: 5:30pm – 8:30pm on April 25, 2024
Location: Paetzold Health Education Centre, Vancouver General Hospital (899 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9)
Event Page: https://datascienceandhealth.ubc.ca/events/cafe-scientifique-reinventing-cardiac-care-ai-empowered-paradigm
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cafe-scientifique-reinventing-cardiac-care-an-ai-empowered-paradigm-tickets-857464337917?aff=oddtdtcreator

Internal Medicine Review Course for Primary Care Providers

When: Monday, May 6 - Thursday, May 9 from 8am-3pm daily
Where: St. Paul's Hospital
Course Fee: $900 CAD
Credits: 20 Mainpro+
Who: Primary Care Physicians, Nurse Practitioners

• Each participant will get three and a half hours of small group (maximum 6-8 participants) clinical sessions with an industry professional each day. 
• We offer extra sessions in various subspecialties so that participants can personalize their educational experience to match their needs.
• The list of session selections by specialty is provided to attendees when they register for the event. Practical lectures will be interspersed throughout the smaller group sessions.
• These lectures are intended to assist participants in their work, as medical professionals.
• Additionally, there will also be dedicated time for questions so that participants can discuss and review difficult cases they have encountered in practice.

Learn more and register here.

For questions, please email phcdeptmedicine@providencehealth.bc.ca.

Primary Care for People with SCI: What Do I Need to Know?

Four Virtual Events in April and May

All sessions are from 8-9am and are elligible for 1.0 Mainpro+ credits.

The dates for the sessions are:

• Cardiovascular Health and SCI – April 18
• Skin Health and SCI – April 24
• Blood Pressure and SCI – May 1
• Bladder Health and SCI – May 7

To register, email matthew.queree@ubc.ca.

McMaster Midwifery Research Symposium

May 6-9

Kathrin Stoll and Cecilia Jevitt are speaking on May 6, 2024, in Hamilton, Ontario. Learn more and register here.

Making Evidence Matter for Everyone Conference

May 24 and 25 | In-person and Webcast

Learn fact from fiction with short snapper updates from our highly entertaining presenters on weight management, alcohol use disorder, misleading lab results, osteoporosis, migraine, opioid use disorder, diabetes, women’s health, infectious disease, deprescribing, practice changing studies, artificial intelligence and more!

Visit https://hectalks.com/vancouver to register.

A Postpartum Harm Thoughts Educational Infographic

April 25 from 12 pm - 1 pm

Over the past 15 years, Dr. Nichole Fairbrother's team has been working in the area of postpartum thoughts of infant-related harm and their relationship with mental health and infant safety. This topic has important policy and practice implications because of the potential implications both for parental mental health and infant safety. This infographic represents the culmination of many years of research on this topic.

To learn more and register, visit here.

Funding Opportunities

Call for Applications: UBC Health's IPE Scholars Program is now accepting applications for its second cohort

Program Summary

The UBC Health IPE Scholars Program will engage faculty members involved in projects that support, challenge and improve interprofessional education (IPE) at UBC. This program will support faculty to engage in educational scholarship in the domain of interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Individuals with a desire to advance IPE can apply for the title of ‘IPE Scholar’, receive $5,000 to support the development and dissemination of their IPE scholarship, and engage with a network of scholars to share their ideas and inform a broader research agenda for innovative, interprofessional activities that have the potential to advance progress in health professional education.

Through the IPE Scholars Program, we aim to build a sense of connectedness that will contribute to an ongoing interprofessional education community of scholarship and mentorship, and stimulate and advance dissemination of IPE research.

Program Objectives

The IPE Scholars Program will provide participants with an opportunity to:

• Develop a project in an interprofessional education area of interest
• Contribute to a collaborative educational (IPE) scholarship agenda
• Network with others engaged in the development, delivery and evaluation of IPE
• Disseminate findings and share best practices to support IPE

How to apply?

The deadline to submit applications is on May 12, 2024, at 11:45 pm. You can apply through the IPE Scholars website.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your proposal, please contact Brenda Gonzalez, Project Coordinator at Brenda.gonzalez@ubc.ca

Midwifery

We Are Hiring!

The Midwifery Program is hiring a full-time lecturer (1.0 FTE) for our developing Vancouver Island cohort. The position is for 5 years with the possibility of renewal. Apply now to join our dynamic team.

Full-time Lecturer (Vancouver Island)

Congratulations, Allison Campbell

Congratulations to Allison Campbell for winning the 2023/2024 UBC Killam Teaching Prize in Medicine. Well-deserved recognition for her teaching excellence! 

Postgraduate Program

Launch of the Rural Immersion Program

From the Faculty of Medicine

Starting this July, medical graduates will have the opportunity to further specialize in rural family medicine through [the DFP's] new and innovative Rural Immersion program — the first of its kind in BC and one of the very few offered at medical schools across Canada.

Since 2004, approximately 82 per cent of resident doctors who did family medicine training at UBC are now practicing in communities across the province.

Read the full article, featuring Drs. James Card, Jen Vandenberg and Bron Finkelstein (pictured above) here.

CaRMS Match Day

The Postgraduate Program would like to extend a warm welcome and big congratulations to our 198 incoming residents!

This year we matched residents to every one of our 23 sites, including the newest sites in Vernon, Duncan and Northern BC (Rural Immersion).

Future family physicians will continue to be placed across BC in urban, rural and Indigenous communities.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!

The Resident Insider

The Resident Insider is a brand new website written by residents for residents and will help with tips and tricks that residents can use to thrive.

Career Opportunity: Co-Program Director – Family Practice Enhanced Skills

The Postgraduate Program invites applications from family physicians for the position of Co-Program Director in the Enhanced Skills Program.

The program currently offers 41 FTE resident positions in Enhanced Skills training in a variety of areas. These positions are offered to family physicians or specialists in the province of British Columbia for the purpose of developing specific advanced skills for which there is an identified community need. The program is fully accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Applicants must be a Certificant of the College of Family Physicians of Canada or equivalent, or willing to obtain CCFP certification within four years of appointment and must also be eligible for BC medical licensure. Educational and administrative experience in residency training is preferred.

View the full posting here.

Dr. Denise Jaworsky Appointed as Director of the Rural Scholars Program

Dr. Jaworsky is a general internist from Cranbrook who is passionate about health research. She has been named as the new Director of the Rural Scholars Program at UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. 

Read the full story here.

Sport and Exercise Medicine

New Website Is Live

The Sport and Exercise Medicine Clinic recently launched a new website. You can visit it and explore here.

If you have their URL in any of your correspondence documents (email signature, business card, etc.) please update accordingly. 

JEDI

JEDI Resources and Information Now Available on DFP Website

The JEDI Committee promotes a culture of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion within the UBC Department of Family Practice. They advise the Department on specific actions to be taking to support ongoing culture changes in the areas of Indigenous cultural safety, anti-racism, decolonization, accessibility, inclusivity and the promotion of anti-oppressive practice that honour the intersectional identities of learners, faculty and staff. The Committee also supports the Department in our efforts to establish a system of accountability as it relates to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Visit the website here to learn more about available resources and information. 

Research

Participate in the Researcher Survey

The DFP Research Office has launched a survey to collect information about the research being done within the department and to gather feedback from those in the department who want to be involved in research and any barriers preventing them in doing so.

We are creating a centralized REDCap database of research within the department and to create a network where we can share opportunities, resources, and promote knowledge mobilization. This will help us to identify the main areas to focus on in the Research Office in order to better meet your research needs.

Please fill the survey if you are a researcher, clinical faculty, academic faculty or preceptor within the department who is either involved in research or interested in getting into research. Connect with Hiresh, Research Coordinator (hiresh.g@ubc.ca) for questions and clarifications.

The survey takes around 10 minutes and can be accessed with the below link:

https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Lo5oXXvrA3vyfQ

Convening & Collaborating (C²) Program

Michael Smith Health Research BC is pleased to open the 2024 Convening & Collaborating (C²) and Reach competitions, with additional funding to address priority health challenges. 

Through these programs, we mobilize communities for research impact. The programs enable health researchers to foster collaboration with people who will use the research and knowledge gained, disseminate and implement research evidence and increase the impact of their research. We support researchers in teaming up with these research users such as health professionals, patients and policymakers to move research evidence into policy and practice. 

Health Research BC recently undertook a priority-setting process to determine where our funding and support can provide increased research attention and impact and identified four broad themes. These themes — population aging; climate change and health; the health human resources crisis; and public health emergencies — will be the focus for priority-based funding. Learn more. 

Call for Participants: Studying the safety of Montbretin A for diabetes

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and tolerability of Montbretin A, a new natural product made from garden flower, in treating individuals with type 2 diabetes by reducing hyperglycemia episodes. 

Who Can Participate
The study is open to adults aged 19-65 with type 2 diabetes that is diet-controlled with no other medications other than vitamins and/or birth control. Participants must have a regular diet that includes three meals per day and must not have a history of gastrointestinal impairments.

What Is Involved
Those who consent to participate will undergo nine clinic visits over 13 weeks. This includes one screening visit the week before starting treatment and six treatment visits over a two-week period. Visits will involve taking the study treatment followed by a meal, along with other tests and measurements. Afterwards, there will be two follow-up visits. Participants will be compensated for their time and effort. 

Contact Information
Levina Ira, Research Assistant
Phone: 604 875 4111
Email: levina.ira@vch.ca

Care of the Elderly Committee: Join a Working Group

The UBC Department of Family Practice Care if the Elderly Committee is looking for people to join their working groups. If you are interested in joining (education, scholarship, advocacy, etc.), please email alicia.pawluk@gmail.com

Click here to access information about the committee, the working groups, and how to get involved. 

Publications

A Canadian Simulation Model for Major Depressive Disorder: Study Protocol.

Can Answers to the Health Workforce Crisis Be Found in Equity-Informed Digital Health?

Artificial intelligence for family medicine research in Canada: current state and future directions: Report of the CFPC AI Working Group.

Enablers and barriers to a quaternary prevention approach: a qualitative study of field experts.

Primary care provider-led cancer survivorship care in the first 5 years following initial cancer treatment: a scoping review of the barriers and solutions to implementation.

A perspective on psychedelics as treatments for addictions: Past, Present, and Future.

Trauma and violence informed perspectives on the transabdominal pelvic point-of-care ultrasound.

Green Exercise as an Opportunity to Promote Equity in Physical Activity Engagement Across Diverse Populations.

Review of Painful Foot and Ankle Conditions.

Risk of Severe COVID-19-Related Outcomes among Patients with Cirrhosis: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Canada.

The motivations and experiences of specialists who provide outreach services in rural operating rooms: A survey study from British Columbia.

Colorectal Cancer Patients' Reported Frequency, Content, and Satisfaction with Advance Care Planning Discussions.

Co-creation of mHealth intervention for older adults with hip fracture and family caregivers: a qualitative study.

The RESPCCT Study: Community-led Development of a Person-Centered Instrument to Measure Health Equity in Perinatal Services

HR Corner

Payroll Timesheets Submission Deadlines

Monthly and Hourly Employees: April 23, 2024 @11:59pm

Managers and Leaders: April 24, 2024 @11:59pm

Claiming Home Office Expenses with the T2202 Form

Employees who work from home may be eligible to deduct home office expenses on their T1 income tax filing with the T2200 form. To be eligible, the employee must be required to work from home. For 2023, if the employee voluntarily entered into a formal hybrid work arrangement with UBC, then the employee is considered to have been required to work from home. Visit the Claiming Employment Expenses FAQ page on UBC Finance for more information.

Curious About Your UBC benefits? Explore the Benefit Tree!

Our updated version of the benefit brochure is now available to help faculty and staff understand what’s available through their careers at UBC. The Benefit Tree PDF is accessible for printing or online viewing. To learn more about your eligibility for the benefits, visit here.

Simplifying and Streamlining our family-building benefits

Already these additional benefits have made it possible for people to access these important healthcare services. We have received feedback in the last 12 months and have worked with our benefits provider, SunLife, to make changes to streamline the processes and ensure we can deliver these services sustainably. To learn more about the changes as of April 1, 2024, please visit here.

Get Active by Participating in the Faculty and Staff Sports Day!

Teams will compete in a variety of physical and intellectual challenges, activities and fun!

Get ready to register your team of four to six participants (creative team names are encouraged) and compete in a wide range of activities for varying levels of experience, fitness and ability.

Registration opens from March 18 to April 24 for the UBC Vancouver Campus.

The event would not be possible without the support of amazing volunteers. Sign up for the volunteer opportunity and get involved!

Volunteer as a Mentor with MentorAbility BC

Help promote the employment of people with disabilities by serving as a volunteer mentor. Any faculty or staff member at UBC who is interested is welcome to become a mentor. Mentors are any working professional who can dedicate time during the mentoring day to meet and spend time with their mentee. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate community leadership.

To learn more about the opportunity, please visit here.

Workshop: The Art of Managing Conflict

Conflict is a common part of life, a natural result of people having different points of view, values, and beliefs. When left unaddressed, workplace conflict can lead to increased absenteeism and reduced productivity. This session includes lecture elements, Q&A, group discussion, polling and chat functions (no breakout rooms). The session will be held on April 22, 2024 from 2-3 pm on Zoom. For more details, click here.

Careers

Co-Program Director – Family Practice Enhanced Skills

Lecturer — Midwifery (Victoria)

Pets of the DFP