Tell us about yourself and your work as the Faculty Lead for Transition into Practice.
I am a community ophthalmologist in Vancouver and North Vancouver with an interest in outreach to vulnerable populations.
As the Faculty Lead for Transition into Practice (TIP), I focus on preparing residents for practice by designing curriculum on career development, personal financial knowledge, practicing medicine in BC, and the business side of medicine. I curate speakers who are content experts for evening sessions throughout the year and for Academic Half Days. Our website also provides access to online resources.
It has been an exciting five years, starting from a sturdy scaffold, watching TIP evolve into the success that it is today. Pulling together passionate physician educators, industry professionals, resident contributors, PGME support, program directors and administrators across all of our residency programs has fostered an impressive expansion of our offerings.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received on the job?
The best advice I’ve heard is to “know your audience”. It is challenging as an educator to create space where multiple generations of learners and teachers can come together to exchange best advice about managing change, given that what succeeded in the past may not be replicable now. For example, basic financial literacy is still foundational, but the current milieu of heavy debt loads, high cost of living, and greater practice expenses requires savvy survival strategies for new graduates.
What impact do you hope to have on residents?
I hope to inspire residents to feel more confident that they are well prepared to enter the physician workforce in BC or elsewhere. Our sessions aim to deliver unbiased, up to date guidance and candid advice that is well-attuned to the physician audience, providing information not readily available elsewhere. It is positive confirmation and deeply satisfying when residents who have attended our offerings recommend them to others.
Learn more about Transition into Practice and see the upcoming Academic Half Days on May 1 & 2, 2025.
