Dr. Sara Waters (she/her) is a graduate from the second class of UBC’s MD Island Medical Program (IMP 2009). She completed her residency training in anesthesiology at UBC and now works as a staff anesthesiologist in Victoria at both the Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH) and Victoria General Hospital (VGH). Dr. Waters is also the Clinical Education Lead for the IMP Anesthesiology rotations at RJH, and sits on the board of the UBC Medical Alumni Association (MAA) and Association of Victoria Anesthesiologists (AVA). Outside of clinical, administrative, and educational obligations, you will find Dr. Waters spending time with her two wonderful children (and puppy!), trying a new recipe in the kitchen, or participating in one of her many fitness and recreational endeavors.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
My favourite memory was being in the IMP with my class of 24 students. We got to know each other incredibly well. There was a lot of laughing, bonding, and growing together between our lectures, small group learning sessions, and labs
What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
When I graduated from the UBC MD undergraduate program, I began my residency training, also at UBC. I completed the first of those five years in Victoria and the remaining four in Vancouver. I loved the continuity of working with the same staff in Victoria as a resident whom had taught and mentored me as a student. I had both of my children in residency and was very lucky to have had such a supportive family and residency program. I also had the opportunity to be co-chief resident in my senior year, work as a Clinical Associate in the ICU, and find the best Royal College exam study group I could have ever hoped for.
What are the best aspects of your career?
I love my job! I work with a fantastic group of colleagues in Victoria and have a diverse and interesting clinical practice at a tertiary care centre. I love the acuity of my work and I find immense satisfaction in being able to relieve pain and care for patients during some of the scariest times of their lives. I find it to be an enormous privilege to take care of patients before, during, and after surgery, to manage their physiology whilst also attending to the human side of their experience.
What motivated you to join the UBC Medical Alumni Association (MAA) as a Board Director?
I was motivated to join the UBC MAA for two main reasons. First, I am a proud graduate of UBC and I feel very fortunate to have received such wonderful education and training from UBC both in the medical school and residency program. Second, I found the formal and informal mentoring I received during my training to be extremely beneficial in helping me navigate those challenging years and helping to direct me to what has ultimately been the best choice for me: choosing a career in anesthesiology.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term at the UBC MAA?
I hope to be more involved in mentoring and engagement activities during my term on the UBC MAA board. As our world slowly opens up again, I would love to re-instate more in-person sessions with students and fellow alumni to allow for mentoring, support, and social interaction.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from the enthusiasm, kindness, and optimism I observe in my colleagues, role models, patients, friends, and family. They remind me that we all want and deserve health and happiness. People who direct their energy and work towards achieving health and happiness for themselves and others have an infectious way about them and I find myself more motivated and inspired as a result of being in their presence.
What was one piece of advice that a mentor gave you?
Make sure that you like the “bread and butter” of your field. It’s not going to be all exciting cases all the time, but if you find purpose and joy in the routine care that we deliver and you expand your scope of work to include things like teaching and administration, you will remain satisfied and in a state of continual growth.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
A healthy society is one in which those of us who have been fortunate enough to have had education, stability, and frankly just good luck, give back and work to support those who have perhaps not shared in similar good fortune. A healthy society is also one in which we never stop believing that it could be better and we continually work to ensure that it is, both now and for future generations.
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