Dr. Hamed Umedaly, BSc’81, MD’86
President
Dr. Hamed Umedaly is a Consultant Anesthesiologist with Vancouver Coastal Health, the Head of the Department of Anesthesiology for Vancouver Acute, and Clinical Professor at the University of British Columbia, Department of Anesthesia.
Dr. Umedaly studied medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He practiced Rural General Practice for three years. He then joined the UBC Anesthesiology Residency Program for 5 years and subsequently trained in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia.
Dr. Umedaly is an educator, clinician, and researcher, and has been awarded the UBC Anesthesia Residency Master Teacher award on two occasions, the Professional Association of Residents of British Columbia Patti Aiyston Teaching award, and the VGH Clinical Excellence award. He was a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examiner for 6 years. His current clinical interests include cardiac anesthesia, cardiac surgical ICU, thoracic anesthesia, and perioperative pain management.
Dr. Mike Allard, BSc’78, MD’81
Past President
Dr. Mike Allard is Vice-Dean, Health Engagement and Professor of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Faculty of Medicine, and a Principal Investigator in the James Hogg Research Centre and Cardiovascular Pathologist at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Dr. Allard was born and raised in sunny Vancouver and attended UBC where he obtained a BSc in Biology in 1978 and an MD in 1981. Following a Rotating Internship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, he returned to UBC for a residency in anatomic pathology that included a research fellowship in the UBC Pulmonary Research Laboratory. He then undertook a cardiovascular research fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, returning to Vancouver in 1990. His research has focused primarily on adaptation of the heart to exercise and hypertension and he remains actively involved in educational programs at UBC.
Away from work, he is married with two adult children and lives in Vancouver. He commutes to work on his bike whenever possible, is an avid year-round recreational hockey player, and has a passion for travel.
Dr. Jan Christilaw, MHSc’03
President Elect
Until April 2017, Dr. Jan Christilaw served as President of BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, and Vice President, Provincial Women’s & Newborn Health, Provincial Health Services Authority. Since stepping down, she has continued her clinical work as a Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. She also serves as Director of Women’s Health with the Canadian Network for International Surgery, providing capacity building and skills training in several countries.
Dr. Christilaw has spent her career advancing women’s health in British Columbia. Her 25+ years of accomplishments include: President, Society of Obstetrics-Gynecologists Canada; Expert Advisor, Canadian Institute for Health Information for Maternity; UBC Clinical Professor, Editorial Board of JOGC, and Chair, BC Consensus Panel on Cesarean Birth. During her long career, she has delivered thousands of babies in British Columbia and worked as a full service community Obstetrician-gynecologist in White Rock-South Surrey for over 20 years.
In recent years, she has been awarded the YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the Health and Wellness category, the British Columbia Community Service Award, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, Waterloo University Distinguished Alumni Award, the National Leadership Award of the Federation of Medical Women, the Canadian International Surgery Volunteer of the Year award, and the UBC MAA Honorary Medical Alumnus Award in 2016. Most recently, as of January 1, 2017, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her work in obstetrics nationally and internationally.
Dr. James Boyle, BSc’74, MD’78
Treasurer
Dr. James Boyle completed his B.Sc. in honours physiology, followed by his MD degree at UBC. He interned in Montreal, and then did General Practice in Sechelt B.C. After a Residency in Plastic Surgery, and then a Fellowship in Britain, he returned to Vancouver to practice Plastic Surgery. He was the Director of the Provincial Burn Unit from 1987 to 2007. His current practice includes burn reconstruction, hand surgery, and peripheral nerve surgery. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a Clinical Professor of Surgery at UBC. After joining the UBC MAA Board in 2015, Dr. Boyle was elected Treasurer in 2018.
Dr. John Edworthy, BSc’74, MD’77
Vice President – Fraser Medical Program
Dr. John Edworthy grew up in New Westminster, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Physiology from UBC in 1974, followed by a MD Degree from UBC Faculty of Medicine in 1977. He obtained his Certification in the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1983 and was the recipient of the Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1994. In addition, he served as President of the BC College of Family Physicians. Dr. Edworthy has been a faculty member of the UBC Department of Family Practice since 1997, working in the area of faculty development. Since 2008, Dr. Edworthy has been the Site Director for the Vancouver Fraser Family Practice Residency Program.
Dr. Sara Waters, MD’09
Vice President – Island Medical Program
Dr. Sara Waters completed her B.Sc. in biology at the University of Victoria, followed by her MD degree at UBC’s Island Medical Program. After graduating from the program in 2009, Dr. Waters went on to complete her five-year anaesthesiology residency program with UBC. Dr. Waters currently practices as a consultant anesthesiologist at the Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals in Victoria and is a Clinical Instructor with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Waters has previously worked a Clinical Associate in the Intensive Care Unit at Vancouver General and Richmond General Hospitals.
Dr. Daryl Leiski, MD’96
Vice President – Northern Medical Program
Dr. Daryl Leiski obtained his B.Sc in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in 1989. He worked for 3 years in Ottawa and Houston, Texas as a research scientist with the Canadian Astronaut Program. In 1992, he changed career paths and entered medical school at UBC. Graduating in 1996, he completed his family medicine residency in 1998 as the second group of family practice residents through the Northern Medical Program in Prince George. Following graduation, he worked briefly as a family doctor before changing directions and working full time in Emergency Medicine. He started his ER career in Prince George and then moved through Comox, Victoria, Surrey, and is now currently back in Prince George. Moving back to Northern BC has allowed him to continue working in the ER, teaching, and opening an urgent care centre.
In the last couple years, Dr. Leiski has finally followed his 25 year dream (pre-medicine) and opened a very busy craft brewery in Prince George. It takes up some of his time, but he still enjoys racing cars, spending time with his family, and travelling. He is married with 6 children, 4 of which are currently attending university with the 5th joining the university ranks next year. His oldest daughter has given him 3 lovely grandchildren. He jokingly realizes that having 5 kids in university will put him well into the freedom 75 plan.
Dr. Tom Kinahan, BSc’82, MD’84
Vice President – Southern Medical Program
Dr. Kinahan is a Canadian Royal College Fellow and Diplomate of the American Board of Urology. A practicing Urologist in Kelowna since 1991, Dr. Kinahan has a number of publications to his name and has been Chief of Surgery at Kelowna General Hospital. He has special experience in laparoscopic surgery, also known as Minimal Access Surgery, and performed the first laparoscopic nephrectomy in British Columbia in 1992. Dr. Kinahan enjoys skiing on his time off and spending time with his family.
Dr. David Chercover, BSc’74, MD’78
Board Director, MD Admissions Subcommittee
After graduating from University of British Columbia in 1978 with a degree in medicine and interning in Montreal, Dr. Chercover did locums for 3 years in the Fraser Valley and the Northwest coast of BC. During that time, he repeatedly bumped into Dr. David Hardwick, a fellow UBC alumnus and MAA Board Director, who advised him to consider pathology.
After four years as a resident at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and UBC Hospital, and a year in the VGH Department of Hematopathology, Dr. Chercover became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in both Anatomical Pathology and Clinical Pathology.
Since then, Dr. Chercover has been a staff member at Lions Gate Hospital, where he happily does mostly surgical pathology.
Dr. Bryan Chow, MD’14
Vancouver Medical Program
Dr. Bryan Chow is a Geriatric Psychiatry subspecialty fellow at the University of British Columbia. He obtained his MD from UBC in 2014 and went on to complete his psychiatry residency at UBC. During his residency training, he also had the opportunity to complete the Addiction Medicine Fellowship with the British Columbia Centre for Substance Use. He hopes to integrate his training in older adult mental health and substance use into his future clinical work and research.
Outside of psychiatry, Dr. Chow has taken a particular interest in resident leadership and education, and he has had opportunities to become involved in multiple roles throughout his training. He is also an avid runner and cyclist, who enjoys spending time outdoors whenever he can.
Dr. Maryam Eslami, MD’18
Board Director, Vancouver Medical Program
Dr. Maryam Eslami is an Ophthalmology resident at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She obtained her MD in 2018 from UBC. Prior to medicine, she studied biomechanical engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and was the president of the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Student Council. Prior to immigrating to Canada in 2011, she was recognized by Iran’s National Elite Foundation for her extraordinary academic achievements.
Outside of clinical practice, Dr. Eslami is particularly interested in mentorship and curriculum development for medical education. She also enjoys a variety of sports and outdoors activities.
Dr. David Jones, BSc’67, MD’70
Board Director, Vancouver-Fraser Medical Program
Dr. David Jones was born in Vancouver and completed his Bachelor of Science in microbiology, followed by his MD degree at the University of British Columbia. Afterwards, he interned in California.
Dr. Jones started his family practice in Marpole, Vancouver and moved to Burnaby in 1975. He has be involved in sports medicine throughout his career, providing care to amateur lacrosse, hockey, and fastball teams, as well as the Vancouver Canadians AAA baseball team between 1978 and 1992. Dr. Jones was Medical Director at Burnaby General Hospital from 2008 to 2014. He continues to be an active member of the UBC Medical Alumni Association, including serving as President between 2004 and 2006 and supporting the Medical Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament.
Dr. Jones was extensively involved in the BC Medical Association (BCMA), now Doctors of BC, including the BC Medical Journal editorial board, Audit and finance Committee, Communications committee, and as president in 1987-88. Through the BCMA, his notable achievements include successfully advocating for mandatory car seat-use for children under the age of 6 in British Columbia, mandatory bicycle helmets for riders in BC, and helping in the BCMA/Canadian Medical Association process to have inflight smoking banned in Canada.
Dr. Maryam Zeineddin, BSc’98, MD’03
Board Director, Vancouver Medical Program
Dr. Maryam Zeineddin is a family practice physician and the chair of Zili, a not for profit organization that promotes and supports preventative health initiatives in Canada and across the globe.
Dr. Zeineddin was born in Tehran, Iran and lived in Athens, London, and Stockholm prior to moving to Vancouver. After earning her BSc. in honours physiology, she volunteered in Honduras with the Canadian Development Agency at a children’s hospital, inspiring her to become a physician. She later completed her MD degree at UBC and opened a full service medical centre in Vancouver. In addition to her work as a family physician and chair of Zili, Dr. Zeineddin is a clinical instructor for UBC Department of Family Practice and Board Director of the BC College of Family Physicians. She is married with two children and enjoys skiing, biking, playing tennis, and socializing with friends and family.
Ex-Officio
Dr. Deborah Money, BSc’81, MD’85, Executive Vice-Dean
Dean’s Desginate, UBC Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Deborah Money is the Executive Vice-Dean at the UBC Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Money is a distinguished member of the medical community as an alumna, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, associate member in the Department of Medicine and the School of Population and Public Health, and active clinician and researcher in Reproductive Infectious Diseases. She trained with a BSc in Microbiology, then completed her MD followed by her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UBC and a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington. She is a leader in prevention of HPV associated cancer in women living with HIV, prevention of perinatal transmission of HIV, and the study of the vaginal microbiome in health and disease. She has published more than 180 peer reviewed publications and has received more than $24M in peer reviewed funding. She is the past Vice President, Research at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Provincial Health Services Authority, and past President of the Infectious Diseases Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology (US). Dr. Money is actively involved in teaching and established the first fellowships in Infectious Diseases for Obstetrician/Gynecologists in Canada.
Zach Sagorin, BSc’17
President, Medical Undergraduate Society
Zach Sagorin is a 3rd year medical student at UBC and the President of the Medical Undergraduate Society (MUS) for the 2019-2020 year. As President, Zach guides the priorities of the MUS Council and represents the MUS at various levels within the faculty and to external stakeholders. Zach’s priorities as President include improving student wellness, sustainability, and MUS financial infrastructure. Beyond student leadership, Zach’s passions include planetary health, general surgery, and quality improvement. In his spare time, Zach enjoys surfing, snowboarding, and running.
Dr. Beverley Tamboline, BA’53, MD’60
Newsletter Editor
Dr. Beverley Tamboline was the President of the UBC Medical Alumni Association from 2000 to 2003. Since 2001, she has been the UBC MAA Newsletter Editor and she continues to serve in this role. Dr. Tamboline has received many accolades, including a Canadian Medical Association Award in 2000 and the Doctors of BC Silver Medal of Service award in 2011. In 2017-18, she received the alumni UBC 100 Alumni Builder Award for her many contributions to UBC, the Faculty of Medicine, Museum of Anthropology, and her long record of community involvement.
Dr. Penny Ballem, MD’78
Advisor
Dr. Penny Ballem received her MD Degree from UBC in 1978. She was the winner of both the Hamber and the Horner Gold medals upon her graduation from Medicine. She went on to receive her fellowship in Clinical Hematology from UBC in 1983. Dr. Ballem has had a diverse career as an academic clinician in the UBC Department of Medicine, providing patient care, and doing clinical research at both St Paul’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre over the last 35 years. Since the start of her career, she has served in numerous senior health leadership positions including 6 years as Deputy Minister of Health for the Province of BC and 7 years as the City Manager of the City of Vancouver. Dr. Ballem is an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the winner of several awards including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Public Service, the 2012 UBC MAA Wallace Wilson Leadership Award, and the Marion Powell Award for leadership in women’s Health. Dr. Ballem is currently providing advice to government’s across the country and internationally on various health policy issues. She continues to practice on a reduced scale, seeing ambulatory hematology patients.
Dr. Arun Garg, MD’77
Advisor
Dr. Arun Garg is a Consultant Medical Biochemistry at Fraser Health‘s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. His interests and extensive experience allows him to have global practice and engagement. He has served as Program Medical Director for Fraser Health Regional Department of Laboratory Medicine for 20 years and Division Head of Medical Biochemistry for over 30 years. He is also Clinical Professor and Director of Cooperation and Engagement in the Office of Global Medicine of Pathology in the Department of Pathology of the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia. Dr. Garg is also Clinical Service Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University.
Dr. Garg was a founding member of the Canadian Physicians with Interest in South Asia of BC and Canadian Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage. In 2010, Dr. Garg co co-founded the Canada India Network Society and co-chaired first Canada India Networking Initiative 2010 to bring awareness to the issue of cardiovascular disease in the South Asian population. Dr. Garg has been active in many voluntary organizations, including as board member, board chair, and president of the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA), now Doctors of BC, and board member of the Canadian Medical Association.
He has been recognized and awarded numerous honors and awards, including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Canadian Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award, the first foundational recipient of the BCMA’s Dr. Don Rix Leadership Award, and the first Community Award of Drishti magazine as a leader in health services.
Dr. David Hardwick, MD’57, LLD’01
Advisor
Dr. David Hardwick’s career is focused in the field of pediatric pathology. He has worked at UBC for more than sixty years and was awarded an honourary law degree in recognition for his commitment to the principles of academic freedom. He contributed to the visionary team of BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital by bringing various medical and lay teams together. He also advocated and fundraised for a congregating site for medical students and alumni, where activities and events could be hosted, now the current Medical Student and Alumni Centres (MSAC).
Ex-Offcio, Non-Voting
Aaron Baker
Island Medical Program Site Lead | Medical Undergraduate Society
Aaron Baker is originally from Campbell River in northern Vancouver Island. He completed a Bachelor of Sciences degree at Trinity Western University and was excited to be accepted to the Island Medical Program’s (IMP) class of 2022. Aaron’s role as IMP site lead involves managing the Medical Undergraduate Society’s (MUS), budget for the four classes at the IMP. He also is the liaison between IMP students, IMP staff, MUS council members, and various committees such as the UBC Medical Alumni Association and the By-Laws Committee. However, the most satisfying role of his position is to help organize the various social and financial events within the IMP. This ranges from MC’ing Victoria’s IMP welcome dinner at the empress, to organizing financial presentations of interest to the students of Victoria. Aaron’s goal is to serve and support each student across the years at the IMP.
Kian Draper
Northern Medical Program Site Lead | Medical Undergraduate Society
Kian Draper grew up in Prince George and is pleased to be continuing her second year of medical education in the North. As the NMP Site Lead, Kian manages the Medical Undergraduate Society’s (MUS) budget for all four years at the NMP, liaises with various faculty
members, MUS, and committees such as the UBC Medical Alumni Association. An important aspect of the NMP site lead role is to support students through their medical school related endeavours including intramural sports, shadowing and extracurricular activities, or social events. Kian aims to represent the NMP at key UBC meetings this year and moving forward as well as promote connectivity between all 4 years at the NMP. Outside of medicine, Kian enjoys running, travelling, and playing musical instruments.
Kaitlin Toplak
Southern Medical Program Site Lead | Medical Undergraduate Society
Kaitlin Toplak is a 2nd year medical student in the Southern Medical Program (SMP) at the University of British Columbia and is serving her first term as Site Lead to the SMP. In this position, Kaitlin represents the interests of SMP students to faculty members, community stakeholders and several MUS sub-committees. Her other responsibilities include fair allocation of SMP finances, advocacy for site-specific initiatives, and supporting inter-year connectivity. This year, Kaitlin’s main goal is to increase engagement within the Okanagan medical community by promoting cohesion between alumni, students, residents and physicians. She is honored to be the voice of SMP and will work hard to ensure their needs are met!
Outside of medicine, Kaitlin is an avid traveler, with her most recent trip to Europe backpacking nine countries with new friends from medical school.