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 and Dean’s Designate
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. 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. Maryam Zeineddin, BSc’98, MD’03
Vice President, 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.
Dr. Richard Alexander, MD’14
Director, Island Medical Program
Dr. Alexander currently serves as an Anesthesiologist with the Island Health Authority. He also serves as the Medical Education Lead and as a Clinical Instructor for Anesthesiology with UBC’s Island Medical Program. Dr. Alexander is an alumnus, he also completed his medical residency with the university in 2019. He is also a graduate of Brown University, where he served as the Captain of the Brown University Bears swim team.
Dr. Bryan Chow, MD’14
Director, 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
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 Chercover, BSc’74, MD’78
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.
Ex-Officio
Dr. Daphne Lu, BSc’14, MD’18
President, Resident Doctors of BC
Dr. Daphne Lu is a 3rd year General Surgery resident and the current President of the Resident Doctors of BC. As an alumni of the UBC medical school, she also served previously as the President of the Medical Undergraduate Society 2016-17. Daphne is the recipient of the Doctors of BC Changemaker award for her work in medical leadership and student advocacy and is delighted to have the opportunity to represent residents on the UBC Medical Alumni Association.
Billy Zhao, BSc’17
President, UBC Medical Undergraduate Society
Billy Zhao completed his B.Sc at UBC and returned to UBC for medical school. He is currently a third year medical student and the President of the UBC Medical Undergraduate Society for the 2020-2021 year. As President, Billy represents all UBC medical students at various levels within the faculty and external organizations. This year, Billy’s priority will be ensuring that UBC medical students continue to strive academically and maintain wellness throughout COVID-19. Outside of his role as President, Billy enjoys swimming, running, and travelling (on pause for now though).
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
Rhea Ashmead
Island Medical Program Site Lead, UBC Medical Undergraduate Society
Rhea Ashmead is from Victoria, BC. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree at the University of Victoria prior to being accepted into the Island Medical Program’s (IMP) class of 2023. Rhea’s role as IMP site lead involves being a liaison between IMP students, IMP faculty and staff, MUS council members, and various committees such as the UBC Medical Alumni Association. She also manages the Medical Undergraduate Society’s (MUS) budget for the IMP site, which helps fund student initiatives and events. Rhea’s goal is to support each student across the years at the IMP and represent their interests at UBC meetings. Outside of medicine, Rhea enjoys trail running, road cycling, and playing strategy games with her friends and family.
Paige Murphy
Northern Medical Program Site Lead, UBC Medical Undergraduate Society
Paige Murphy originally from Vancouver Island where she completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Victoria before moving to snowy Prince George to join the Northern Medical Program. She is very excited to be joining the MUS as NMP site lead this year and look forward to working with other NMP council members to support (socially-distanced) social events and intersite connectivity for NMP students. Paige’s main goal this year is to advocate for improvements to the NMP MSAC space, including the acquisition of workout equipment for on-call students and to support all learners during these exceptional times. Outside of medical school, her interests include rock climbing, yoga and being outdoors through hiking, biking and camping.
Lauren Hughes, BSc-O’16
Southern Medical Program Site Lead | UBC Medical Undergraduate Society
Lauren Hughes grew up in Kelowna and feels extremely fortunate to attend medical school in her hometown. She is a 4th year Southern Medical Program (SMP) student and is serving her first term as SMP Site Lead. In this position, Lauren represents the interests of SMP students, faculty, and community stakeholders. She attends all monthly MUS meetings and oversees the SMP Site Council. She is also a member of several committees, including the UBC Medical Alumni Association, MSAC Advisory Committee, and Constitution and Bylaws Committee. Additional responsibilities include fair allocation of SMP finances, advocacy for site-specific initiatives, and promotion of inter-year connectivity. This year, Lauren’s main goals are to advocate for the addition of an MSAC in Kelowna as well as find creative ways to support student connectivity amidst times of social distancing. She is honoured to represent the SMP community. Outside of medicine, Lauren instructs indoor spin classes at a local gym and enjoys the Okanagan with her friends and family.
Outside of medicine, Kaitlin is an avid traveler, with her most recent trip to Europe backpacking nine countries with new friends from medical school.