Bas Masri, MD'88

Bas Masri, MD’88

Having the perfect work-life balance is not easy for most, especially if you’re Bas Masri, MD ‘88.  With over 100 peer-reviewed articles published and having achieved academic rank of full professor at the University of British Columbia by his early 40’s, it’s easy to see that Masri has had a very busy career so far.  Now, as the Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at UBC and Vancouver Acute Hospitals, Masri continues to add impressive accomplishments to his resume while trying to balance a healthy lifestyle with his wife and two beautiful children.

Becoming a doctor was decision made early for Bas Masri.  His curious mind got the best of him and from a young age he was fascinated by medicine and was always asking questions.  Masri started his medical training prior to graduating with a Chemistry degree (BSc ’85), allowing him to complete his medical degree a year early in 1988.  Throughout his medical education, Masri often believed he would specialize in internal medicine given that it was intellectually challenging to him, but he soon learned that other areas were equally stimulating.  He eventually pursued orthopaedics after working with then resident, Dr. Marcel Dvorak, whose enthusiasm and skill greatly impressed Masri.  Today, Masri focuses on hip and knee replacement in his clinical work and has started performing patello-femoral replacement surgical procedures, as an alternative to total knee replacement, which will dramatically ease the pain for patients with patello-femoral arthritis while still allowing maximum mobility and range of movement.

While a student, Masri had another strong influence in Dr. Bill Ovalle. Ovalle instilled in Masri an appreciation for research. The synergies of combining clinical treatment and research in his practice have undoubted benefits. Masri is currently focusing his research interest on clinical outcome of joint replacement as well as on alternate bearing surfaces to resist wear better and last longer than polyethylene.

As a professor, Masri has the opportunity to see firsthand that the student perspective of medicine hasn’t changed much from when he was a student.  For Masri, he was relatively young to be starting medical school at the age of 19.  “As a student you have a different perspective of medicine, a perspective that is often idealistic rather than realistic” remembered Masri.  Now when he teaches, he focuses on realistic teaching practices and tries to show medical students and residents the struggles that doctors face such as limited resources, politics, human resources, and the wait lists and how to overcome these obstacles, while still highlighting the rewards of this wonderful profession.  Giving his students a better understanding of the ‘real medical world’ will help them when it comes to running their own practices, and as long as they continue to learn how to keep learning, Masri knows the next generation of doctors will do amazing things.

Masri believes he is privileged to have a stable and rewarding job.  From being a child and wanting to know more behind medicine to being a doctor who is able to restore peoples’ lives, Masri knows why he is so passionate about his career.  He believes that he has to continually prove his value to society because that is who he serves.

With all that he does, Masri’s greatest challenge is to ensure that he maintains a proper work-life balance, which continues to be a challenge. While ideally he would like to organize his time so that he can drive his children to school at least once a week; this does not happen as often as he would like. He does his paperwork after his children have gone to sleep, and even tries to play tennis once a week.  As a mentor to his 12 year old son, who happens to want to be an orthopaedic surgeon, Masri is trying to teach him the importance of hard work, inquisitiveness and keeping an open mind.  After all, that is how Bas Masri is where he is today.

Written by Kira Peterson

Marlys Koschinsky, PhD’88

Discovering and understanding clues that lay hidden in plaque may not appeal to the average person, but UBC alumna Dr. Marlys Koschinsky has devoted her research to studying certain lipoproteins to determine how they contribute to atherosclerosis.  More specifically how apolipoprotein(a) actually interferes with the ability of the body to break down blood clots.  Her research is important to the potential development of new drugs that will reduce the risk associated with having high blood levels of lipoprotein.

Dr. Koschinsky received her PhD from UBC and spent countless hours in the research lab under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Ross MacGillivray.  Today she speaks in the highest terms about her time at UBC, particularly the mentoring she received which she believes was critical to setting her on her own successful career path. Creating a work environment rooted in respect, support and collaboration is a cornerstone of her own success and what she believes is essential to achieve the best outcomes in any field.

From this experience at UBC Faculty of Medicine, her career continued to progress. She did her post-doctoral work in the United States and then went on to teach at Queen’s University where she was the first female research professor in biochemistry. She is currently the Dean of Science at the University of Windsor.

Marlys found the move from research to Dean of Science a welcome challenge.  She had taken on administrative roles at Queen’s, but the unique opportunity and scope of the Dean’s position was a draw that she couldn’t resist. Having to transition into thinking and leading in other areas of science outside of her own sphere of study has it challenges but also its rewards.  It has allowed her to be creative and link the various areas of science and research together to create interdisciplinary projects that are stimulating for the students and applicable for society. This includes the continued building of a health research focus that brings together areas of natural and life sciences as well as a dynamic new undergraduate program in Health Sciences that is currently under development.

In fact, that is part of what she finds so rewarding about her current position, getting people to work and collaborate together.  Marlys is very proud of the quality of the undergraduate and graduate programs at the Faculty of Science and derives a great deal of satisfaction from improving the student experience and helping all reach their full potential.

Similar to UBC, the University of Windsor is part of a distributed medical school, based out the University of Western Ontario.  This was another aspect of what drew her to the Dean’s position.  The opportunity for partnerships and collaboration between the research departments in Science and the medical school has enormous potential.

When asked if she still continues to do research, her response was “of course, I would never give up research; it is fundamental and core to who I am”.   Working with students, collaborating with colleagues, and exploring new possibilities in the lab mirrors what she enjoys most in her role as Dean of Science. In each role, questions are essential and learning from others is a joy.

If you would like to more information on Dr. Koschinsky’s research in cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and lipoproteins, please visit her webpage by following the links to People>Faculty.

Written by Marisa Moody

Jaspreet Khangura, MD’10

In May 2010, Jaspreet Khangura walked across the stage at the Hooding Ceremony to receive a shingle that bore her name and the letters “MD” for the very first time. While most of her fellow graduating classmates walked across the stage with their looming residencies in the back of their mind, Khangura’s path will be a little less conventional than her peers. One of two UBC graduates to be awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in 2010, this fall Khangura will put her residency on hold as she attends Oxford to complete her Masters in Global Health.
The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1902 after the death of Cecil Rhodes, is an international fellowship that brings students from all over the world to study at Oxford University in the interests of promoting international understanding and public service. Recipients are well rounded individuals whose academic achievement is matched by a commitment to leadership and the community.Community is something that Khangura knows a lot about. A trip to India as ten year old left an impression on her that has continued to guide her life goals. Struck by the poverty and pollution of the country, the trip opened her awareness to the social inequality that faces many communities around the world. Khangura’s interest in social justice committed her to both local and global volunteerism and advocacy throughout her student years. Some of her numerous volunteer projects have included the establishment of a Kids Can Free the Children chapter and Humanitarian Outreach Program, raising money for children in developing countries.

Khangura has also worked at local food banks, and with the Community Health Initiative by University Students (CHIUS) clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In 2008 she travelled to the Spiti Valley in the Himalayas as a part of the student-led health initiative to conduct health screenings and promote hygiene and nutritional education. Locally, she has worked to help develop a community health outreach program for new immigrants and subsequently developed workshops for the local YMCA and Vancouver Immigrant Society.

Khangura’s positive experiences at UBC while completing her Bachelors of Science in Physiology convinced her to apply to UBC’s medical school. Medicine was perfect for Khangura because it mixed her passion for science with her desire to work with people and contribute back to the community. Fortunate enough to complete most of her studies through scholarships, she stresses that she could not have accomplished all that she has without the funding that she received from those scholarships and is incredibly grateful for the support she has received over the years.

Khangura finds excitement in all areas of medicine and looks forward to the challenges that her career in health care brings. After completing her Masters in Global Health at Oxford, Khangura plans to complete her residency and pursue her PhD. Her ideal career would mix both clinical work and research, a combination that would give her the satisfaction of helping people directly, as well as contributing to a greater impact through research.

Each career goal is a stepping stone to Khangura’s wish to bring health care to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Her past experiences have already helped countless people and her dedication to continue this through other forums, both academic and hands-on, will no doubt make a lasting impact on the individuals that she works with as well as the broader community. At the end of the day, that’s what being a Rhodes Scholar is all about.

— Written by Laura Laverdure

Theresa McElroy, BScOT’98

Why did you choose your career? What made you specialize in this area of healthcare? These are questions regularly asked of our alumni in the Faculty of Medicine. And, in each case, there are interesting answers. Theresa McElroy, BSc Occupational Therapy ’98, has answers to these that are not only interesting but inspiring.

Theresa’s interest in Occupational Therapy  first began when she attended a local rehabilitation centre with her father who was speaking about his experiences flying aircraft as a pilot with paraplegia. After graduation, Theresa spent several years working as an Occupational Therapist in pediatrics across acute care, rehabilitation and community care. She also spent time volunteering overseas with various organizations that focused their work on children with impairments; this is where Theresa discovered her passion for International Health.  She went on to complete her Masters in International Health at Curtin University in Western Australia and spent the next 6 years working in the field.  Theresa reports having had the privilege of conducting research with a number of child health programs based in Uganda including: ‘The Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project’, which provides early detection and treatment of clubfoot, ‘Healthy Child Uganda’ that works through community resource people to promote child health practices and prevent morbidity and mortality through early recognition of health ‘danger’ signs.  From 2006-2008 she worked as Program Manager at the Centre for International Child Health at BC Children’s Hospital.

Theresa is pleased that UBC has a growing focus and expertise in global health and this is one of the reasons why she decided to return to UBC to complete her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies.  Her doctoral work has been on researching early childhood health & development during post-conflict transition in northern Uganda, and working to ensure the children there can have every opportunity to reach their maximum potential.  Theresa’s research was used to plan and implement six early childcare initiatives in return villages with international organizations, local government and community based organizations.

Being in the field and working directly with people is the most rewarding aspect of her job.  Getting to know the families and the challenges they face daily are what inspire her to continue her work.  As Theresa was reflecting on her work over the years she said “the things that inspire me are not the big moments but the small moments, the connection with women who work so hard every day to make a better life for their kids.  These women inspire me to be grateful for all I have and to work for things that are important to me and to them”.
When asked what her greatest achievement is thus far, Theresa couldn’t pick out a moment, instead stating that everything is a step in a journey and no one experience outshines the other.  Theresa hopes to continue to focus on children’s health in the context of their environment through a post-doctoral position.

For those who are doing work in Uganda or other global outreach projects and would like to connect with Theresa to get information or share ideas on best practices and on-the-ground resources, please contact us at 604 875 4111 ext. 62031 or marisa.iuvancigh@ubc.ca and we will put you in touch.

Written by Marisa Iuvancigh

Shelagh Davies, MSc’75

Our voice should match the person we are inside.  If it doesn’t, we feel discomfort; distress. – Shelagh Davies

Helping singers regain their voices and transgendered people find their voices are two of the job satisfactions for UBC Alumna Shelagh Davies. (MSc’75).  Shelagh is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, a Clinical Assistant Professor, and researcher in the Graduate School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at UBC. She has been practicing for over 25 years.  In the early days she established speech-language pathology services at Lions Gate Hospital and Burnaby General Hospital, then went on to  open her own private practice.  She now specializes in working with the voice and its disorders and regularly sees performers, teachers, public speakers, those living with Parkinson’s, and individuals with issues of gender and voice.

Seeing clients with their ‘ah-ha’ moment as they grasp a concept or understand a technique is what motivates this alumna to continue in her work and research.

As a singer and performer herself, Shelagh is familiar with the struggles and challenges of performance, but as a speech-language pathologist she understands the science and medical aspects as well.  She finds a perfect balance in her profession, blending her passion with her knowledge.

Research on transgendered voice is still in the beginning stages but Shelagh is seen as a leader in the field not only in Vancouver and BC but also internationally. In 2006 she co-wrote best practice guidelines for BC clinicians on transgender speech feminization/masculinization.  She is currently working on an international research project to assess the validity and reliability of a ‘self evaluation of voice questionnaire’ that she previously developed.  Currently there is no standard tool that allows transgender people to evaluate their own voices so this questionnaire will be important both clinically and for research. There have already been several requests for it to be translated into different languages.

Shelagh holds regular vocal rehabilitation and training workshops for singers and a speech and voice training program for transsexual women.  Looking ahead Shelagh hopes to develop a workshop for singing teachers about aspects of voice science relevant to the singing voice.  She is also looking forward to developing a program to train other speech-language pathologists in working with transgendered voice.

(If you would like more information on Shelagh Davies, you can visit her website at http://www.shelaghdavies.com/ )

Written by: Marisa Moody

Carol Herbert, MD’69

When Carol Herbert, MD ’69 looks back on her life as a child, she remembers that she didn’t always want to be a doctor, let alone a Dean.  At the young age of six, Herbert enjoyed writing and thought that she would be an author but instead, she almost became a first grade ‘drop out’.  Unable to ‘run in’ for skip, Herbert stayed home with a stomach ache.  So how did Carol Herbert go from being an almost first grade ‘drop-out’ to Dean of Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry?  Herbert’s older sister ‘made the diagnosis’ and helped her to master the art of skipping; in the process she learned that she could be anything that she wanted to be.

Carol Herbert’s resume is definitely impressive.  She graduated from UBC with a Bachelors of Science in biochemistry in 1966, conjoint with first year Medicine, at the young age of 19.  Visionary instructors such as Dr. David Hardwick, Dr. Mavis Teasdale, Dr. Margaret Mullinger, Dr. Patrick Rebbeck, and Dr. Bill Webber became Herbert’s role models and mentors.  It was Dr. Hardwick’s ability to think long-term which influenced Carol Herbert in her path within the medical profession.

Herbert had originally planned on specializing in Child Psychiatry, but while working as an intern, she had a baby which delayed the start of her residency by a few months.  During that time, she worked locums and fell in love with family practice to which, in those days, she had not had any exposure to yet.  Family practice was rewarding because it allowed her to have constant contact and interaction with patients and combined her passion for the sciences, arts, and humanities.  It also allowed her to balance career and family commitments.

After dedicating herself to family practice research and teaching at UBC and chairing the department for ten years, Herbert knew that she wanted to make a bigger difference and felt that her leadership style which promoted collaboration, diversity and constructive criticism, could be useful.  Carol moved to London, Ontario when she was appointed Dean of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario.

It wasn’t an easy decision to leave British Columbia.  Leaving her extended family, practice, UBC, and the beautiful scenery was heart-wrenching but the opportunity to be able to facilitate change on a large scale was impossible to resist.  Herbert’s previous experience working in situations of complexity with multiple partners in research, practice and education settings prepared her for the some of the challenges she would face as Dean.  Always keeping her values at the core, Herbert was able to attract a major donor which resulted in the naming of Faculty as the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, expand the School with the establishment of a campus in  Windsor, double student enrollment, double  medical research funding,  and introduce an undergraduate medical sciences degree.  For 11 years, her achievements as Dean left an indelible mark with the school as well as its students and alumni.

One year into her new chapter of life, currently a visiting professor at UBC, Herbert still stresses the importance of social accountability and makes a point of connecting with her students.  It’s about asking the right questions, engaging in self-direction and believing that you can be anything you want to be.

Written by: Kira Peterson