Dr. Cheryl Holmes is the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education and Head of the Division of Critical Care Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Holmes has played an instrumental role in the development of the Southern Medical Program based at UBC Okanagan and serves as an exceptional preceptor and mentor for countless students and residents.
Dr. Cheryl Holmes, MD’84 – 2022 alumni UBC Builder Award Recipient
Mon Jef Peeters, BHK’04, MSc’08, MPT’11
Mon Jef Peeters was born and raised in Squamish, British Columbia and his parents immigrated to Canada from Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They instilled Mon Jef with a work ethic and enthusiasm for outdoor activities (e.g., hiking, camping). He has always enjoyed physical activity and has been fascinated by the human body. In adolescence, Mon Jef fell in love with basketball and strength and conditioning. The latter led him to pursue studies in kinesiology at UBC. Mon Jef feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to compete in university sport, but eventually shifted his focus to academics and more diverse pursuits. Presently, Mon Jef works as a physical therapist with Fit to Train Human Performance Systems. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading/podcasting, and filling his recreational time with standup paddleboarding.
What drew you to the Master of Physical Therapy at UBC?
My interest in human anatomy and physiology, participation in sport and physical activity, and thirst for greater knowledge working as a strength and conditioning coach.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
That’s hard to pin down. I attended UBC for 10 years! I would say the consistent theme throughout my experience at UBC would be balancing learning pursuits with social recreation.
What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
I was fortunate to start my career with the company I am still with today upon graduation due to my past social and professional relationships. I have balanced my clinical work with some teaching as well as pursuing further education in the practice of manual osteopathy.
What do you find most interesting about a career in physical therapy?
The human body and all facets of the therapeutic process, including biology (i.e., anatomy, physiology), psychology (the mind is incredibly powerful and among the most complex systems we know of), and sociology (the interaction of therapy within the broader context of everything else that occupies us))
Where do you find inspiration?
My family. Time in nature. Earthly endeavours.
How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of physical therapy and your future pursuits?
As the child of immigrants, a visible minority, and growing up in a more rural community, I have always been aware of “otherness” or marginality. That forced me to be curious about my surroundings and question the ‘why’ of things. That informs all aspects of my practice and maintains my curiosity in the world around me.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish?
At present, my personal goal is to circumnavigate the larger lakes in the Lower Mainland area via standup paddleboard.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
I am a proponent of the concept of literacy being extended to all aspects of life. To me, a healthy society is one in which all peoples are proficiently literate with respect to reading/writing, information/digital media, science, health, cultural/social, financial, and legal enabling individual achievement for collective success.
Sally Lin, MPH’15
Sally Yue Lin (she/her) is a Senior Policy Analyst in the BC Public Service and a career coach serving equity-deserving professionals.
After graduating in 2015 from the UBC Master of Public Health (MPH) program, she worked in research administration and public policy in Coast Salish and Lekwungen territories (now known as Vancouver and Victoria). Her career goals are to make a meaningful impact on public policies in British Columbia and to uplift Indigenous, Black, and other racialized professional through providing financially accessible and identity affirming career coaching services.
Outside of work, Sally enjoys swimming, biking, and sewing.
What drew you to the Master of Public Health program at UBC?
I was interested in the UBC MPH program because I was interested in gaining epidemiology skills and to meet public health professionals working in BC, as I wanted to work in this province. I was working at UBC prior to attending the graduate program and I wanted to strengthen the relationships I had already built.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
I really enjoyed swimming at the pool in the mornings before going to class. It was really calming to swim laps and to mentally prepare myself for the school day. I worked part-time during my degree, so the early mornings were the only time I had to exercise, since the rest of my days were busy with class and work.
What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
After I graduated from UBC, I worked for a year in health research for a large research institution in downtown Vancouver before relocating to Victoria for a position at the University of Victoria. I had three different positions within UVIC related to research administration, where I gained skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, event planning, and managing staff. Last year, I pivoted out of the higher education sector and joined the BC Public Service.
Following the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the subsequent protests, the BC government initiated the process for reforming the Police Act in BC; I wanted to contribute to this important initiative and accepted a position as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
What do you find most interesting about a career in public health?
What I love about a career in public health is how diverse the field can be. Since public health is inherently interdisciplinary, we can work towards similar goals in so many different areas. This diversity allows our careers to be expansive and ensure that we are never bored, stagnant, or stuck.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration from the people around me. One of the main reasons I enjoy mentoring and coaching is because it expands my horizons and exposes me to new perspectives. I also find inspiration through LinkedIn and seeing the career paths of other professionals in my network and beyond.
More generally, I find inspiration in nature and through art. I seek out the feelings of wonder and awe that can be found through observing the simple beauty of the everyday, as well as through grandiose marvels found in the extraordinary.
How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of public health and your future pursuits?
My intersecting identities as a racialized, queer, immigrant, woman has allowed me to empathize with communities that have also been “othered”, whether because of health diagnosis, social condition, or aspects of their lived experience. This is the reason I have gravitated towards working with people with lived experience of HIV, incarceration, homelessness, and marginalization.
In terms of my future pursuits, I plan to continue working closely with colleagues, stakeholders, and partners on important issues that impact British Coumbians. My identities and training in public health provides me with unique skills and experiences to work towards meaningful policy change in this province.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish?
I would like to eventually scale up my equity-driven career coaching services so that I can uplift and support even more people. Currently I only accept 3 clients at a time and only on weekends as I work a full-time job during the weekdays, but hopefully I can expand my services in the future.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
To me, a healthy society is equitable, sustainable, and resilient.
Al Boggie MD’54
Congratulations to Dr. Alexander (Al) Boggie MD’54 who celebrated his 99th birthday on April 6!
Dr. Boggie is a member of the first graduating MD class of the Faculty of Medicine. Amongst his many leadership roles held during his career, in the 1960s he returned to Vancouver and established a family practice residency at Vancouver General Hospital and as Associate Dean, Admissions for the faculty for many years his impact on alumni who attended UBC medical school in the 1980s and 1990s, continues to this day. Dr. Boggie is a consummate supporter of Medicine at UBC and was the co-president of the Constance Livingstone Friedman and Sydney Friedman Foundation. Best wishes Al on this landmark birthday!
Dr. Bonnie Henry
Dr. Bonnie Henry is a 2022 recipient of the UBC Medical Alumni Association Honorary Medical Alumni Award.
Dr. Bonnie Henry was appointed as Provincial Health Officer for the Province of BC in 2018. As BC’s most senior public health official, Dr. Henry is responsible for monitoring the health of all British Columbians and undertaking measures for disease prevention and control and health protection. Most recently, Dr. Henry has led the province’s response on the COVID-19 pandemic and drug overdose emergency.
Dr. Henry’s experience in public health, preventative medicine and global pandemics has extended throughout her career. Prior to her current role, Dr. Henry was the deputy provincial health officer for three years. She also served as the interim provincial executive medical director of the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) from December 2013 until August 2014.
She was the medical director of Communicable Disease Prevention and Control and Public Health Emergency Management with the BCCDC and medical director for the provincial emerging and vector-borne diseases program, as well as a provincial program for surveillance and control of healthcare associated infections from 2005 to 2014.
Dr. Henry joined Toronto Public Health in 2001 as Associate Medical Officer of Health, where she was responsible for the Emergency Services Unit and the Communicable Disease Liaison Unit. In 2003, she was the operational lead in the response to the SARS outbreak in Toronto. She was a member of the executive team of the Ontario SARS Scientific Advisory Committee.
Dr. Henry is a specialist in public health and preventive medicine and is board certified in preventive medicine in the U.S. She graduated from Dalhousie Medical School and completed a Masters in Public Health in San Diego, residency training in preventive medicine at University of California, San Diego and in community medicine at University of Toronto.
She has worked internationally including with the WHO/UNICEF polio eradication program in Pakistan and with the World Health Organization to control the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
Dr. Henry is an associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine. She is the past chair of Immunize Canada and a member of the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the National Infection Control Guidelines Steering Committee. She chaired the Canadian Public Health Measures Task Group and was a member of the Infection Control Expert Group and the Canadian Pandemic Coordinating Committee responding to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
She has been involved with planning, surveillance and response to mass gatherings in Canada and internationally, including with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. She is also the author of “Soap and Water and Common Sense” a guide to staying healthy in a microbe filled world and “Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe: Four Weeks that Shaped a Pandemic.”
In 2022, Dr. Henry was awarded the Order of British Columbia and the British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship.
Dr. Sara Waters, MD’09
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.
The show must go online: Medical student traditions transformed for a virtual audience
February 22, 2022
With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting activities at indoor venues like movie theatres and concert halls, arts and culture event organizers have found new ways to forge onwards. And for the producers of events that are near and dear to the hearts of UBC medical students, the task of continuing traditions has never been more important.
UBC MedPlay and UBC Medicine Spring Gala are annual productions with over 40 years of history between them and have involved thousands of medical students as volunteer cast members, performers, stage crew, producers, and supporters. Every year, medical community members, including professors, preceptors, faculty, and staff, converge at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts and the Medical Student & Alumni Centre (MSAC) Vancouver to enjoy the creative and artistic talent.
Despite the differences in these events – one a stage play and the other an evening of artistic and musical performances – in 2021, their fates were the same: online was in their destiny. In March 2020 and months before their scheduled show dates, everything came to a halt in British Columbia, and much of the world. Despite the pandemic hampering their plans for in-person shows, the student producers’ passion and dedication to their fellow students inspired them to persevere through any and all obstacles.
Shadan Ashrafi (left) and Emma Finlayson-Trick, producers of the UBC MedPlay 2021.
Keeping traditions alive
Emma Finlayson-Trick (she/her), a third-year student and one of the producers for the UBC MedPlay 2021, wanted to be involved even before she started school at UBC. Throughout her elementary and high school years, she performed improv and theatre, and wanted to get back to her performing roots at UBC’s medical school. “Joining MedPlay was the highlight of my first year,” Emma says. “It’s a huge time commitment, but it’s so worth it.”
After a first table read in October, students usually gather three times a week for 10 hours of rehearsals every week, with the rehearsals increasing in frequency and length towards showtime. Outside of rehearsals, students also need to spend hours of personal time remembering lines and commuting to the MSAC for rehearsals, therefore mostly first- and second-year students in pre-clerkship can participate due to the demands on their time.
Back in summer 2020, when the MedPlay team were cautiously optimistic for an in-person production, they chose Art by playwright Yasmina Reza because the cast of 3 students could still safely practice while adhering to physical distancing requirements. But as the pandemic continued, organizers had to rethink their event. For Shadan Ashrafi (she/her), also a third-year student and one of the producers for the 2021 MedPlay, cancelling never crossed her mind because of the event’s structure.
“Cast members of the previous show would typically become the producers the next year,” Shadan says. “If MedPlay didn’t happen, then there would be no continuity, and MedPlay would disappear.”
“We also wanted to make sure the incoming class had an opportunity to bond together through this collective experience,” Emma shares. “I was a cast member in my first year, and it really gave me an identity in the medical community, and I made incredible friends.”
“When social interaction was such a luxury, it was important for MedPlay to continue,” Shadan adds.
Through a suggestion from Shadan’s roommate, UBC MedPlay became a radio play for the first time, which gave the organizers and cast members a bit more freedom to stretch their talents. Emma and Shadan increased the number of students who could participate by having two cast versions, including a gender-swapped cast. As rehearsals were now completely online and without the commute time to the MSAC Vancouver, the show included students from outside of Vancouver, a first for the typically Vancouver-based production.
There were some challenges to putting on a radio play: cast members had to learn how to act with their voices, a narrator was recruited to add exposition for listeners, and producers had to learn how to send sound equipment to students to record their performances remotely. In the end, two performances were held in February and March 2021. People from around the world tuned in, the cast organized listening cast parties, and the event was a resounding success and exceeded their fundraising goal for a local charity.
Dr. Nancy Duan, BSc’17, MD’21 (left) and Dr. Nazde Edeer, BSc’17, MD’21, producers of the UBC Medicine Spring Gala 2021
Celebrating the arts and creative self-expression
As a trained visual artist, Dr. Nancy Duan, MD’21 (she/her), was eager to get back into the arts once she started at UBC. Her involvement with the UBC Medicine Spring Gala began as a publicity director in her second year in medical school before becoming an artistic director for the 2020 show that took place before a 1000-person audience at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts a week before the March 2020 lockdown in B.C. Along with Dr. Nazde Edeer, BSc’17, MD’21 (she/her), as co-producers of the 2021 show, they were eager to plan the 2021 edition with some unease about how the pandemic would affect the show and the student performers.
Like MedPlay, the Spring Gala takes months to prepare and Dr. Duan and Dr. Edeer started the planning process early in summer 2020. By August, they realized that an in-person event would not be possible, but Spring Gala was too important to cancel.
“Spring Gala promotes student self-expression and creativity, and gives students the platform and support to do so, Nancy says. “It is also a chance for the medical community to gather and celebrate the arts for one special night in an actual theatre.”
“Performers know how big the production time is for this incredible show and there’s this sense of pride you don’t witness anywhere else,” Dr. Edeer adds.
Even though in-person events were unlikely to be allowed for their show, the producers pivoted to recording all the performances at the Chan Centre and planned to broadcast online. But in February 2021, restrictions increased and the producers had to tell the performers that they could not use the Chan Centre and had to find alternative ways to film their performances.
“It was definitely more stressful for the performers to deal with the constant changes and I’m really inspired by their adaptability and resilience.” Dr. Duan says. “Without the professional equipment at the Chan Centre, students used their phones to record, most of the time in their own homes, and that’s a lot different than performing in front of an audience.
“It was a lot to ask of them, but they were so committed and delivered amazing performances.”
This pivot also allowed students from all the distributed sites in Kelowna, Prince George, and Victoria to participate, which was previously not possible as there were limited funds for students to travel to Vancouver to perform. Once all the bhangra dances, acapella performances, martial arts, musical parodies, and piano medleys performances were received, the producers hired an external video editor to combine all the videos into a 1.5-hour performance for online viewing.
On May 15th, 2021, the medical community came together from the comfort of their homes, wherever they were, to view over a dozen student performances and the positive feedback from faculty, mentors, and students was “effusive.”
“We received emails from alumni and people from across B.C. who would have normally not able to come to see the show, so that was a definite benefit of going online,” Dr. Edeer says.
The pandemic continues, but traditions do too
Though B.C. is now in the midst of the Omicron wave, medical students are still adamant about continuing these important traditions for students and the medical community.
Emma continued her role as a producer for the MedPlay 2022, Written Rule of Law, which will be filmed for an online broadcast later in March 2022, with tickets available soon. Meanwhile, Shadan became a co-producer of the Spring Gala 2022, which is currently planned to be held in person on April 23rd at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts. Dr. Duan and Dr. Edeer have since graduated and act as advisors for the current Spring Gala team.
“We are incredibly excited to continue these beloved UBC events this year, celebrating the wonderful and varied talents within our medical student community,” Emma and Shadan say. “Thank you to everyone who has helped keep these traditions alive.”
Save the date! The 28th Annual UBC Medicine Spring Gala will be held at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts on April 23rd, 2022 at 7pm. In-person and live streaming tickets will be available through the Chan Centre for Performing Arts website and Trellis in late March 2022. For current information regarding the event, visit the Spring Gala website.
To stay up-to-date on UBC MedPlay 2022 show dates, visit the UBC MedPlay website and follow their social media.
Dr. Maryam Zeineddin, BSc’98, MD’03
Dr. Zeineddin (she/her) earned her medical degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and received her Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada. She is a business owner and family physician located in West Vancouver, where she has a special interest in preventative health and lifestyle counselling. Dr. Zeineddin is the founder and chair of a preventative health platform called Zilicare: bringing tools and insights on how to take take ownership of one’s mental and physical health.
She is a frequent CBC health contributor and speaker on resiliency, mental health, and gender equity. Dr. Zeineddin is an avid teacher and clinical instructor for the UBC Family Practice and Medical programs. She also sits on the board of directors at BC Family Doctors and UBC Medical Alumni Association, and is one of the Chief Negotiators for Doctors of BC.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
My fondest memory at UBC is not just what I learned when I did my undergraduate degree in physiology or medical school, but the people I met going through those journeys. I still remember the conversations I had with some of my beloved professors about life and how to live with purpose. However, I mostly remember making lifelong friends and meeting the man I’m still married to today with our two children. I remember playing ice hockey, soccer, and basketball intramural in my first and second year of medicine with the craziest and most fun friends, one of which has become my business partner, others who are still are my friends to this day and now our children are friends too.
What has been your journey since graduating from UBC?
Following my undergraduate degrees in physiology and medicine, I did a two-year family practice residency at St Paul’s Hospital, intending on doing addictions inner city medicine. Instead, my husband, also a UBC alumnus, ended up settling on the North Shore in Vancouver and building our practice the day we graduated. I became a community longitudinal family doctor where I did hospital calls, deliveries, palliative care, and geriatrics, and I was working over 70 hours/week.
After having my first child, I experienced anxiety with panic attacks. I had no help or guidance from my profession, except for my own family doctor who helped me through this difficult time. Fast forward 17 years later, with teenage daughters and a pandemic, I was yet again facing burnout, but this time I was not frozen or silent. I knew that something needed to change from within me, how I did things, and within our healthcare system and the medical culture, therefore I took time away from my practice to reflect. Through that process, I came to understand that I am worthy no matter what. I became motivated to get involved, take leadership positions, join boards I believed in and used my voice in the media. I didn’t want my patients to get temporary solutions and created a preventative health platform for the public to have access to evidence-driven tools and insights to take care of themselves physically and mentally, called Zilicare.
What are the best aspects of your career?
The best aspect of my career is the impact that I can have on my patients, which makes all that hard work worthwhile. The continuity of care, the ability to know one’s life story and know how every element can impact your health and the relationships you build over time is priceless. My patients are like family to me, which sometimes makes it so much harder to set boundaries to care for myself before I care for my community.
What motivated you to join the UBC Medical Alumni Association (MAA) as a Board Director?
I have always thought that going through medical training is like going war, like the veteran connection. There is an unspoken bond we all have and there is strength and healing compassion in those bonds. So I wanted to get involved in the UBC MAA to give back to medical students, residents, and alumni and help them feel connected and feel that they will always have a community.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term at the UBC MAA?
My wish is for us to support one another, get out of our individualist mindsets, and act as a community. It would be an honour to see different generations of doctors and medical students of all walks of life get together because of the UBC MAA to learn and find space for one another to bring joy and a sense of community.
Where do you find inspiration?
To find inspiration, it has to come within. For it to come from within, your mind needs to have a sense of calm. For me, I have to regularly find a sense of calm in nature with daily walking meditations and physical activities that puts my mind in focus, like downhill skiing or playing tennis. Another source of inspiration is the people I work with inside and outside of medicine, the people I call my friends and family, and most of all my beautiful patients.
What was one piece of advice that a mentor gave you?
One of my mentors asked me what the meaning of life is. I honestly didn’t know what to answer. I think I said something like, “To find joy and happiness”. He looked at me and said, “Life is difficult and it will have its ebbs and flows. To me it’s about the relationships who will make this journey of life doable.”
What does a healthy society mean to you?
A healthy society is a community of individuals connected to themselves and their surroundings to thrive mentally, physically, and emotionally. They respect one another, have no judgment, have compassion for themselves, others, and their surroundings, and value relationships, wisdom, and curiosity.