Iris Xie, BKin’19, MOT’21
Iris Xie (she/her) is a recent graduate out of the Master of Occupational Therapy program at UBC. She is currently working at a specialized pain and trauma clinic where she helps clients manage chronic pain and get them back to doing the things they need to and want to do. Outside of work, Iris loves to dance, golf, run, and spend time outdoors. She also loves to eat and runs a food blog @yvrfooddiary where she shares all her food experiences around Vancouver. Iris’ goals after graduation are to continue seeking out learning experiences, build connections with people around her and trying her best to make a difference in her client’s lives.
What drew you to the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree at UBC?
I have always been passionate about helping people who have gone through adversity. In my undergraduate degree, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career where I could build genuine connections with others, and learn more about physical and mental health while being able to be creative and innovative. I found the MOT program at UBC to be that perfect match as the program’s values and instruction style is multi-dimensional, featuring cutting-edge research, innovative technology, holistic understanding of physical and mental health, and hands-on practical experiences.
How has studying in the MOT program made an impact on you?
This program has impacted me in so many positive ways. The support I had from faculty and peers made me feel comfortable, confident, and passionate about my studies and work experiences in the last two years. I was always encouraged to reach my goals and become a better version of myself. I learned the importance of truly taking care of my wellbeing and when I prioritized myself, the difference it made in my studies, relationships, and extra-curricular activities. I learned to actively practice appreciation and gratitude in my daily life which has made such a big difference in my mental and physical wellbeing.
What advice do you have for students entering the MOT program?
To all new students entering the program, take advantage of the next two years to try new experiences, create new memories, and make new friends. Two years goes by really fast and it’s so important to cherish this amazing learning opportunity you have ahead of you. One of the best things about this program was the friendships I made and the experiences we shared. Also, challenge yourself and put yourself outside of your comfort zone when you can! The best kind of learning happens where you feel challenged and you’ll have an amazing support circle around you in this program to help you when you need.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration through my everyday activities, especially through conversations with others and spending time outdoors. I think there is something to be learned from everyone that I interact with and through the experiences I have each day.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
A healthy society to me, means that everyone has the opportunity to do the things that bring them joy, and everyone works together to contribute to each other’s wellness. I hope that everyone can find fulfillment in each day and find meaning in everyday activities. I think this change starts with everyone adopting an appreciative lens for their life and recognizing what they have rather than what they don’t. As well as truly listening to one another, taking time to understand different perspectives and always choosing the kindest actions when interacting with others.
Chihori Tsukura, MOT’21
Chihori Tsukura (she/her) is originally from Yokohama, Japan and has been living in Canada (mostly on Vancouver Island) for almost 7 years since her undergrad. She completed her bachelors degree with honours in psychology at Vancouver Island University with several awards throughout the undergraduate program, acknowledging her academic excellence and involvement in the community. In November 2021, Chihori graduated with her Master of Occupational Therapy degree as a head of the class and was humbled to receive the Dr. Brock Fahrni Prize in Occupational Therapy. She is currently working as an occupational therapist in the community on Vancouver Island. In her spare time, Chihori likes going for walks on beach, watching movies, cooking/baking, and taking care of her plants.
What drew you to the Master of Occupational Therapy (OT) degree at UBC?
During the third year of my psychology degree, I started to explore career options. I didn’t know what occupational therapists were at that time, but the more I heard about occupational therapy, the more love and passion I felt for this unique profession. As I wanted to continue learning in Canada, I looked for a program that accepts international students. The UBC MOT program was one of the few, and I really liked the idea of small class size and the number of fieldwork placements offered, which would provide more opportunities to get exposed to different clinical fields/contexts and explore my interests/passions.
How has studying in the MOT program made an impact on you?
I have to say, my MOT classmates have been greatly inspiring for me. First of all, it was great to be in the environment where everyone has passion to care for others and value supporting individuals to engage in their occupations, i.e. meaningful activities. In addition, I always learned from my peers who have various unique experiences that they have earned throughout the years before their admission to this program, including recreational therapy to nutritional science! I was particularly inspired by those who strive to look at issues from macro/societal/social justice perspectives, as I often find my perspective is limited within micro/personal level, i.e. focusing only on the individuals and their immediate surroundings. The occupational therapy perspective encourages therapists to look at the person from the micro to macro levels, and my peers modeled this for me through sharing their perspectives, respectfully questioning, and encouraging discussions. I also appreciated that everyone – including peers and faculty – ensured to provide a safe learning environment where we can discuss and share our questions and opinions without judgements.
What was something you learned in the MOT program that surprised you?
I was surprised by how wide the scope of occupational therapy practice could be! I applied for the MOT program because I was amazed by what occupational therapy can offer for people, but I was mainly focusing on geriatric care. Through the two years of the program, we learned from experts in each unique clinical field. I learned that occupational therapists can apply the unique knowledge and perspective not only in the traditional healthcare fields (e.g., acute medicine, rehabilitation), but also in other contexts such as social justice, life care planning, home renovation, universal design, and assistive technology. The possibilities are endless, as participation in occupations (meaningful activities) is universally important for people’s health and well-being!
What advice do you have for students entering the MOT program?
Secure time to take care of yourself! I believe students entering the MOT program are hard-working and have high expectations on their performance. It is normal to feel overwhelmed considering how much you’d learn in 2 years, and many of my peers, including myself, also experienced imposter syndrome when comparing ourselves with others in the program. At the same time, this is a chance to learn how to take care of yourself and maintain a consistent level of physical/mental energy that you have to provide for yourself/others, before you start taking care of others. It might be very difficult at first (and I am still learning as well!), but you can gradually start trying to take time for yourself, and this will be encouraged and supported by your peers and faculty. Remember, you are so special and meant to study at the MOT program, because you WILL be a great clinician after 2 years!
Where do you find inspiration?
In addition to my peers from MOT program, I have always been inspired by my family. My mother is an early childhood educator, and her inexhaustible ideas and creativity for craft activities (based on the knowledge of developmental stages) inspired me to become an occupational therapist and always reminds me how greatly occupations can influence individuals. I also have had several family members with dementia, and being part of family caregiving inspired me to be an occupational therapist for older adult populations. Unfortunately, I have been unable to provide direct assistance for my grandparents at this time as I am staying in Canada, yet listening to my family’s caregiving experiences reminds me to be a clinician who pays attention to and supports both clients’ and their families’ goals and values.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I would love to visit my home in Japan to see my family. I was fortunate to see my mother and grandfather at my graduation ceremony after 2 years without seeing them, but I have lost too many opportunities to be present for my family for too long due to the pandemic. This pandemic has reminded me how far Canada actually is from Japan. Like many others who have been unable to see their loved ones during this challenging time, I cannot wait for this pandemic to be settled down and feel closer to my home again like before.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
To me, a healthy society means a community where people listen, are interested in learning about each other, and respect their perspectives. I think people sometimes assume what’d be important for the majority and fail to acknowledge others who were silenced or overlooked due to being in the minority. Curiosity without judgement would be the first step.
Lauren Copping, MPT’21
Lauren Copping (she/her) is a recent graduate from the Master of Physical Therapy program at the University of British Columbia. She completed her Bachelors in Dance Science at Texas A&M University, where she performed in a contemporary dance company that travelled throughout the United States. Lauren then finished her Masters in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, England.
Lauren is passionate about merging her interests in dance and physical therapy, which she has pursued through her involvement with the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. She has been a member of the IADMS Student Committee since 2018 and took over as Co-Chair in October 2021. As she begins her physical therapy career, she is excited to further her interest in dance injuries. In her spare time, Lauren loves dancing, skiing, going to yoga classes, and running in the forest with her Siberian husky.
What drew you to the Master of Physical Therapy (PT) degree at UBC?
I have been talking about pursuing my physical therapy degree since I was fourteen. My interest in physical therapy began due to my own experiences of seeking treatment after sustaining multiple injuries throughout my dance career. Personally, going through rehabilitation for numerous injuries has motivated me to want to help others recover from their own injuries so they can return to participating in the activities they are passionate about. I specifically chose to study at UBC because I wanted to stay in Vancouver. Prior to starting the MPT program, I was away for 8 years studying in the United States and United Kingdom. Studying internationally was an incredible experience, but being away made me appreciate living in Vancouver. I also want to start my career as a physical therapist in Vancouver, so I thought attending UBC would be a great way to make connections with practicing clinicians.
How has studying in the MPT program made an impact on you?
This program has highlighted the scope of what physiotherapy has to offer. Realizing there are so many different avenues to make a difference in this career is really exciting. I’m currently interested in pursuing orthopedics, but I love that I also have the ability to change pathways if I want to explore another area of this field. I truly got to experience the breadth of physical therapy when I completed one of my clinical placements in Northern BC at the Kitimat Hospital and Health Centre. During the six weeks, I felt as though I experienced every aspect of what physical therapy can offer. Not only did we work in the hospital doing acute care, long term care, and outpatient rehabilitation, but we also travelled throughout the community doing home visits. Working in Kitimat gave me an appreciation for rural healthcare and was overall an exceedingly rewarding opportunity.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UBC?
My favourite memory from my time at UBC is probably when we first returned to in-person classes in August 2020 after being online for almost five months. This was the first time the entire MPT cohort was back in person again following the start of the pandemic. When we first moved to online learning, there was so much uncertainty about if and when we might return to campus. As a healthcare program, we were fortunate to be approved to come back to in-person learning earlier than most programs. I am so fortunate for the exceptional education I have received during my time at UBC, but I must be honest in admitting that my classmates have been the highlight of this experience. The MPT program is challenging, so having such a wonderfully supportive and motivating group of individuals to share it with has been really special.
Where do you find inspiration?
As a physical therapist, I find inspiration in watching my clients improve. Throughout my clinical placements during the MPT program, my favourite experiences have been seeing patients achieve their goals. Rehabilitation can be a long and difficult journey, so it’s important to keep sight of what clients are working towards. Sharing in a clients’ joy and sense of accomplishment when they master a new skill is motivating. It serves as a daily reminder for why I went into this profession. I want to help people achieve their goals, so celebrating with clients in their successes is extremely rewarding. As I start my career, I am excited to continue finding inspiration from my clients.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I will begin working full-time at Myodetox Kitsilano in January 2022. I completed my final clinical placement there and was immediately drawn to the clinic and the people working there. I always want to keep learning and improving my knowledge base, so I’m thrilled to be joining a team that promotes continued education. Prior to starting work, I am taking about two months off, which I’m also quite excited about! I’ve been a student for a long time, so I’m looking forward to having a bit of time off before starting my physical therapy career in the new year.
How has your identity affected your perspective on the field of PT and your future pursuits?
The reason I learned about physical therapy was through my personal experience as getting injured as a dancer, which has motivated me to want to work with dancers. Many dancers feel like there are not enough healthcare practitioners who understand the demands of dance, so I hope to fill that void. Throughout the MPT program, I was open to considering other paths within physical therapy, but even before starting our first day of classes I knew I wanted to work with dancers and performing artists in some capacity. The reason I completed my MFA in Dance Science prior to pursuing my MPT was because I wanted to learn more specifically about the biomechanics, physiology, and psychology of dancers. I did not think my anecdotal experience as a dancer would be enough to help me specialize with this population. As I start working, I am excited to work with all individuals, but I do hope to eventually have a portion of my caseload composed of dancers and performing artists.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish?
I am very passionate about one day pursuing teaching. One short term goal of mine would be taking on physical therapy students as a clinical preceptor. Some of my preceptors have been incredible and truly made the entire learning experience invaluable. As a student, you really can tell when your preceptor is putting in the extra effort to ensure you have an impactful placement. Becoming a preceptor is definitely not something I want to accomplish right away, but maybe in 3 years or so it’s an idea I will revisit.
What does a healthy society mean to you?
To me, a health society means people are taking preventative steps to optimize their overall physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. So much of healthcare is reactive, in that we are addressing issues once they arise. I would love if medicine could move towards being more prophylactic. In physical therapy specifically, we are often the resource people look to once they sustained an injury or ended up in hospital. I think physical therapists could also have a significant role in prioritizing keeping people healthy before they ever get injured. This is an area I hope to dive deeper into as I start working so I can consider how to prevent my clients from getting reinjured.
Dr. Mark Hill
Dr. Mark Hill is a 2020 recipient of the UBC Medical Alumni Association Honorary Medical Alumni Award.
Dr. Hill was born and raised in Saskatchewan. He did his undergraduate, medical school, general surgery and plastic surgery training at the University of Saskatchewan, finishing in 1987. He then went on to do fellowship training in hand and microsurgery with the father of microsurgery, Harry Buncke at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hill has practiced in many locations around the world including Victoria, the Middle East and now in Vancouver where he is a member of the UBC Plastic Surgery group as a Clinical Professor. His practice is mainly reconstructive microsurgery and hand surgery, but is known to dabble in most areas of plastic surgery. He has a special interest in resident teaching and was Program Director at UBC for a number of years as well as a Royal College examiner. Dr. Hill has received teaching awards from the Department of Surgery as well as Vancouver General Hospital. He has been awarded an Honorary Alumni award from the UBC Division of Plastic Surgery. He has worked extensively in Africa and helped set up a training program for Uganda.
Dr. Greg Powell, BSc’68, MD’72
Dr. Greg Powell has a notable career of leadership and innovation that spans 40 years in the fields of emergency and aviation medicine, education, and research. He is a Professor Emeritus, Emergency and Family Medicine, University of Calgary, and is a founder of STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) and the STARS Foundation (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service Foundation. He held the position of Chief Executive Officer, STARS & STARS Foundation until March 2012 and continues today in the role of founder and director emeritus. Dr. Powell is an internationally recognized leader in critical patient care, air medical transportation and emergency medical training and education and has received many awards and significant recognition throughout his career. In 2006, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contribution to the community and Canada. In 2021, he was appointed to the Alberta Order of Excellence.
What drew you to pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree at UBC?
I always knew I wanted to be a physician and that I wanted to experience learning away from where I lived. I had family in Edmonton who were musing about retiring to Vancouver Island (parents) and living on the Prairies left me wondering about coastal life, so UBC was a great choice.
What is your favourite memory from your time at UBC?
Living in residence and studying with friends who came from distant places and then becoming lifelong friends.
What has been your journey since graduating from the MD program?
It’s been the journey of a lifetime. When one takes on a challenge to create something that does not yet exist, one has no idea what lies ahead.
After graduation, I completed my family medicine training in Calgary before heading to McGill University, at the time Canada’s only emergency medicine training program. He joined Foothills Hospital in the late 1970s as Director, Emergency Medicine, as the only formally trained emergency physician in the city, I collaborated with the University of Calgary to plan and launch the Emergency Medicine Residency training program.
In the early 1980s, I contributed to the formation of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. Alongside a small group of doctors, I crisscrossed the country to nudge major universities to establish programs in emergency medicine. With the support of medical organizations and in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, my colleagues and I participated in setting exams, creating a board of examiners, and building the Canadian emergency medicine specialty.
In 1985, my friend and colleague Dr. Rob Abernethy and I leased our first helicopter and cofounded the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service. STARS pioneered the use of advanced communications, life-saving technology, and aeromedical crew training in medevac services. In the years since, STARS expanded beyond Calgary to Edmonton, Grand Prairie, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Since retiring from STARS in 2021, my wife Linda and I have been actively involved in advocacy and public awareness for the enhancement of organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Alberta.
How has studying in Medicine made an impact on you?
It has been my calling, professional identity, and friend in difficult times.
What advice do you have for students entering the MD program?
Pay careful attention to things happening to you or around you. As a young person, there are many choices and decisions coming. A seed will be planted by thinking and remembering. In the future, you will need to call on those memories to help shape your thoughts and choices.
Where do you find inspiration?
From my family. They support and inspire every new phase of life.
From what you have accomplished so far, what are you most proud of?
Helping to create a part of medicine that did not yet exist as a recognized entity and being a founder of an organization (STARS) that makes a difference.
What is one thing on your bucket list. Have you completed it?
I had one item on my bucket list: to find an amazing life partner and soulmate to share life together. It took me a while, until I was 29. That was 44 years ago and is still the best. Linda and I have worked side by side every day.