Author: UBC Abbotsford-Mission Family Practice Residency Program

“A new graduate medical education program in family medicine is urgently needed now. We propose an innovative plan to develop community-based, community-owned family medicine residency programs. The plan is founded on five guiding principles in which residencies will (1) transition to independent, community-owned organizations; (2) sustain comprehensiveness and generalism; (3) emphasize collaborative learning and interprofessional education; (4) develop local educators with national guidance; and (5) share resources, responsibilities, and learning. We describe actionable steps to begin the process of transforming residencies and strengthening primary care. As community-based and locally-run organizations, residencies will gain self-determination in how time is allocated, budgets are spent, and teams function. Building on the momentum of the National Academy of Medicine’s 2021 primary care implementation plan and recommendations by family medicine organization leaders, we propose a Decade of Family Medicine Residency Transformation. We encourage individuals and organizations spanning disciplines, health care systems, and communities, to join forces to reimagine and recreate the preparation of outstanding personal physicians dedicated to individual and community health and well-being.”

Learn more on The Time Is Now: A Plan to Redesign Family Medicine Residency Education via Family Medicine.

“In a related analysis, Abdel-Rahman and colleagues1 discuss how the marked improvement in quantity and quality of life experienced by some people with cancer who receive novel therapies is great news for patients, yet presents a challenge for oncologists and Canada’s health care systems.

Determining which patients will benefit from the many and rapidly increasing number of molecularly targeted therapies and immunotherapies for cancer requires substantial expertise, as does managing the complexity of the treatments and their adverse effects. Moreover, the increased length of time patients are on active treatment means that those being treated for cancer today need many more outpatient visits to an oncologist than they did 10 years ago. Add to this the rising number of people in Canada living with cancer and the decrease in hours that oncologists (like other physicians) are prepared to work, and the result is that Canada is facing a critical shortage of oncologists and other health care personnel who provide care for people with cancer. Patients who experience adverse effects from novel treatments often present to the emergency department and may be admitted to hospital, where they are usually cared for by hospitalists, which places additional stress on hospitals where nurse and physician burnout is already high. Urgent action must be taken to avoid a crisis in cancer care.”

Read more on New models of care needed to address Canada’s shortage of medical specialists via CMAJ.

We’re entering a new era in healthcare and medical education—one where AI is increasingly integrated into tasks such as clinical reasoning and decision support. To support clinicians and educators in using AI responsibly, we developed the SAFE approach:

S: Set Boundaries: Define what AI can and cannot do in your clinical context.
1. No final diagnoses, prescriptions, or critical decisions.
2. Use for drafts, brainstorming, summaries, or language simplification.
3. Establish clinical red lines where human judgment is non-negotiable.

A: Add Friction: Prevent blind reliance with built-in checks.
1. Label all AI-generated text: “Machine-generated. Verify before use.”
2. Require human review before integrating into EMRs.
3. Add pop-up reminders or checklists before clinical use.

F: Foster Reflection: Create space for metacognition.
1. Debrief as a team: “Where did AI help us? Where did it overreach?”
2. Reflect not just on workflow, but on thinking habits.
3. Make critical thinking part of every AI-assisted task.

E: Educate Clinicians: Build AI literacy as a core clinical skill.
1. Explain how language models work—and where they fail.
2. Share real stories of hallucinations, bias, and misfires.
3. Use vignettes to spark ethical reflection and dialogue.

As this technology evolves, it’s crucial to recognize that AI is less about being “artificial” or “intelligent,” and more about automation and translation. It does not replace human judgment—it requires it.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Theresa Alida van der Goes—a remarkable physician, educator, and leader in Family Medicine.

Theresa’s impact on the UBC Faculty of Medicine and the Department of Family Practice has been profound. As a community Family Physician in Nanaimo, she cared for patients across clinical settings with skill and compassion. Beyond her clinical practice, Theresa was a pioneering force in assessment and evaluation, shaping the educational experience of countless residents across British Columbia.

From her early role in establishing the Nanaimo site to becoming the first Assessment Director for the UBC Postgraduate Family Medicine Program, Theresa’s leadership helped guide one of Canada’s largest family medicine residency programs. Her contributions were instrumental in building a fair, transparent, and evidence-informed approach to assessment that has become a national standard.

Recognized with the CAME Certificate of Merit Award in 2021, Theresa was celebrated for her thoughtful mentorship, intellectual rigor, and deep commitment to education. Even after retiring in 2022, she remained a trusted voice of wisdom and fairness.

She will be dearly missed and long remembered.

Rebecca Archer lovingly places a pair of small glasses on a shelf filled with memorabilia like trinkets and photos. They belonged to her 10-year-old daughter, Renae, who suddenly died after a measles infection.

“She was just really intelligent. Just a really happy child, always smiling,” she remembers.

Renae was just five months old when she got the measles – too young to be vaccinated, but unable to avoid being exposed during an outbreak in Manchester, England, in 2013. The infant was hospitalized, but recovered. For the next 10 years, Renae had no other medical issues, her mom says. But the measles virus was sitting dormant in her brain for years. When it woke up, Renae started having seizures. Then, she couldn’t speak, or eat, or even stay conscious. 

“The fact that it was measles, I just couldn’t get my head around it,” Archer said. 

With measles cases on the rise in Canada at rates unseen in almost three decades — and vaccination coverage for childhood vaccines like the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot falling since the pandemic  — Archer and others who have suffered from measles complications are pleading that those who can get vaccinated do. 

Read more via CBC News.

May 2025 Research Round | Housing Is Healthcare: Equity in Access for All Residents

Date: Wednesday 14 May 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM Pacific Time
Location: Zoom

Inequities exist within Canada’s public healthcare system, including geographic disparities that impact access to care. Please join us for the May 2025 Research Rounds, happening on Wednesday, May 14 at 12:00 pm PT. This virtual event features Dr. Jude Kornelsen (Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies, Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Health Research) and community partner Asmaa Anwar, who will present findings from a mix-methods study undertaken in BC (April-August, 2024) to understand and document the cost consequences to and experiences of transplant patients who had to relocate to Vancouver from outside of the lower mainland to receive transplant care, including evidence-derived recommendations to improve access to care.

April 28, 2025

On April 26, a senseless attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in Vancouver left at least 11 people dead and injured many others. It is shocking that a tragedy of this scale and violence could happen right here in our city, and our thoughts are with everyone who has suffered loss on this dreadful day.

At this very difficult time, we urge care and compassion for any staff, faculty or students impacted by this unthinkable event and who may need additional support. Below are resources to support all members of the UBC community:

Student resources

• Mental Health at UBC: https://students.ubc.ca/health/counselling-services/mental-health-care-ubc/  
• Support for unanticipated circumstances: https://students.ubc.ca/support-unanticipated-circumstances/ (UBC Vancouver)
• Support for unanticipated circumstances: https://students.ok.ubc.ca/support/support-for-unanticipated-circumstances/ (UBC Okanagan)

Faculty and staff resources

• Employee and Family Assistance Program: https://hr.ubc.ca/benefits/benefit-plan-details/employee-and-family-assistance-program
• Mental health via UBC Human Resources: https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/mental-health

UBC Human Resources is working closely with departments to deploy additional on-site counselling. The Employee and Family Assistance Program is also being expanded in support of part-time and auxiliary staff who may be impacted.

In acknowledgment of this tragedy, the university will be lowering its flags to half-mast. The university extends our condolences and will continue to support our community members over the coming weeks. 

Benoit-Antoine Bacon
President and Vice-Chancellor On behalf of the UBC Executive

It’s easy to laugh about cold hands, freezing feet, and wearing gloves indoors — but sometimes, it’s more than just poor circulation or a drafty office.

Feeling cold all the time is one of the early, often overlooked signs of hypothyroidism — a condition where the thyroid gland slows down, dragging your metabolism (and body temperature) with it.

✅ Always cold when others aren’t
✅ Needing gloves indoors
✅ Bundling up even in mild weather
✅ Fatigue, brittle nails, dry skin

If this sounds familiar (or you’re starting to dress like Jared Leto at Fashion Week just to stay warm), it might be time to check your thyroid levels.
Early diagnosis matters.

Treatment can restore your energy, improve your health, and yes — maybe even reduce your daily glove budget.

Stay warm, but stay curious about your health.
Read more on Emerging Therapies in Hypothyroidism via Annu Rev Med.

Let the games begin!

“A 5-year-old boy from rural east-central Ontario was referred to the urgent dermatology service with tender papulopustular and nodular lesions on the trunk, limbs, and face, which had developed over 9 days. The 7 lesions began as small papules that gradually enlarged and developed purulent discharge. At the time of presentation, the largest lesion was a nodule (around 2 cm) with a central depression (Figure 1A), while other lesions were smaller (0.5–1.5 cm), and some were actively draining pus (Figure 1B).

The patient had a 1-month history of a nonresolving cough, 2 brief febrile episodes, and mild lethargy. Three weeks before the skin lesions appeared, he had received 2 doses of oral dexamethasone for suspected croup, without improvement. Two days after the skin lesions appeared, he was started on azithromycin for clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Two days later, his treatment was changed to oral amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, given the pustular nature of the skin lesions. Six days after onset of the skin lesions, a chest radiograph showed left lower lobe infiltrate and a small pleural effusion. A complete blood count obtained at the same time revealed a leukocyte count of 10.1 (normal 5–13.2) × 10⁹/L with normal differential, a platelet count of 457 (normal 197–382) × 10⁹/L, and a hemoglobin of 125 (normal 96–128) g/L. His C-reactive protein was mildly elevated at 14.4 (normal < 5) mg/L. He completed a 7-day course of amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, which had no effect on the skin lesions.

The patient’s medical history was notable for reactive airway disease managed with fluticasone (250 μg, 2 puffs twice daily). There was no history of recurrent or severe infections, and he was immunized according to the standard schedule. He had no recent travel, ill contacts, or symptomatic family members. Aside from the family owning 2 healthy dogs, he had no other contact with animals. The family had regraded the front yard of their home around 3 months before the onset of the skin lesions.”

Don’t forget, people: phrasing matters. I need it in the form of a question — just like your existential crises during CaRMS. While we await your answer, a little Vivaldi — because drama belongs in diagnostics, too. Answer here via CMAJ!