Orientation Manual
Employee Orientation
Manual
Faculty of Medicine,
Dean’s Office
(revised June 2014)
This orientation manual will assist you in integrating into the Faculty of Medicine environment, providing guidance for
your first few weeks and throughout the following months by familiarizing you to the culture and community that is the
Dean’s Office. While your manager/director and immediate colleagues will help you with your department’s
procedures, know that everyone here can and will support you as well – just say “Hi” and ask.
If you would like to provide feedback on the orientation package please contact the Office Manager.
Welcome from Dr. Gavin Stuart,
Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Health
On behalf of the UBC Faculty of Medicine, thank you for joining us.
You will be working with an exceptional group of people who are
creating knowledge and advancing learning that contribute to the
health of individuals and communities – locally, nationally, and
internationally.
As a unique institution in British Columbia, the Faculty provides
innovative educational and research programs in the areas of health
and life sciences through an integrated, province-wide model. Our
programs include medical undergraduate, postgraduate and
continuing professional development educational programs,
midwifery, medical laboratory science, audiology and speech
sciences, and physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
The Faculty – a relatively "young" medical school, founded in 1950 –
has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. We
now have the seventh-largest MD student body in North America, and
our distributed structure, along with the technical and physical
infrastructure supporting that distribution, is one of the most complex.
Working with an array of collaborating institutions, including B.C.’s six
Health Authorities, the University of Victoria, the University of
Northern British Columbia and others, our faculty members, students,
staff and alumni are actively engaged in leading-edge research, education and community service on
university and hospital campuses across the province.
Throughout the province, our faculty members are committed to training the next generation of health
professionals and scientists – giving them the opportunity to train in both urban and rural settings, work in
interdisciplinary teams, conduct research, and work as community advocates and partners. At the same
time, many of those same faculty members are earning international recognition for advancing knowledge
into the causes and treatments of diseases.
I invite you to learn more about the Faculty on our website (med.ubc.ca), our intranet site
(mednet.med.ubc.ca), and our twice-annual magazine, UBC Medicine. These sites and publications
provide useful information, highlight our outstanding individuals and many accomplishments, and explain
our works in progress.
I would like to welcome you to a place where you can make a difference, and encourage you to get to
know the many people on the team. Above all, never be afraid to ask questions. We all gain when asked
the simple questions "How?" and "Why?"
Gavin C.E. Stuart, MD, FRCSC
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice Provost, Health
FACULTY of MEDICINE OVERVIEW
Now in its seventh decade, the UBC Faculty of Medicine educates health professional and life sciences
students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels, and pursues research – in the
laboratory, in clinical settings and at the population and public policy level – to improve the health of
people worldwide. Its medical undergraduate program, the seventh-largest in North America, educates
more than 1,000 students in four regions in collaboration with British Columbia’s health authorities, the
University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia. It teaches students in physical
therapy, occupational therapy, audiology and speech science, and midwifery, trains graduate students
working toward master’s and doctoral degrees in the health sciences, and instructs thousands of
undergraduates in the basic life sciences. Discoveries by its faculty, post-doctoral fellows and students –
many of them working in B.C.’s health authorities – are regularly published in the world’s highest-impact
scholarly journals, and their findings are continually applied through clinical practice, commercialization
and policy-making.
Dean’s Executive Team
The Dean’s Executive Team provides strategic leadership to the Faculty of Medicine; supporting the
Departments, Schools, Centres, and other units in achieving the Faculty’s academic mission. The Team
determines direction to inform decisions on cross-cutting issues and opportunities that affect the Faculty’s
image, profile, and success. The Team fosters and exemplifies the Faculty’s values. They also build and
nurture external relationships with the UBC Executive, government, clinical, and community partners.
(As of May 2014, from their respective biography pages)
Dr. Gavin Stuart, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Health, UBC
As Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Gavin Stuart creates and empowers an effective
leadership team for the Faculty and ensures a supportive and exciting environment for
learners, faculty and staff. An active teacher, clinician and researcher, he is a role model
of an academic health leader.
A native of Manitoba, Dr. Stuart attended the University of Western Ontario for his
undergraduate medical and postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynecology. This was
followed by a Fellowship in Gynecological Oncology at Wayne State University in Detroit,
where he stayed on as a faculty member.
Prior to joining The University of British Columbia, Dr. Stuart was Professor and Head of the Department
of Oncology at the University of Calgary and Director of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, a position he had
held for 12 years. He was appointed Vice President of the Alberta Cancer Board in 1999.
Dr. Stuart has been Dean of the UBC Faculty of Medicine since September 2003. Upon his renewal in
September 2009, he was also appointed UBC’s Vice Provost, Health which involves representing the
University in health-related interactions with other universities and health authorities.
Dr. Frederick Mikelberg, Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs
As Vice Dean, Academic Affairs since July 2012, Dr. Frederick Mikelberg provides internal
leadership to the Faculty on academic affairs. He ensures that succession planning and
recruitment are well managed and he actively supports the process of strategic planning.
Dr. Mikelberg represents the Faculty in the absence of the Dean.
Dr. Mikelberg completed his medical degree at McGill University, followed by postgraduate
training at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Queen’s University and UBC.
Since joining the UBC Faculty of Medicine in 1984, he has served as Director of Undergraduate
Education, Residency Program Director, Director of the Glaucoma Fellowship Training Program, and
Head of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences. A Professor in the Department of
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Dr. Mikelberg’s clinical practice is focused on the diagnosis and
treatment of patients with glaucoma and his research examines the assessment of the optic disc in
glaucoma.
Dr. Gurdeep Parhar, Executive Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs
Dr. Gurdeep Parhar was appointed Executive Associate Dean, Clinical Affairs April 1,
2014. In this role, he provides strategic coordination and leadership between the
Faculty of Medicine and the Health Authorities. Working with the provincial
government, other universities, agencies and other public sector institutions, he
supports those faculty members engaged in clinical activities throughout the Province.
Dr. Parhar also provides oversight of the Office of Clinical Faculty Affairs.
After growing up in Kitimat, BC, Dr. Parhar received his MD from the University of Calgary in 1992 and
subsequently completed his postgraduate training at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. His
clinical practice in Vancouver Coastal Health and in Fraser Health focuses on immigrants, refugees,
workers’ health and patients with severe disabilities. He teaches extensively in undergraduate and
postgraduate programs on the topics of professionalism, equity, cultural safety, psychosocial aspects of
healthcare, and medical disability. Dr. Parhar is currently the principal investigator on several educational
innovation grants employing interprofessional models to address issues important to underserved
populations, particularly Indigenous Peoples.
Dr. David Snadden, Executive Associate Dean, Education
As Executive Associate Dean, Education, Dr. David Snadden establishes and
communicates a vision for the Faculty of Medicine’s educational programs. He ensures
that accreditation standards are met across health education programs, in addition to the
appropriate integration of educational programs across the health disciplines and across
the continuum of learning. Dr. Snadden creates and nurtures effective partnerships to
deliver the Faculty’s distributed model of health professional education.
Dr. David Snadden completed his medical degree at the University of Dundee and his family residency
training in Inverness, United Kingdom. He subsequently completed a master’s degree in Family Medicine
from the University of Western Ontario and a doctorate from the University of Dundee.
Dr. Snadden joined UBC in July 2003 as Associate Dean, Northern Medical Program, and in 2008 he
took on the role of Regional Associate Dean, Northern BC. In these roles, Dr. Snadden worked in
partnership with the University of Northern British Columbia and Northern Health to develop and
implement the Northern Medical Program and the expansion of postgraduate medical education in the
north. Dr. Snadden served as Acting Co-Executive Associate Dean, Education from August 2010 to
November 2011 prior to his appointment as Executive Associate Dean, Education.
Dr. Howard Feldman, Executive Associate Dean, Research
Dr. Howard Feldman is a Professor of Neurology in the Department of Medicine. He was
appointed Executive Associate Dean, Research in January 2012. In this role, he leads the
development of a health and life sciences research strategy and ensures the research is
translational and of the highest caliber. Dr. Feldman provides guidance to health research
program leaders and ensures resources are supported effectively across the Faculty on
all campuses and Health Authorities. He maintains his active research and clinical
program in Alzheimer’s disease and geriatric cognitive disorders.
He has held the positions of Head of the Division of Neurology at the UBC Faculty of Medicine and
Vancouver Coastal Health, and the Director of the Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders at
UBC Hospital. In 2007, he was appointed the inaugural Fisher Family and Alzheimer Society of British
Columbia Endowed Professor for Research in Alzheimer’s Disease.
In January 2009, Dr. Feldman took a leave from his academic appointments to take on the role of Vice
President and Therapeutic Area Head in Neuroscience, Global Clinical Research and Development at
Bristol-Myers Squibb. In this role, he led research and development of novel pharmaceutical therapies for
neurological and psychiatric conditions at the company’s laboratories in Connecticut.
Dr. William Miller, Associate Dean, Health Professions
Appointed to the position of Associate Dean, Health Professions Education in March
2013, Dr. William Miller provides strategic leadership to the health professions (other than
medicine) within the Faculty. He ensures that resources are optimized across the health
professions and that cross-cutting education themes identified in the Strategic Plan are
embedded in the Faculty’s educational programs.
Dr. Miller completed his undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at UBC followed
by graduate studies in Occupational Therapy, and Epidemiology and Biostatics at the University of
Western Ontario. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Sciences, he joined UBC’s
Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy. Dr. Miller is currently a Professor in the
Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy.
His research is focused on the measurement, determination and epidemiology of mobility disability and its
influence on the participation in daily and social activities of adults. In addition to his research, Dr. Miller
teaches students in the Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate programs. He also
provides continuing education to occupational therapists and other health professionals.
Jane Eibner, Executive Director, Education and Strategic Projects
As Executive Director, Education and Strategic Projects, Jane Eibner guides and supports
planning and policy development within the education portfolio, and provides leadership to
initiatives such as the development of alternate funding programs for academic clinicians.
She also provides leadership to key financial management activities, and oversight and
guidance to the human resources function within the education portfolio.
Ms. Eibner has been with the UBC Faculty of Medicine since July 1998. During her time
with the Faculty, she has served as Director of Finance, Executive Director, Office of MD
Undergraduate Expansion, and Interim Executive Director, Resources and Operations. Her previous
experience includes Executive Director, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, and senior positions in
the provincial and federal public sectors in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Jane earned her CMA
in 1977 and graduated from the University of Manitoba with an MBA in 1983.
Shanda Jordan Gaetz, Executive Director, Faculty Affairs
As Executive Director, Faculty Affairs, Shanda Jordan Gaetz provides professional
leadership in all areas related to organizational effectiveness, human resources and
governance in order to support the Faculty’s strategic commitments, including that of
being an exceptional work environment. Working closely with our internal and external
partners, she works to improve collaboration and coordination to support faculty and staff
at all of our sites.
With more than 15 years of experience at UBC, Ms. Jordan Gaetz has a strong
background in human resources. She previously filled a variety of roles within UBC Human Resources,
including Human Resources Advisor for the Faculty of Medicine. Before taking on the role of Executive
Director, Faculty Affairs in June 2013, she was the Faculty’s Director of Human Resources.
Cindi Valensky, Special Advisor to the Dean, Government Relations
As Special Advisor to the Dean, Government Relations, Cindi Valensky liaises with the
UBC Executive and UBC Government Relations on matters of significant impact to the
Faculty. She provides enabling linkage to the Provincial Government and supports the
Dean in responding to new issues of significant impact to the Faculty.
Ms. Valensky brings over 20 years of management experience working with the not-forprofit sector, most recently as VP and Chief Development Officer, BC Children’s Hospital
Foundation. After taking a sabbatical to spend time with her young son and complete an
MBA, she joined the Faculty in 2007.
Ms. Valensky worked initially with the Dean and Executive Team to recruit a strong Development and
Alumni Affairs team, and has also played a significant role in development of the Faculty’s strategic plan.
Programs and Distributed Model
The Faculty provides innovative educational and research programs in the areas of health and life
sciences through a province-wide integrated delivery model. Programs are offered at the undergraduate,
graduate, and postgraduate levels, as well as through continuing professional education and public
initiatives.
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
The MD (undergraduate) program is comprised of four geographically distinct sites including the Island
Medical Program (IMP), Northern Medical Program (NMP), Southern Medical Program (SMP), and
Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP). There are 288 seats for first year students: 32 for each of
the IMP, NMP and SMP, and 192 for the VFMP.
Postgraduate Medicine Training Programs (Residency)
The Faculty of Medicine offers Family Medicine and 67 specialty and sub-specialty postgraduate training
programs. All training programs are accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. The duration of training varies from two years
for Family Medicine and up to seven years for other specialties and sub-specialties. There are
approximately 1400 current postgraduate trainees, including residents, fellows, and international trainees.
Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc)
The Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc) is an undergraduate science degree in the Faculty
of Medicine. BMLSc students learn the theoretical knowledge in a broad range of subjects as well as
practical, hands-on experience in a variety of lab techniques.
Midwifery (BMW)
The four-year undergraduate midwifery program prepares graduates to work as primary caregivers for
childbearing women, newborns, and their families. Students learn in classroom settings and spend at
least three terms gaining clinical experience in midwifery practices at sites across the province.
Basic and Clinical Sciences (MSc & PhD Programs)
The Faculty of Medicine hosts Masters and Doctoral graduate programs in a wide range of health-related
fields, with over 1,200 students currently enrolled.
Our research-based programs provide opportunities for training in subjects ranging from the diversity of
basic biomedical sciences to clinical and health services research, and at all geographic sites, including
our affiliated hospitals and institutes.
Occupational Therapy (MOT)
The Master of Occupational Therapy prepares graduates to provide services to maintain, restore or
improve the ability of patients to perform in the areas of self-care (eating, dressing, personal hygiene),
productivity (household work, employment, school), and leisure activities.
Physical Therapy (MPT)
The Master of Physical Therapy program prepares students to assess and treat movement dysfunction in
people.
A new physiotherapy teaching lab recently opened in our partner university, UNBC to support the
Northern and Rural Cohort of UBC’s Master of Physical Therapy program. This will allow for distributed
learning as well as local teaching in rural areas of British Columbia.
Audiology and Speech Sciences (MSc & PhD)
The School of Audiology and Speech Sciences is the only program in British Columbia to educate
audiologists and speech-language pathologists. Academic and practical teaching allows students to gain
both theoretical and hands-on knowledge.
Combined MD/PhD
The combined MD/PhD program provides students with the opportunity to combine medical school with
intensive scientific training and is jointly administered by the Faculties of Medicine and Graduate Studies.
Health Administration (MHA)
The Master of Health Administration program graduates skilled professionals with experience in applied
administrative research, prepared for careers in health care management.
Health Sciences (MHSc)
The Master of Health Sciences program gives students strong research methodology skills which can be
applied academically and clinically. The program is restricted to applicants who have an MD or equivalent
(e.g. dentistry or veterinary medicine).
Public Health (MPH)
Globally, the Master of Public Health is the most recognized credential for leadership in the field.
Graduates obtain knowledge in a variety of areas and are capable of addressing a diverse range of health
issues in interdisciplinary environments.
Rehabilitation Science (MRSc)
The Master of Rehabilitation Science program can be completed part-time or full-time. Learners must
have an undergraduate degree in any health discipline and a minimum of three years of rehabilitation
experience.
Graduate Certificate in Rehabilitation
The advanced (post-entry-level) Graduate Certificate in Rehabilitation is targeted to working health
professionals who wish to upgrade their knowledge to meet the demands of practice today.
Continuing Professional Development
Bringing together educational expertise, innovation, research and the use of technology, UBC Continuing
Professional Development (UBC CPD) provides accredited high quality unbiased educational
programming to support Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development for
physicians. UBC CPD’s services include curriculum and program development, event management,
accreditation, and research.
Vancouver International Summer Program in Medicine
The Vancouver International Summer Program in Medicine is a four-week program that provides an
opportunity for undergraduate students from international partner universities to learn about Canadian
culture and medical practices firsthand through social activities, classes and intercultural workshops.
Organizational Structure
The Faculty consists of 19 departments, 2 schools, 6 research institutes, 14 research centers, and an
administrative office with 29 units.
DEAN'S OFFICE:
(UBC Campus)
(VGH-DHCC & Distributed Campuses)
Communications
Admissions - MD Undergraduate Program
Development
Alumni Affairs
Equity & Professionalism
Centre for Health Education Scholarship (CHES)
Faculty Affairs
Clinical Faculty Affairs
Finance Service
Continuing Professional Development
Health Professions
Curriculum Management Support
Human Resources
Education
International Affairs
Educational Assessment Unit
MedIT
Evaluation Studies Unit
Research
eHealth Strategy
Space Planning & Facilities Management
Faculty Development & Educational Support
Island Medical Program (University of Victoria)
Medical Students & Alumni Centre (MSAC)
Northern Medical Program (UNBC)
Postgraduate Medical Education
Southern Medical Program (UBC Okanagan)
UBC Standardized Patient Program
VFMP (MD) Undergraduate Program
DEPARTMENTS
Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Cellular & Physiological Sciences
Orthopedics
Dermatology & Skin Science
Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Emergency Medicine
Pediatrics
Family Practice
Physical Therapy
Medical Genetics
Psychiatry
Medicine
Radiology
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Surgery
Urologic Sciences
SCHOOLS
Audiology & Speech Sciences
Population & Public Health
RESEARCH INSTITUTES
BC Cancer Agency
Providence Health Care Research Institute
Child & Family Research Institute
Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Institute of Mental Health
Life Sciences Institute
RESEARCH CENTRES (* UBC Senate-approved)
Biomedical Research Centre*
Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health / Brain Research Centre*
Centre for Blood Research*
Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health*
Centre for Health Education Scholarship
Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences
Centre for Health Services & Policy Research*
Centre for Hip Health & Mobility*
Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics*
Human Early Learning Partnership*
International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)*
UBC Centre for Disease Control*
UBC James Hogg Research Centre*
Vancouver Prostate Centre*
W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics*
Please see MedNet for organizational charts .