Fifty-one residents recognized for outstanding service and exceptional patient care

Last May, for the first time in the history of residency training in BC, a health authority and a medical staff association held an event at VGH to give thanks to residents as valued health-care professionals. The evening was the Vancouver Medical, Dental and Allied Staff Association’s (VMDAS) inaugural Resident Physicians Recognition & Appreciation Event. Fifty-one of the over 800 residents who work in Vancouver Acute were nominated by department and division leaders, medical staff members, and allied health and administrative staff for their outstanding contributions.

Each of the residents recognized for outstanding service and exceptional patient care received a certificate to acknowledge their contributions. The residents recognized in 2023 were:

• Dr. Iyad Alshihry

• Dr. Steven Bae

• Dr. Lee Bauer

• Dr. Adam Book

• Dr. Christina Campbell

• Dr. Emilie Chan

• Dr. Taylor Crown

• Dr. Dan Cusano

• Dr. Soma Dalai

• Dr. Meghan Dmitriew

• Dr. Bo Gong

• Dr. Travis Gordon

• Dr. Simon Hasan

• Dr. Angela Hu

• Dr. Aro Kan

• Dr. Jeff Kenzie

• Dr. Sirim Kim

• Dr. Naima Kotadia

• Dr. Rebecca Kummen

• Dr. Phil Leung

• Dr. Gabby Levesque

• Dr Alexander Levit

• Dr. Duncan Maguire

• Dr. Peter Mankowski

• Dr. Miles Marchand

• Dr. Heather McPhaden

• Dr. Stephen Miazga

• Dr. Devon Mitchell

• Dr. Monica Mullin

• Dr. James Nugent

• Dr. Collin Pryma

• Dr. Jacqueline Reid

• Dr. Kiran Rikhraj

• Dr. Michael Rizzuto

• Dr. Leslie Scarffe

• Dr. Emma Schon

• Dr. Kevin Shopsowitz

• Dr. Arsh Sidhu

• Dr. Alexandra Silver

• Dr. Sarah Simms

• Dr. Gurmeet Sohi

• Dr. Rebecca Spouge

• Dr. Kimberly Stewart

• Dr. Alison Sumner

• Dr. L. Treanor

• Dr. Alice Wang

• Dr. Tracee Wee

• Dr. Julie Wong

• Dr. Eric Jiahua Zhao

• Dr. Rebecca Zivanovic

“I received numerous text messages from friends and co-residents who attended the event, all positive. The event had ripple effects amongst the resident body, including those who may not have been acknowledged, but felt solidarity with the nominees,” said Resident Doctors of BC Immediate Past President Dr. Soma Dalai. “One person told me they were brought to tears that their staff both nominated them and attended the event. This was someone who had previously felt isolated and burnt out from their program. Being nominated made them feel recognized as a valued member of the VCH community.”

Drs. Sonia Butterworth and Ravi Sidhu, the assistant and associate deans at UBC Faculty of Medicine Postgraduate Medical Education, had the opportunity to make remarks at event.

“This has been an exciting and energizing evening,” said Dr. Sidhu. “This is a powerful time of transition from being a student to, in a few years’ time, having people put their lives into your hands. It can be very stressful, and we appreciate the commitment by VCH leadership to make a difference and to recognize the role residents play.”

“This responsive leadership and leaning in comes at a time when people are struggling with clinical workloads,” added Dr. Butterworth. “It’s a privilege to work with residents—you are an inspiration, and you benefit our patients in many ways. It’s wonderful to be here to celebrate your outstanding contributions.”

“The evening was the first—and hopefully first of many—resident recognition events,” said VMDAS Immediate Past President Dr. Eric Yoshida, who spearheaded the idea.

VCH Senior Medical Director Dr. Vinay Dhingra was another advocate for physician resident recognition. He recalled his first rotation at VGH and emphasized that no one ever forgets the intensity of being a resident.

“There are many firsts to cherish, but also the exhaustion,” he said. “There are many emotional highs and lows and it’s important that we’re here today to recognize all aspects of care including high-level service, dedication, patient advocacy, professionalism, and collegiality. At the end of the day, patient care is a team effort and how well the team works together.”

VMDAS President Dr. Alison Harris echoed these thoughts, adding, “Thank you for your daily dedication to patient care and advocacy. Our teams wouldn’t function without our residents.”

PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT ARE POSTED ON THE VMDAS WEBSITE.