An Interview With Dr. Devon Mitchell RDBC President

Could you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a resident, and what it has been like for you as a PGY-2 in Emergency Medicine resident so far?

I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I was a little kid, after I gave up on my original dream of being a Food Network chef. It combined my love of learning and my incessant chattiness into one job, so it seemed like a good fit.

I did my undergrad at UBC, where I worked in residence for 4/5 of my years as a student. It taught me a lot and gave me skills I carried with me into med school at UBC. From the first day of med school all the way until the latter half of 3rd year I thought I wanted to be a Pediatrician, and it wasn’t until I did my electives that I really decided that Emergency Medicine was the path I wanted to take. There’s something about the fast-paced, team-based environment that I love. And knowing a little bit about everything is good for my curiosity!

Starting residency in a pandemic has been interesting to say the least. It’s been fun sometimes and challenging other times, but I’ve never stopped appreciating my patients and the things they teach me. I’m lucky to have the best co-residents in the world (I think), and to work in a place that lets me help people when they’re at their most vulnerable.

What inspired you to run for the Board of Directors last year, and presidency this year?

the system we work in isn’t perfect. There are a lot of things about the work we do that aren’t fair, and they take a big toll on our wellbeing. I think it’s easy to feel powerless, and one way I’ve tried to combat that is by getting involved. I’ve always been a big believer in the power of institutions to make changes, and I think RDBC is a great example of that. I put myself forward for the board because I thought that I had something to offer and because I believe in RDBC’s power to make things better for us. And that’s why I ran for the presidency as well. I hope that my work this year can live up to that.

What are some areas of focus for you during your presidency?

As President, there is a set of values I want my time at RDBC to reflect:

1) Communication and representation: my vision is for RDBC to be representative and responsive to the membership. One of the ways I want to do this is by making sure that the membership is informed of our actions during negotiations. So you can expect to see regular emails from us in the new year!

2) Negotiating: I want to make our organization as strong as possible going into negotiations. I believe so much in the value that residents have to our healthcare system, and I want to work with our staff and our negotiations committee to get the best deal we can. If this is something that interests you too, I would encourage you to follow along and get in touch with us if you have ideas or concerns about the process.

3) Governance and board relations: I want to learn from and support the work of the Board of Directors. I want to help everyone on our board develop themselves as leaders, and learn how to be a better leader myself. I also want our members to get involved in areas they’re passionate about, so keep an eye out for committee vacancies or consider running to be your programs’ representative on the Council of Program Representatives (COPR).

What are some long term goals you hope to start during your presidency that will carry over to future presidents?

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the value of the frontline workers in our society. One of my goals as President that I hope will carry forward is to impress on policymakers how valuable our work is, and the integral role we play in the functioning of the healthcare system in BC. I think that this will not only help us take a stronger position in future negotiation cycles, but it will also help us continue to advocate for health systems improvements long after COVID is behind us.

Lastly, what would you like to say to the membership as your parting words?

Knowing that it’s a negotiations year, I want to promise our members that we’re going to do everything we can to get a better deal for them and to address the things that make our lives harder. I’m only one person, but residents have got an incredible elected board and an excellent team of staff who who are working on behalf of them every day. I’m excited and grateful to the board and to the membership for putting their trust in me, and I want them to know that they can reach out to me personally any time they have something they need to talk about. I can’t promise that I’ll always know what to do or be able to change things right away, but I can promise that I will try my best. And I know that I speak for the board when I say that they feel the same way. We’re here for you!

To get to know the rest of the RDBC Board and their roles, visit our website.