MEDICINE

ALUMNI NEWS | UBC MEDICINE 29
the Coronation Annex at Royal
Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
The MAA also acknowledges
the support of the Vancouver
Island Health Authority in
assisting us with providing
video-conferencing capabilities
and additional furniture for
this MAA priority project.
The MAA is in its early
planning stages of creating
similar medical student and
alumni spaces at the Prince
George and Kelowna medical
school hospital campuses. The
MAA recognizes with gratitude
the financial contributions
of many of our alumni to
ensure that we give back to
UBC’s Faculty of Medicine
and inspire our future
doctors by demonstrating our
commitment to support them
in the early stages of their lifelong
medical journeys.
In keeping with the same
theme, the MAA continues the
UBC tradition of recognizing,
celebrating and honouring our
UBC medical student graduates
at each spring’s Hooding
Ceremony by presenting each
graduate with a cedar shingle.
This tradition began in 1954.
We welcome each new graduate
into the MAA as a full and
respected member of our
wonderful profession.
Finally, as you read my report,
the MAA will have presented
its inaugural CME event in
early October, in Vancouver.
This learning opportunity
focused on cutting edge
research, featuring and spotlighting
many of our UBC
medical graduates involved
in ground-breaking research
and clinical activities in their
fields. “Tuum Est: Leading
Edge Medicine” was presented
to stimulate an educational and
intellectual discussion in the
areas of Dementia and Stroke,
and featured some of our world
class alumni from the classes
of ’63, ’78, ’85 and ’96 in
addition to several other
experts affiliated with UBC.
The MAA’s goal is to hold
an annual half-day highquality
CME event to bring
together alumni and students
in an interactive learning
environment with its program
recognized for CME study
credits by the College of Family
Physicians of Canada and the
Royal College of Physicians
and Surgeons of Canada.
As I reflect back on the many
activities of the MAA during
the past year, the words
“celebrate” and “gratitude”
spring to my mind. We
celebrate our many outstanding
alumni and friends and
acknowledge the key role a
vibrant UBC MAA plays in
supporting the UBC’s medical
school. The MAA encourages
and inspires our medical
students to continue the
Faculty of Medicine’s traditions
of excellence as physician
leaders of medical care for our
patients and as compassionate
and committed health care
professionals for our diverse
communities throughout BC.
Our medical students regularly
express their gratitude to their
senior colleagues as educators,
mentors and friends.
As physicians, we are so
proud to be part of these
great traditions which foster
the spirit of our medical
community. Daily, we give
back to our communities and
patients. We show gratitude
for the privilege we hold
as respected health care
professionals, coordinating and
delivering the highest quality
health care services to them.
Let’s continue to acknowledge
and celebrate the important
work we do as physicians, by
joining and supporting the
UBC MAA. Collectively we
can show that we care about
not only our patients and our
communities where we practice,
but also our students and
practicing colleagues. The MAA
exists for our entire medical
community.
Best wishes,
Jack Burak, MD ’76
President
UBC Medical Alumni Association
“ As physicians, we are
so proud to be part of
these great traditions
which foster the spirit of
our medical community.
Daily, we give back to
our communities and
patients.”