Education experiences and philosophy

My identity as an educator has been shaped by a simple but enduring belief: excellent healthcare begins with excellent learning environments. Across undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development, my educational work is grounded in the conviction that technical excellence, human connection, and systems awareness must be cultivated together.

I currently serve in multiple national and institutional educational leadership roles, reflecting a sustained commitment to shaping the future of surgical education in Canada. As Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, I hold responsibility for educational strategy across one of the most geographically distributed surgical training programs in the country. Previously, and concurrently, I have served as Program Director and educational leader within General Surgery, overseeing training across diverse clinical environments—from large academic centres to rural and regional hospitals. Nationally, my work with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons reflects my commitment to aligning educational standards with real-world practice, equity, and system sustainability.

My teaching philosophy is rooted in three interconnected principles: deliberate practice, psychological safety, and systems literacy.

First, I believe that mastery in medicine emerges through deliberate, coached practice. Learners require clear expectations, progressive responsibility, timely feedback, and protected space to reflect and improve. In my teaching, whether at the bedside, in the operating room, or within formal curricula, I emphasize graduated autonomy supported by narrative feedback rather than checklist performance alone. Learning is not transactional; it is developmental, relational, and iterative.

Second, I view psychological safety as foundational—not optional—to high-performing educational environments. Drawing on both lived experience and evidence from organizational science, I work to foster cultures where learners feel safe to ask questions, admit uncertainty, and learn from error. High standards and compassion are not opposing forces; when paired effectively, they produce resilient clinicians who are both skilled and humane. My leadership approach explicitly values mentorship, inclusivity, and learner voice, recognizing that education flourishes when individuals feel seen, supported, and challenged.

Third, I am deeply committed to teaching systems thinking and health-care literacy. Modern clinicians must understand not only how to care for individual patients, but how systems shape access, quality, safety, and equity. My educational work integrates health systems science, quality improvement, implementation science, and leadership development into surgical training. I aim to graduate physicians who are not only excellent clinicians, but thoughtful stewards of the healthcare system—capable of improving care beyond the walls of the operating room.

A defining feature of my educational perspective is a commitment to distributed excellence. Training cannot be centralized if care is not. I have been privileged to help lead educational models that span urban, regional, and rural contexts, ensuring that learners are exposed to the full spectrum of surgical practice while maintaining consistent educational standards. This distributed approach enriches learning, strengthens communities, and better prepares trainees for the realities of contemporary practice.

Finally, my approach to education is profoundly collaborative. I do not view teaching as a solitary act, but as a shared responsibility across faculty, learners, administrators, and patients. Many of my most meaningful educational contributions have emerged through team-based curriculum design, interprofessional collaboration, and co-creation with learners themselves.

In all of my educational roles, I strive to model curiosity, humility, and purpose. I see teaching not as the transmission of knowledge, but as an act of service—one that shapes professional identity, sustains joy in practice, and ultimately improves care for patients and communities.