UBC Dean’s Advisory Committee

The Dean’s Advisory Council on Rural and Remote Health in the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM) is intended to engage a broad range of stakeholders and provide strategic direction and recommendations to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine on issues relevant to the health of the population of British Columbia in rural and remote settings.

A pig roast was hosted for the 2023 DAC meeting in Port McNeil, attended by the council and local community members including residents, the mayor and local physicians

Achievements

Established Two New Working Groups

2023 saw the creation of two new working groups including the Space Race Working Group, an eight-member group focused on the idea of Community as the classroom. This working group will start by focusing on ways to create space in rural communities where students and residents can be trained with the community as an active and engaged partner in the process. Additional training and encouragement will help maintain and support the learner (transportation, housing, welcome wagon, etc) and will look to leverage the uniqueness of each community. The Dean’s Advisory Council has further offered to facilitate a conversation with UBC and SFU about what this rural education component could look like.

The second working group, Terms of Reference Revitalization Working Group, is a six-member group focused on Revising the Terms of Reference as a living document and reviewing the membership to ensure that the group is meeting its mandate and to ensure that the right people are sitting at the table and that all voices are being heard.

Partnership Engagement

In 2023 the Dean’s Advisory Council were able to bring a diversity of partners to the table for meetings in April and September. These meetings brought together member of the Pentagram Plus Partnership drawing on stakeholders representing Policy Makers, Health Providers, Academia, Linked Sectors, Communities and Health Administrators.

Introducing New Perspectives to the Council

Much gratitude to Drs. Ray Markham and Mike Allard for their service as Co-Chairs of the Deans Advisory Council. Dr. Allard steps away from his role as Vice Dean, Health Engagement at UBC, vacating his Co-Chair, and Dr. Markham passed the torch to long-time RCCbc Core Member Dr. Alan Ruddiman. Dr. Allard’s vacancy will be filled by the incoming Vice-Dean of Health Engagement and will serve with Dr. Ruddiman as Co-Chair.

Plans for the Future

2024 will be another busy year for connections including meetings in May in Whistler at the RCCbc Rural Health Conference and another in October in Vancouver. Additional meetings will connect co-leads with Dean Dermot Kellehar in early 2024. The Council will continue to meet frequently with the two working groups on revising the Terms of Reference and the membership list to ensure that all partners have a voice around the table, as well as on the idea of community as classroom and ideas and recommendations for the Dean to make this successful.