Dear Colleagues,

As we move into the 2023 - 2024 Academic year, we hope the summer season has brought opportunities for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation!

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend and enjoy this year's in-person Annual Graduation Celebration. It was a joyous event, filled with time to focus on many positive elements of our program and opportunities to reconnect and enjoy each others' company again. We should like to, once more, congratulate our graduated residents! Over the past couple of months, they have moved into the next stages of their careers, and we are so excited for what their futures will bring. We are so proud of each of your accomplishments and are excited to hear what the future holds for your careers!

During our graduation celebration, we announced this year's Residency Training Program teaching awards. Many of our wonderful staff were considered - some for their ongoing commitment to teaching, and some for a renewed focus on resident education. Unfortunately, the awards could only be presented to a handful to individuals. I would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all of our wonderful teaching faculty for their continued support of our residency program and our growth and development as ophthalmologists. Your mentorship and guidance is pivotal to our training program and, now more than ever, is sincerely appreciated.

The 2023 Residency Training Program Teaching Awards were awarded to:
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As we send off graduates, please join us in welcoming our new PGY1 residents - Dr Maheshver Shunmugum, Dr. Po Hsiang (Shawn) Yuan, Dr Haaris Khan  - make sure to say hello and welcome them to the program!

I would like to sincerely thank Dr Claire Sheldon for her commitment over the past 5 years as the outgoing Program Director for the UBC Ophthalmology Residency and Dr Gelareh Noureddin as Associate PD. We have emerged from the COVID pandemic and our Royal College accreditation with a program that is stronger in every way. We are indebted to them both for their leadership throughout this period and wish them all the best in their next chapters!

Our focus for the upcoming academic year will be on our transition to Competence By Design. We are excited to have launched in July 2023 and welcome our new residents into this exciting time. We look forward to working with you all as we implement this new system of residency education.

We wish all of you a relaxing and enjoyable summer. As always, if there are any concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,
Nawaaz Nathoo, Program Director

Salina Teja, Associate Program Director