News Archive

ARIEL CHEUNG
Clinical Research Assistant

Site:
Vancouver – St. Paul’s Hospital & Vancouver General Hospital

Ariel Cheung, Clinical Research Assistant with the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine.

How long have you worked in the Department/UBC? 

Since January 2023.

Can you summarize what you do in the department?  

I am working on the Active Transportation Injury Circumstances and Outcome Study led by Dr. Jeff Brubacher. The study examines the mechanism of injury and recovery of pedestrians, cyclists, and other active transportation users (e.g., people travelling with e-scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, etc.) who have been involved in a road accident. 

The project has four participating hospitals, and I am the lead research assistant at St. Paul’s Hospital. I work at both St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital, interviewing patients who visit the Emergency Department (ED) about their accidents. Besides patient recruitment, I ensure the operations and logistics of the site are running smoothly under the supervision of my direct and mentor, Lina Jae. I also train student research assistants on site-specific knowledge in the context of data collection and patient interaction, particularly with vulnerable communities who visit St. Paul’s Hospital. 

What is your favourite thing about working in the department?

It’s been an extraordinary experience working in the Department. My favourite part is the opportunity to interview patients about their accidents. It’s humbling learning about everyone’s stories. From time to time, patients would thank us for being interested in their stories, distracting them from the pain, and keeping them company in the ED. Although we do not provide patient care, I am honoured that our work with emergency research may, in some way, support the patient experience in the ED. 

I also feel lucky to be working alongside emergency physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and community workers that allow me to better appreciate the inner workings of multidisciplinary health care. 

What is one interesting fact about you that people may not know?

Before joining the Department, I worked in the legal industry in personal injury to help people involved in road accidents get compensated for their physical and emotional injuries and wage loss. It is fascinating to approach road injuries today through the lens of emergency medicine and I feel lucky to be part of research that has implications on a much larger scale for public health and safety. 

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work?

Outside of work, you will find me doing Thai boxing (Muay Thai). It is a form of martial art that involves punches, elbows, knees, and kicks. Being hit in the face is not my favourite but I do enjoy the sport’s focus on training our physical endurance, mental agility, and discipline. 

JANET CHUNG
Program Manager, Undergraduate Medical Education

Site:
Vancouver – Diamond Health Care Centre

Janet Chung, Undergraduate Medical Education Program Manager with UBC’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

How long have you worked in the Department/UBC? 

I’ve been working with the UBC undergraduate program since before the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) was an official department within the UBC Faculty of Medicine (FoM).

I started working in the Emergency Department at VGH in 1991. I worked as the administrative support for the VGH Emergency Department, supporting the FRCP emergency medicine program (which had just one resident per year, at the time), UBC undergraduate learners (which had a small cohort of approx. 80 students per year), and the VGH EM physician group.

I transferred to the DEM in 2008 when it officially transitioned from a division within the UBC Department of Surgery to a department within the FoM, and have since been overseeing the day-to-day operations for the DEM Undergraduate Program. 

Can you summarize what you do in the department?  

Working closely with the Program Director, I provide guidance and support to the site leads and support staff at all emergency medicine undergraduate sites supporting our year three and year four students.

My role involves the organization of many things and people (faculty, staff and students), schedules, student rosters and UBC systems. A large part of my role involves ensuring that everyone shows up at the right place and time, and has received all the necessary information to fulfil their roles as teachers or learners.

What is your favourite thing about working in the department?

There is more than one thing. I have loved getting to know so many interesting and dedicated faculty and staff over the years, and seeing the specialty of emergency medicine grow. I have also loved getting to know students, watching them progress into emergency medicine residents, and eventually seeing them become physicians at sites throughout the province and beyond.

What is one interesting fact about you that people may not know?

I have been known to stand-up paddle out to Passage Island, across to Snug Cove and back to the dock at Eagle Harbour, all in one go. In all my miles and years of stand up paddling, I have not ever fallen off my board. Now I just jinxed myself!

What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work?

I spend a lot of time outside tending to my garden – my happy place. In the summer, we spend a lot of time out on the water sailing off the tip of Bowen Island or up Howe Sound. In the winter you will find us on snowy adventures with our dog Bailey, up on the trails in Cypress Provincial Park. I love it when both of my kids are back home and we can head out on hiking adventures or just hang out together