The University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Faculty of Medicine and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) have appointed Dr. Paul Winwood, a Prince George gastroenterologist, as the new leader of academic medicine in northern British Columbia, effective July 1.

Dr. Winwood will hold two appointments: Regional Associate Dean, Northern BC in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and Vice Provost Medicine at UNBC. He succeeds David Snadden, who was appointed Executive Associate Dean, Education, in the UBC Faculty of Medicine in November.

In his new role, Dr. Winwood will lead medical education and training in Northern BC, including the expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education opportunities. He also will promote collaboration among faculty members and students in research and interprofessional education; foster a sense of community among students and a desire to work in northern BC; help to develop continuing education programs for practitioners in the region; and work closely with partners, such as Northern Health, to facilitate the achievement of those goals.

Medical education in northern BC began in 2004 with the creation of the Northern Medical Program (NMP) at UNBC, which is now one of four geographically distinct arms of UBC’s four-year medical undergraduate program. The 128 students in the program engage in classroom learning at UNBC and clinical training at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia and in other hospitals and clinics in the region. In recent years, UBC, Northern Health and the Ministry of Health have also expanded postgraduate residency training at clinical sites throughout the region.

“As a physician and teacher working in northern BC, I have been inspired by the support of the community, the mission of the Northern Medical Program, the commitment of the staff and, above all, by the motivation and ability of our medical students and residents,” Dr. Winwood said. “It will be a privilege to lead such an innovative and remarkable program, and I hope that I can build on the considerable successes that it has had to date.”

Dr. Winwood, who immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom in 2008, is a Clinical Associate Professor in UBC’s Division of Gastroenterology and the NMP Site Leader for Internal Medicine. He cares for patients and educates medical students and residents at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, and also has a practice that includes patients with inflammatory bowel disease and chronic liver disease. His research focuses on the processes leading to cirrhosis of the liver and how that condition can be prevented or reversed.
 
He recently secured funding to develop endoscopic ultrasound and capsule enteroscopy in Prince George, with funds donated by the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation. The state-of-the-art equipment, which provides high-quality images of the digestive system and related organs, are particularly useful for finding causes of bleeding or diagnosing such diseases as colorectal cancers and Crohn’s disease. Dr. Winwood also has worked to develop shared care processes between specialists, family practitioners, and other healthcare workers in Northern BC.

Dr. Winwood earned his medical degree from the London Hospital Medical College at the University of London in 1985, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Southampton in 1994. He held administrative positions in medical education in the University of Southampton and Wessex Deanery between 1997 and 2006.

“Dr. Winwood brings a breadth of experience as an educator, administrator, researcher and gastroenterologist,” said George Iwama, President and Vice-Chancellor of UNBC. “I am confident he will bring to the NMP and UNBC great leadership in medicine and health that will build on the successful foundations of the program.”

“Dr. Winwood has become a leading medical educator in the area, in part through running the Clinical Teaching Unit at the hospital,” said Dr. Gavin Stuart, Dean of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vice Provost, Health at UBC. “It's gratifying to see how Paul and his family have embraced living in northern BC, and we are delighted to welcome him to this leadership position and look forward to him becoming part of our provincial team.”