jjablkowski's blog

On Mother’s Day this year I will lift my glass three times. 

My first toast will celebrate Dr Emily Howard Jennings Stowe (1831–1903). Graduate of a US medical school in 1867, she was the first Canadian woman physician, and with three children, the first physician-mother in Canada. 

My second toast will be to Emily’s daughter, Augasta (1857–1943), who was the first woman graduate of a Canadian medical school in 1883, and the second physician-mother in this country. 

I will raise my glass a third time to honor all physician-mothers of today.

ABSTRACT: On 16 April 2022, the province of British Columbia will enter its 7th year of the public health overdose emergency. An increasingly toxic drug supply coupled with stigma toward people who use drugs continues to contribute to unprecedented increases in overdoses and overdose deaths. The Interior Health Authority, which serves medium and small communities in British Columbia, initiated a project to address stigma in the midst of both the overdose and COVID-19 public health emergencies.

Do you know a colleague, mentor, or teacher who has gone above and beyond in their contributions to medicine or health care? Someone who serves as an inspiration to others and is a pillar of excellence in their medical community and the medical profession? If so, nominate them now for a Doctors of BC award and give them the recognition they deserve.

Nominations are now being accepted for the following 2022 awards:

The UBC Medicine Spring Gala is a yearly celebration of the visual and performing arts where UBC medical students come together to showcase their talents and passions outside the medical realm. It is a beloved event that brings together the entire medical community and promotes connection, healing, and shared appreciation of creative expression. 

I recently came across a Medscape Medical News item from July 2020 about a medical student’s complaint, on Twitter, about an inappropriate description of Cushing disease in a popular textbook, Dr Pestana’s Surgery Notes, printed in 2020.