“No one knows what you are going through like your peers,” says Dr. Lisa Howard, an Orthopaedic surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Assistant Professor in the Division of Lower Limb Reconstruction and Oncology. “Even the most supportive partners and family won’t understand like your fellow residents, so it’s vital that you find people you can bond with. Residency is a team sport.”
Howard began a UBC Orthopaedic (UBC Ortho) residency in 2011 along with Drs David Cruikshank, Jane Yeoh, Brad Ashman, and Tym Frank. Despite having very different personalities, they became fast friends, supporting each other through residency rotations, conference travel, and studying for exams. A decade after graduation, they’re as close as ever, with partners and kids in the mix.
Now a group of 21, the friends travel together with their families and make an effort to get together regularly. Even their kids—ranging in age from 5 months to 12 years—get along, spending time together when they live in the same community, or on special trips, like their recent reunion in Tofino. For Howard, Cruikshank, and friends, staying connected is an intentional act. Going forward, the group plans to get together annually during the Labour Day weekend in September.
“This group became the support network throughout residency,” said Cruikshank, now a clinical instructor and Regional Head, Interior with UBC Orthopaedics and a surgeon based in Kamloops, BC. “We were all going through the same experiences, both good and bad, and having each other to vent to and bounce ideas off of was so key to our success in training.”
Having friends while going through the residency program is essential, but those bonds can remain strong well beyond the last Royal College exams.
“As it turns out, the people that you train with become your colleagues as you move through the career stages. In some instances, the people you trained with may one day be the ones interviewing you for a position,” said Cruikshank. “Eventually, as you and your cohort take on leadership positions, your relationships create a behind-the-scenes network that gives you exclusive access to leaders in different areas.”
One of the pillars of UBC Ortho’s Mentorship & Wellness program strategy, based on WellMD from Stanford, emphasizes cultures of wellness to foster connection, belonging, and mutual support among clinicians. According to UBC Ortho Mentorship & Wellness Co-Director Dr. Carrie Kollias. “The evidence is clear—professional connectedness is protective against burnout. Strong relationships within the training group are key to professional fulfillment and success.”
“UBC Ortho isn’t just where careers begin—it’s where lifelong friendships and networks are forged,” said Dr. Kishore Mulpuri, UBC Orthopaedics Department Head. “This annual reunion of these former residents, a decade later, is a clear testament to the power of connection within the training space and the way that these relationships continue to shape our personal and professional journeys.
“These bonds have shaped my personal and professional life in a lot of significant ways,” said Howard. “When you’re a resident, you’re not just going to work, you’re training in a craft you’ll pursue for your whole life. No one coming out of a residency will say that it was easy, but I feel grateful to have been able to go through it with peers who have become some of the most important people in my life.”