Dr. Bassam Masri is a distinguished surgeon, educator, and leader whose UBC journey began in 1981 as a 16-year-old undergraduate in Honours Chemistry. Over the decades, Dr. Masri has transformed orthopaedic care across British Columbia and beyond—advancing access to joint replacement, modernizing research infrastructure, and educating the next generation of specialists. His story is one of resilience, vision, and unwavering commitment to healing—a philosophy rooted in his early experiences and carried through a career defined by leadership and legacy.
From his early residency years working with Dr. Clive Duncan to his tenure as Orthopaedics Division and Department Head at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC, Dr. Masri’s influence has been broad. He co-developed the Vancouver Classification of Periprosthetic Fractures; helped establish the Complex Joint Clinic and the Centre for Surgical Innovation; and secured matching funds for research hubs, including the Centre for Hip Health (now the Centre for Aging SMART) and ICORD. These efforts expanded access to joint replacement across the province and modernized orthopaedic research and training.
When reflecting on milestones, Dr. Masri first cites his family: “These are my greatest accomplishments—everything else is secondary.” His son, Zachary, is a professional musician with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; his daughter, Sarah, recently completed a master’s in statistics at UBC.
Dr. Masri’s leadership philosophy centres on humility and reflection. He now focuses on mentoring early-career colleagues and teaching internationally, bringing orthopaedic training to regions including South America, India, and Southeast Asia.
Shaped by a childhood marked by civil war in Lebanon, Dr. Masri emphasizes a commitment to healing: “I made a vow to live a life of building, not destroying; of saving, not taking.” His story reflects resilience, global perspective, and dedication to family and the future of orthopaedics.
“I never viewed myself as a disruptor in my role as department head. I believe leadership isn’t just about being in charge; it’s also about looking back at what has been accomplished.”— Dr. Bas Masri
From Chemistry to Medicine: A Remarkable Start
Dr. Masri began undergraduate studies at UBC in 1981 in Honours Chemistry, completing the degree in three years (1984) and proceeding directly to medicine, graduating in 1988. Following a rotating internship at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, he returned to UBC in 1989 for orthopaedic residency training, completing it in 1994. During residency, he worked closely with Dr. Clive Duncan and later completed a fellowship with him, concentrating on oncology while preparing for certification examinations.
After exams, he pursued a joint replacement fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery (New York) in 1995. Although initially slated for a year, he returned earlier at the request of UBC colleagues and began practice on August 1, 1995. He joined Drs. Duncan and Robert McGraw at Vancouver General Hospital in reconstructive orthopaedics and became part of the Division of Reconstructive Orthopaedics.
He was subsequently appointed Division Head at both the hospital and the university, serving until 2007, when he became Orthopaedics Department Head—continuing at UBC until the end of 2020 and at the hospital until mid-2021. His academic progression moved from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Assistant Professor; he then entered the tenure track as an Associate Professor (skipping the Assistant Professor step) and later became a tenured Professor.
Building a Foundation for Lifelong Impact
Entering university at 16, Dr. Masri selected chemistry for its strong science foundation and clear practical options at the time. He notes that in the 1980s, chemistry provided a reliable alternative career path should medicine not work out. A rigorous undergraduate grounding provided a structured way of thinking that supported his medical training; he was accepted to medical school on his first attempt.
He recalls a “full-circle” moment: decades after an undergraduate inorganic chemistry course (1982), a former professor sought him out as a patient based on that classroom connection. This experience underscored the enduring impact of early academic relationships.
Leadership Through Learning and Access
Initially a surgeon-educator, Dr. Masri taught residents when fellowship programs were still emerging. With Dr. Duncan, he helped establish one of the first fellowships in orthopaedics—growing from one fellow to two annually and now supporting approximately six per year. Alongside teaching, he contributed to research and product development. As a resident, he co-developed the PROSTALAC System to treat infected total joints, moving the device from concept through refinement to market. His research portfolio included infection, periprosthetic fracture, and joint replacement outcomes.
As Division Head, he organized and expanded division activities city-wide. Training more surgeons helped diffuse complex joint expertise throughout BC. He founded the Complex Joint Clinic—now based in modern facilities at UBC Hospital—and addressed waitlists by establishing the Centre for Surgical Innovation, a high-efficiency site that, in 2007, enabled an additional 1,600 joint replacements provincially. Surgeons from across BC brought patients to Vancouver, operated, and returned home with principles they implemented locally.
As Department Head, he helped secure matching funds for the Centre for Hip Health (now the Centre for Aging SMART) and ICORD, following a CFI application encouraged by Dr. Duncan. These facilities have become anchors for orthopaedic research and innovation in BC.
Key milestones in Dr, Masri’s career
Dr. Masri’s career is marked by transformative contributions to orthopaedics. He co-developed the Vancouver Classification of Periprosthetic Fractures, now undergoing refinement; led as Division Head and later Department Head at UBC and VGH; and worked with the Ministry of Health and the Provincial Musculoskeletal Advisory Group to improve orthopaedic care across British Columbia. His leadership extended nationally as President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, and internationally with recognition including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Leadership philosophy and roles
Dr. Masri describes leadership as stewardship and inspiration rather than authority. A leader’s role, in his view, is to help colleagues pull in the same direction and to advance the profession collectively. He notes his own growth in listening and appreciating diverse perspectives over time: learning to lead through service, even amid fatigue or pressure, and to view progress as a shared endeavour.
He emphasizes continuity and incremental improvement over disruption. Effective leadership, he notes, requires building on foundations laid by predecessors whose long-term vision extended decades ahead. Rather than pursuing trends, he prioritized mission-aligned work and durable gains for patients, trainees, and the department.
- 1984
Completes Honours Chemistry degree
- 1988
Graduates with MD from UBC
- 1994
Completes Orthopaedic Residency at UBC
- 1995
Fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery (NY); returns to Vancouver and starts practice at VGH
- Late 1990s
Appointed Division Head at VGH and UBC; helps establish Complex Joint Clinic
- 2006
Founds UBC Centre for Surgical Innovation
- 2007
Appointed Department Head of Orthopaedics at UBC
- 2014
Serves as President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association
- 2020- Present
Focuses on mentorship, outcomes research, and international education
Building Bonds Beyond the Operating Room
He recalls the “Hip, Hip! Hooray!” fundraiser through the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation—held at Spanish Banks—as a community-building event celebrating restored mobility with families, patients, and staff. After it concluded, he helped initiate an annual spring barbecue for department families at Shaughnessy Golf Club and a summer barbecue at his home for residents, fellows, and families—traditions that grew to roughly 80 attendees and ran until just before COVID.
He also highlights Ortho Update as a long-standing fixture since his first attendance in 1990. He notes the evolution from film slides and late-night preparations to current digital formats, as well as varied venues—from VGH and Robson Square to SFU’s Centre for Dialogue—and dinners hosted at locations such as Shaughnessy Golf Club, Hycroft, Terminal City Club, The Arbutus Club, and Hotel Vancouver—while the event’s core purpose of learning and community has remained constant.
Vision for Tomorrow: UBC and Beyond
He underscores the need to maintain UBC Orthopaedics as the premier training program in Canada through continuous self-assessment and improvement. Sustained emphasis on inquiry and research—supported under previous heads, carried forward in his tenure, and continued by current Department Head Dr. Kishore Mulpuri—remains central.
He acknowledges ongoing obstacles—policy, political, and systemic—but stresses control over education quality, research, and patient care. He notes that embracing change requires care: poorly managed change can be harmful, but well-studied and well-implemented change is beneficial.
Globally, he advocates for context-appropriate solutions. Many regions cannot adopt the latest technology; innovation often means achieving more with fewer resources and adapting methods to local realities.
Today’s Work: Research, Education, Impact
Dr. Masri is currently focused on outcomes research while prioritizing mentorship—helping younger colleagues establish and grow their careers. He is also engaged in international education, concentrating on areas with the greatest need. Recent activities include courses and governance work connected to Europe (with participants from the Middle East and India), as well as programs in India and renewed initiatives in China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Korea. Over the last decade, he has chaired an international Education Forum that convenes advisory teams worldwide to share knowledge and strengthen orthopaedic education.
Advice and guidance for today’s orthopaedic leaders
He advises individuals and leaders alike to focus on strengths, understand (but not fixate on) weaknesses, and build teams that align roles with capability. Excellence emerges from complementary skill sets rather than uniform expectations.
To trainees, he cautions against idealized assumptions: for example, an interest in sports does not equate to aptitude for orthopaedic surgery. He encourages realistic self-assessment and the willingness to pivot if a chosen path proves unsuitable—viewing course correction as success, not failure. He also advises living in the present: understanding the past without being constrained by it, and acting today with clarity and purpose.
Drawing on personal history—leaving Lebanon during the civil war—he stresses transforming hardship into constructive purpose: “Take whatever trauma you’ve experienced—no matter how big or small—and turn it into something meaningful.”
He chose orthopaedics, and joint replacement in particular, for its tangible, life-changing outcomes—work that aligned with his commitment to “building rather than destroying” and to helping patients regain function and quality of life.
