UBC Orthopaedics Legends Spotlight: Dr. Pat McConkey 

A builder of sports medicine at UBC and an early champion of arthroscopy and ACL reconstruction. 

Dr. J. Patrick “Pat/JP” McConkey (MD ’69) combined meticulous clinical care with sustained commitment to teaching and program building. For more than three decades, he helped athletes return to sport while mentoring residents and fellows in a model that integrated patient care, education, and research. His approach was a team-first, athlete-centric one and left a durable mark on the department and the broader sport-medicine community.

Training and return to UBC 

After completing orthopaedic residency at UBC (FRCSC) in 1975 (alongside Dr. Clive Duncan), Dr. McConkey undertook a then-uncommon arthroscopy/knee-ligament fellowship at the University of Oregon (April-June 1976) before returning to Vancouver—a forward-leaning choice at the time. He initially practised with his father at St. Paul’s Hospital, but soon after moved to UBC Hospital, where he was part of the young sports-medicine cohort that coalesced as the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic—a multidisciplinary model linking surgeons, physiotherapists, and GP sport-medicine leaders such as Dr. Paul Wright and the late Dr. Jack Taunton. He joined UBC as a Clinical Instructor in 1977 and advanced through the clinical ranks, becoming Clinical Professor in 1994. 

Building a sport-medicine hub 

At UBC he concentrated on arthroscopy and soft-tissue reconstruction of the knee, with particular emphasis on ACL injury and management across adolescent and adult athletes. Within BC, his work introduced procedures that are now routine. He held longstanding team roles across local, provincial, and national athletic organizations, commitments that reflected his passion for the injured athlete and the educational value of sideline medicine.  

He helped develop what was then the Division of Athletic Injuries (now Arthroscopy), aligning day-to-day care with teaching and research. He worked closely with colleagues at the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Centre in a multidisciplinary, team-based model.  

Leadership, teaching, and mentorship 

Described by peers as reserved but steady, McConkey led by example. Dr. McConkey served in multiple leadership roles, including Head, Division of Athletic Injuries/Arthroscopic Surgery (1993–2002); Associate Head, Orthopaedics, UBC (1993–2002); Head, Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital (1991); and Head, Division of Orthopaedics, St. Paul’s Hospital (1980). He directed the Athletic Injuries & Arthroscopic Surgery Fellowship (1985–2001) and taught extensively in undergraduate and residency curricula, supervising graduate research in Human Kinetics and delivering invited lectures across Canada and internationally.  

He trained numerous residents and fellows who would go on to lead clinical programs across BC. His influence is still felt in Squamish, where he was the first Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Squamish General Hospital, and his post-retirement practice extended his community impact and catalysed service growth locally. 

Teams and service to athletes 

His clinical service spanned varsity, provincial, and national programs for more than two decades, including UBC Thunderbird Football (1977–2004), the Canadian National Downhill/Alpine Ski Team (1981–2004; Sarajevo 1984), the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team (from 1993), and consultant roles with the BC Lions (1977–1981), Student Health Service UBC (1977–2004), and multiple regional hospitals and clinics.  

Scholarly profile and professional community 

Dr. McConkey authored peer-reviewed work on ACL injury mechanisms, imaging, meniscal pathology, and skier injury epidemiology; his early papers include the oft-cited Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture in Skiing: A New Mechanism of Injury (1986).

His standing in sports orthopaedics was reflected in his membership in select international circles like the Herodicus Society (1984-2003), serving as Associate Editor for the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, and the ACL study community, which helped frame early consensus and practice evolution around pediatric and adolescent ACL care. Obituaries and regional press at his passing noted his reputation as one of Canada’s leading knee surgeons. 

McConkey JP. Anterior cruciate ligament rupture in skiing. A new mechanism of injury. Am J Sports Med. 1986 Mar-Apr;14(2):160-4. doi: 10.1177/036354658601400213. PMID: 3717489.

A quiet leader 

Colleagues and family describe Dr. McConkey as a steady, generous mentor who led without fanfare and kept focus on the injured athlete—particularly those with knee injuries. His son, Dr. Mark McConkey, notes that most of his talks and research “centred on ACLs and the care of the injured athlete,” and that many trainees and fellows carried those habits forward in their own practices.