Q and A with Education Champion: Dr. Brian Wong

Dr. Brian Wong, Staff Physician in Sunnybrook's Division of General Internal Medicine and assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, recently received the 2015 Young Educator Award from Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.

We caught up with Dr. Wong about his award and about his passion for teaching. 

1. How does it feel to receive recognition for your role as an educator?

Quite honestly, it's very humbling to receive this award. It is really a huge honour, especially given how strong the medical education community is both at the University of Toronto and across Canada. The fact that this award recognized my contributions to patient safety and quality improvement education is particularly gratifying, because this really has been the main focus of my role as an educator over the past few years.

2. What do you like most about being an educator?

Although I enjoy all aspects of being an educator, working with students and residents and teaching at the bedside and on the clinical service is still one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. And although I received the 'young' educator award, the truth is that as I get on in years, the students and residents teach me something new every day.

3. What advice do you have for others who teach the health professions?

Partner with others who can teach you new ways of thinking about educational scholarship and practice. I have really been fortunate in that my collaborators have all been world-class educators. Finding ways to work closely with them has been the greatest professional development that I could ever ask for.

4. What is something you have learned through your role as an educator?

Like many things, progress and innovation in education requires a huge amount of dedication and hard work. But in the end, it really is worth the effort when I think that I might have played a small part in shaping the future practice of medical students and residents and how they approach caring for patients and their families...and hopefully the healthcare system as well!