Compassion. Engagement. Mentorship. Those are the three ingredients Dr. Roger Wong identifies as the key to encouraging and developing medical leaders. In an esteemed career that has spanned medicine, academia, and research, Dr. Wong has served at provincial, national and international levels and has found these three factors to be common in successfully creating new leaders.

Dr. Wong, who was appointed as VCH’s Vice President, Medicine and Academic Affairs in September, was VPSA’s guest at its most recent Dinner With Leaders event. The series is an opportunity for members to connect with senior leadership at the health authority and create opportunities for ongoing dialogue.

Rather than taking attendees on a linear journey through his career, Dr. Wong highlighted times when he has given and received compassion, engagement and mentorship. He recalled working in a clinic one winter morning when a non-verbal patient repeatedly wanted to high-five him. It was a transformative moment, with Dr. Wong coming to understand that engaging with the patient physically transcended verbal compassion.

Dr. Wong has been active with teams in developing and implementing wellness programs for more than 15 years. He spent over a decade as the vice dean of education in the UBC Faculty of Medicine. A highlight for him was the annual resident talent night where he happily joined in singing many popular songs. He commented on how rewarding it is to now see many of these residents as colleagues and fellow leaders.

Dr. Wong also lent his vocal talents as part of his TEDxStanleyPark talk in 2018. He remembers the blinding lights and the pressure of presenting to an audience of 2,300 people on a topic he is passionate about: How to keep your elderly parents safe and in their home longer. The talk, which received a standing ovation, has been viewed over 210,000 times and translated into five languages. He hopes that it has inspired others to become leaders in geriatrics and that it demonstrates different ways for us to engage with our populations.

Medical education is obviously important to Dr. Wong. In his work at UBC, he collaborated with government and provincial health partners to expand and geographically distribute undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. He described it as meaningful work and noted that 93 per cent of UBC’s medical graduates stay in BC to practice. He also noted the importance of culturally safe health care and that he saw over 150 Indigenous physicians graduate during his time as vice dean.

Mentorship is also essential in growing more medical leaders, says Dr. Wong, and longitudinal mentorship can add meaning to people’s lives. He recalled a presentation he made to a group of 200 high school students and how they were so engaged in his talk that they stayed well past the three o’clock bell. His hope is that many of these students were inspired to pursue careers in health care.

One of Dr. Wong’s goals as the new VP of Medicine is to champion emerging opportunities for caring for patients including digital technologies and AI, sustainability, continuing education, and quality improvement. He invites all members of our medical staff to join him in co-creating positive change and optimizing our well-being.

Survey feedback

Nine medical staff members who attended this Dinner With Leaders session completed the post-event survey. The session earned a net promoter score of 77.8 per cent, with 89 per cent of respondents saying they now have a better understanding of Dr. Wong’s role at VCH and how it provides support to and engages with medical staff. Everyone felt they had an opportunity to ask questions.

When asked what resonated most with them, respondents said:

• The three ingredients of leadership.
• His enthusiasm is amazing for the work he does at all levels.
• Enjoyed hearing Dr. Wong’s views and approach through his career journey.
• Engagement is important. Not clear how yet.
• His personal experiences.

Additional comments included:

• Wong is an excellent speaker. Would love to have the opportunity to personally interact with him.
• Excellent series!

Ideas for other events?

Dinners With Leaders is an initiative of VPSA’s Community Building & Wellness Task Group. We want to hear from you about ideas for VPSA events and/or workshops. Share your brainwaves with us and we’ll direct your suggestion(s) to the relevant VPSA committee or task group for their consideration and action. Please complete this form. Let’s care, connect and collaborate!