International Women's Day 2020

VPSA celebrates the work of women physicians

In anticipation of International Women’s Day 2020, the Vancouver Physician Staff Association canvassed members for the names of women physicians who have made extraordinary contributions to the workplace. We salute all our female members and invite you to read about the women who agreed to be profiled this year.

Dr. Laura Knebel

Dr. Knebel received her medical degree from the University of Calgary in 2004 and completed family practice residency at the University of Ottawa in 2006. She subsequently practiced in a variety of mostly Indigenous communities in Ontario and Nunavut for the next four years before moving to British Columbia. Since October 2010, Dr. Knebel has been a family physician at the Downtown Community Health Centre located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community. She took over as medical coordinator there in 2017.

Dr. Knebel loves running, dance, and travel and is passionate about social justice, particularly as it pertains to health. Her greatest accomplishment to date is raising her two beautiful children, James and Hazel.

What advice would you give to young women considering entering medicine in 2020? ​

“I would tell any young woman entering medicine to stay true to who they are and not let others tell them that showing emotions is a sign of weakness. The capacity to truly be vulnerable is one of the biggest gifts you can bring to the practice of medicine, but this is something that is often discouraged in our medical culture. By being emotionally available and present with patients, you will allow them the chance to truly be seen and your work will be enriched and deepened. Also, there is an amazing community of women in healthcare who have gone before and will be there to lift you up.”