The Doctors of BC Presidential Scholars Award in Medicine establishes an endowment to cover tuition, student fees, and textbooks for selected students throughout all four years of medical school. Now in its seventh year, additional funding from the endowment has once again enabled two deserving recipients to be chosen.
Christina H Lam and Matt Sha are the 2025 recipients, selected for their academic and leadership achievements in the arts, service, athletics, or school, with an emphasis on students whose community involvement and volunteerism focus on health care. Both students share a passion for medicine and serving their communities.
Christina H Lam
Christina H Lam grew up on unceded Coast Salish territories in the Tri-Cities area of Greater Vancouver. Her pursuit of medicine stems from her steadfast resilience, work ethic, and deep sense of empathy—qualities that have fueled her passion to serve others and strive for health and equity for all. She earned her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University, specializing in public health and epidemiology.
As an active student leader in decolonization and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts, she initiated and co-facilitated a faculty-wide I-EDI Student Learning Circle, led a comprehensive policy review for inclusive language use, created community event maps and resource lists for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and National Indigenous Peoples Month, and advised and advocated at the institutional level to improve accessibility and equity.
Recognizing gaps in peer support and mental health services at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she co-founded Let’s Be Real, a peer-based community program that fosters authentic connection and wellness among youth and young adults. She hopes to explore all that medical school has to offer while forging meaningful and lasting connections with colleagues, mentors, and the communities she hopes to serve with humility and care.
Matt Sha
Matt Sha’s interest in medicine stems from both personal and scientific roots. His fascination with advances in genetic sciences and the potential to find cures for rare diseases, combined with an unexpected cancer diagnosis at age 21, shaped his journey in medicine.
After his recovery, he became involved with BC Cancer as a Patient Partner, advocating for sarcoma and care for adolescents and young adults with cancer. In this role, he helped launch BC Cancer’s Provincial 24/7 Nurse Line, staffed by trained oncology nurses to help alleviate anxiety for patients experiencing symptoms at home.
While exploring his options for future study, he is currently interested in oncology, motivated by the growing number of effective treatments, including personalized medicine and embedded psychosocial support. Matt also has a keen interest in improving health inequities, particularly in men’s mental health and mental health systems and services.
Both recipients demonstrate a strong commitment to creating a fairer and more equitable health care system for all. Their knowledge, enthusiasm, and unique perspectives make them deserving recipients, and we are honoured to support them as they begin this exciting chapter of their medical careers.
