Every year, Doctors of BC celebrates the valuable contributions and achievements of physicians, residents, and medical students throughout the province with our Doctors of BC Awards. Members of the public can also be recognized, either as individuals or as members of an organization, for their work improving the well-being, health and safety of British Columbians. In late January, Doctors of BC honoured the 2025 recipients at our annual President’s Dinner and Awards Gala.
Nominate a deserving individual or group
If you know an individual or group whose work has made an impact and deserves recognition, consider nominating them for the 2026 Doctors of BC Awards. You can learn more about the awards and access the nomination forms and criteria on our Awards page.
If you have any questions, please contact awards@doctorsofbc.ca.
Dr Don Rix Award for Physician Leadership
Established in memory of the late Dr Donald Rix, this award recognizes lifetime achievements and exemplary physician leadership that are so outstanding as to serve as an inspiration and a challenge to the medical profession in British Columbia.
Dr Charlotte Yong-Hing
The founder of Canadian Radiology Women, Dr Charlotte Yong-Hing, is a renowned trailblazer in advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in medicine. She is the vice chair of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Department of Radiology, and the chair of the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group. Her inspiring efforts were recognized in 2022 when she received the inaugural UBC Radiology Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award.
Dr Yong-Hing has mentored many residents, fellows, and students, equipping them with the skills and resilience to pursue the specialty. In addition to this work, she played a pivotal role in championing improved patient access to medical imaging as the past president of the BC Radiological Society, collaborating with the BC Ministry of Health to develop solutions to reduce wait times and more. Dr Yong-Hing’s reputation as someone who empowers others, creates mentorship opportunities, and supports the next generation makes her a shining example of medical leadership in British Columbia.
Dr David M Bachop Gold Medal for Distinguished Medical Service
The Dr David M. Bachop Gold Medal is awarded to a BC doctor who has made an extraordinary contribution in the field of organized medicine and/or community service. Achievement should be so outstanding as to serve as an inspiration and a challenge to the medical profession in BC.
Dr Edith Blondel-Hill 2025
Dr Edith Blondel-Hill is a medical microbiologist and infectious disease specialist whose dedication to antibiotic stewardship and education has had a profound impact on public health in British Columbia. She is the founder and scientific director of the renowned educational program “Do Bugs Need Drugs?”, which aims to improve antibiotic literacy among the public. This program is taught by post-secondary medical and allied health care students throughout BC. Since 2005, more than 56,000 people in the province have received expert training on this topic in schools, community settings, childcare facilities, and adult residential care settings.
A pioneer in her field, Dr Blondel-Hill has transformed the culture of community antibiotic use while supporting best practices for prescribers—helping to curb antibiotic resistance and prevent overuse by patients. The Bugs & Drugs community antibiotic prescribing reference guide has recorded over 147,000 online user sessions annually. Dr Blondel-Hill has dedicated countless hours to ensuring lifesaving antibiotics remain available for future generations—not to mention her participation in many committees, including the Provincial Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee of Experts at the BC Ministry of Health, among others.
Dr David M Bachop Silver Medal
The Dr David M. Bachop Silver Medal in general medical practice is presented annually to the UBC family practice resident or the practice-eligible British Columbia registered family physician who achieves the best overall result in the Family Practice Certification exams.
Dr Allana Simon
Dr Allana Simon grew up in London, Ontario, where she completed her undergraduate medical training at Western University. She moved to Victoria, British Columbia, to complete her Family Medicine Residency, during which she developed a passion for collaborative patient care, continuing medical education, and promoting health literacy. Dr Simon has enjoyed learning from various locums in Victoria and the surrounding area during her post-residency months and plans to open her own practice in the future.
Doctors of BC Silver Medal of Service
The Doctors of BC Silver Medal of Service is awarded to physicians who have made outstanding contributions to medicine and/or the improvement of British Columbians’ welfare.
Dr Gulzar Cheema
Based in Surrey, Dr Cheema has made outstanding contributions to medicine, public service, and community advocacy for more than four decades. He has served as Medical Director for the iCON South Asian Division at the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s eHealth Strategy Office and as a Clinical Assistant Professor for UBC Family Practice. His mentorship of medical students and international medical graduates (IMGs) has been instrumental in shaping the next generation of physicians.
He also worked as a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner for Transport Canada and chaired the medical section of the 1998 BC Games for Athletes with Disabilities. As the first Indian-born Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly in Canada, Dr Cheema served as an MLA in both Manitoba and British Columbia. He held important roles, including Minister of State for Mental Health and Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services. He has also received numerous awards, including the Canada 125 Medal for Community Service and the Doctors of BC’s Excellence in Health Promotion Award in 2014, the latter for his educational work with BC’s Indo-Canadian population on disease prevention.
Dr Steven Goodchild
For 30 years, Dr Steven Goodchild practiced longitudinal family medicine in downtown Victoria, initially providing obstetrics, ER care, hospital work, and long-term care. He is renowned for his outstanding long-term contributions to family medicine and medical leadership. He has served on numerous boards, committees, and working groups, including the Victoria Division of Family Practice, where he currently serves as a Board Director; BC Family Doctors, where he was past president; and Doctors of BC, where he worked on the Negotiations Forum from 2013 to 2019.
Dr Goodchild also served as Medical Director of Primary Care Strategy at Island Health from 2019 to 2023—working through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has engaged with the Ministry of Health and health authorities to advocate for evidence-based policies reflecting the realities of family practice. A valued mentor to many, Dr Goodchild is known for his diplomacy and expertise in health care systems and has consistently invested in colleagues who demonstrate an interest in shaping the future of medicine, supporting them on their own journeys.
Dr Eric Yoshida
A cornerstone of the provincial and national hepatology community, Dr Eric Yoshida has helped shape liver care, transplant policy, and public health advocacy in BC. As the former Medical Director of BC’s Liver Transplant Program, he played a key role in various initiatives, including the launch of Canada’s first HIV liver transplant program in 2003. Dr Yoshida’s advocacy prompted a provincial policy shift in 2008, resulting in the Ministry of Health funding essential hepatitis B antiviral medications. His research also highlighted the prevalence and impact of autoimmune liver disease in Indigenous communities.
As a Professor of Medicine at UBC, he has received four teaching awards and three mentorship awards from UBC’s Division of Gastroenterology. Dr Yoshida has also published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and received accolades such as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the CASL Distinguished Service Award, and the Order of British Columbia. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Liver Journal and is the longest-serving board member in the history of the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver (CASL). Dr Yoshida has volunteered with Médecins Sans Frontières and provided medical support at major events, including the Invictus Games in Whistler in February 2025.
Dr David Hunt
Dr David Hunt sadly passed away in October 2025, at the age of 81. Doctors of BC extends our deepest sympathies to his wife, Carol, his family, friends, colleagues, and countless patients whose lives he touched.
A Vancouverite who trained at UBC and Toronto Western Hospital, Dr David Hunt had a remarkable 50-year medical career. Specializing in emergency medicine, pain management, and palliative care, Dr Hunt was a true pioneer. He launched the Advanced Care Paramedic training program in the late 1970s, the first of its kind, laying the foundation for paramedic training in BC today. Alongside his colleague, Dr Herb Parkin, he co-developed one of BC’s first comprehensive sexual assault protocols in emergency departments—improving medical care for patients and supporting successful prosecutions of offenders.
As the founding chair of the Greater Vancouver Regional Hospital Disaster Committee, he led the landmark “Airport 79” mass casualty drill. Dr Hunt was a renowned pain medicine expert who also studied law to strengthen his leadership of the Workers’ Compensation Board’s interdisciplinary pain program. He helped develop pain education curricula for UBC’s medical school and served on multiple advisory committees, including the Doctors of BC Practice Support Program and the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons’ Chronic Pain Task Force. He also participated in charitable work with the Sovereign Order of St. John Knights Hospitaller.
Council On Health Promotion 2025 Awards of Excellence
These awards recognize nominated individuals, a BC-based non-profit organization, and a BC-based company that are working to improve the health and safety of British Columbians. Nominees must have demonstrated a concern for health and safety through specific actions or initiatives. These actions must demonstrate ingenuity and creativity, resulting in change with the potential for positive, long-term improvement. This year, there is a single winner in the Non-profit category.
Non-Profit: BC Parks Foundation (PaRx)
Established in 2020 by BC Parks Foundation, PaRx is a nature prescription program driven by health care professionals who want to improve patient health through connection to nature. Extensive research supports the health benefits of spending time in nature throughout our lives, including reduced stress, better heart health, pain relief, and more. With a standard, evidence-based “two+ hours per week, 20+ minutes each time” recommendation, and practical resources like patient handouts, PaRx strives to make prescribing time in nature simple, enjoyable, and effective.
Each registered prescriber receives a nature prescription file, a unique code, and instructions on prescribing and logging nature prescriptions. Since its inception, over 18,000 health care providers, including 17% of physicians in BC, have registered to prescribe time outside for their patients’ health. Nationally, an estimated 1.3 million Canadians have benefited from nature prescriptions since 2020. Through 15 partnerships with nature-based and mobility organizations, PaRx has lowered the cost of nature access by more than $300,000 for patients.
Changemaker Awards
Each year, the Changemaker Award honours one medical resident and one medical student who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication in advancing the policies, views, and goals of Doctors of BC or a resident or student organization through grassroots advocacy efforts. This year, there is a single winner in the student category.
Changemaker (Student) Emilie Wang
Emilie Wang’s community-minded approach to activism makes her a worthy recipient of this award. She is currently co-lead of UBC EnviroMed, a student group working to mitigate the effects of climate change on human health through public interventions and education. She also serves on the Youth Advisory Board of the Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance (MHCCA), informing program direction and reviewing grant applications for ideas that address the mental health impacts of climate change.
She has shown dedicated leadership through her work with the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS), a community-based organization in Metro Vancouver that provides trauma-informed, low-barrier programs to support the health, settlement, and empowerment of immigrant and refugee women and children. As part of this work, she designed and delivered health education and culturally tailored vaccine literacy programs. Recently, she also worked on a dermatology triage quality improvement project under supervision. Her work has been shared at provincial conferences to inform broader systems improvements and to empower grassroots clinical practice, including the BC Cancer Summit 2024 and BC Quality Forum 2025.
Presidential Scholars Award in Medicine
This annual entrance award funds all four years of medical school, including tuition, textbooks and student fees. Recipients must demonstrate outstanding academic performance and community involvement, with an emphasis on health care improvement. This is the sixth year the award has been granted, and due to additional funding accumulated in the endowment, there are two winners.
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 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.
