Students from the Vancouver Summer Program visting Dr. Laura Sly’s lab.
UPDATED Aug 13 2025
Under our new strategic plan, supporting robust education, compelling research, and scholarly activity is a priority.
We are cultivating the next generation of Child Health Leaders. Check out our Five Year Plan to see how we intend to:
• Grow capacity and support across the full range of scholarly activities that use innovation and unconventional strategies i.e., health education, research, quality improvement, etc.
• Advance UBC, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, our health authority partners, and our fundraising partners to elevate the investment in research and education as an integral component to a high performing learning health system.
• Ensure our research and education is focused on the full diversity of children, youth and families/caregivers in BC.
• and, to recognize and reward a wider range of scholarly activities that are aligned with our desired impact in the province.
Clinical research is an essential part of the academic practice of medicine in a tertiary care teaching hospital. As one of the main pillars of academic Health Centers, together with Education and Medical Practice, Research is a critical component of the Department of Pediatrics’ activities in the promotion of high-quality evidence-based practice.
Research activities of residents in the Department are under the direction of Dr. Ran Goldman, Director of Pediatric Resident Research who is assisted by members of the Pediatric Research Committee and Research Education Assistant.
To learn more on the Pediatric Residency research activities, visit the Research Passport.
Faculty from the pediatric specialty divisions showcase their research activities in a video library, with opportunities for trainee participation. Cut and paste this URL into your browser to view: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9077024
Trainees are also offered opportunities for augment exposure to pediatric research through organized pediatric research laboratory tours.
Residents who seek to undertake a path to academic pediatrics, are encouraged to consider completing either a (1) Masters in Health Sciences at the UBC School of Population Public Health. This is a one year course-based program which includes one practicum, or (2) apply to the UBC Clinician Investigator Program (CIP).
"Having over 140 medical students from 11 countries and 30 different universities leads to an enriching environment." — Dr. Ran Goldman, Program Director, The Vancouver Summer Program in Medicine: Introduction to Clinical Research and Bedside Medicine
Launched in 2014, the Vancouver International Summer Program in Medicine (VSP) is a four-week academic program that provides an opportunity for visiting undergraduate medical students from international universities to experience Canadian healthcare and life sciences education at its best and learn about Canadian culture firsthand.
The program includes engaging classes, workshops and medical simulation in clinical medical sciences, as well as social activities and intercultural workshops. The program was first offered in the summer of 2014, as courses in seven fields of medicine. Dr. Ran Goldman developed and led the Department of Pediatrics course, “Introduction to Clinical Research in the Sciences”. In 2015, a second course was added to the curriculum, “Introductions to Clinical Medicine at the Bedside”.
The VSP is a unique opportunity for aspiring health professionals to learn with their peers from around the world. The enriching environment focuses on developing culturally sensitive and skillful physicians and scientists. Students come to UBC and BC Children’s Hospital to learn and in turn improve patient care and bring innovative knowledge to their respective countries.
The VSP prides itself in its multi-faceted methodology teaching, allowing for rapid practical training of students and leading to their growth. Besides the lectures from leading academic clinicians from BC Children’s and beyond, students learn concepts through practical, hands-on during group-based workshops.
In the research course students work as teams to develop innovative, one-of-a-kind clinical study protocol, that if executed, will enhance lives of people worldwide. In the clinical course students are learning skills and procedures through advanced medical simulation in small groups.
The program also includes patients who describe their or their child’s journey, inspiring students and helping them develop compassion for their future career.
This group learning environment fosters critical thinking as students create self-developed research projects, presented at the end of the course (“Research Olympics”). During the clinical course, students actively learn and practice history taking, physical examination and development of a differential diagnosis.
To maximize their understanding of advanced medical services, they visit the hospital and learn on the behind-the-scenes of a tertiary large medical center.
Our two courses are:
Introduction to Clinical Research in the Sciences
Introduction to Clinical Medicine at the Bedside
** Over 1200 students from 25 countries successfully complete the program as of 2025 **
For more information, please visit:
https://vancouversummerprogram.ubc.ca/course-packages/medicine-july-2025
Since its launch in 2016, the Hudson Scholars Awards Program has been made possible through a transformational gift from the Hudson family to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (BCCHF). This Program was established through the Hudson Family Hospital Chair in Pediatric Medicine and was the vision of Dr. Allison Eddy, the inaugural Hudson Family Hospital Chair in Pediatric Medicine. Through this endowed chair, top medical talent received protected time, structured mentorship, education, and the opportunity to conduct a quality improvement (QI) project to make positive changes in the health care system.
Thanks to the generosity of BCCHF and donor support, the program has expanded and medical faculty from other departments across the BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) campus are now eligible to apply. Meet our Hudson Scholars.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Inaugural Hudson Scholars Day Poster Competition, sponsored by the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, was held in the Chan Auditorium at the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.
The competition showcased over 20 abstracts from trainees across the BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) campus, highlighting the outstanding quality improvement (QI) work being conducted. The caliber of these projects is a testament to the dedication and excellence of our trainees and the remarkable QI efforts taking place at BCCH. [MORE]
Launched in 2024, The Hudson Family Trainee Program is made possible through the Hudson Family Hospital Chair in Pediatric Medicine at BC Children’s Hospital held by Dr. Steven Miller. The Hudson Family Hospital Chair was established by a visionary gift from the Hudson family to BC Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Our inaugural cohort were selected for their outstanding potential to expand their skills in different pediatric disciplines, and we are confident that they will make valuable contributions to the clinical and research endeavors within our department. Learn more about our Hudson Family Trainees.