Q & A: Dr. Aaron Knox, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Resident, PGY4
One thing we might be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve had 3 children during residency
Favorite vacation spot and why?
Any place with no phone, TV, or Internet. Nice to unplug and read a book from time to time.
What makes you laugh?
My girls. Kids come up with the craziest one liners
Why did you pursue a career in medicine? Medicine was by accident. Initially I took the MCAT as prep for the OAT but later realized Optometry wasn’t for me. Luckily it all worked out! Conversely, surgery was on purpose.
The psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihályi writes about flow ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) ) which is defined as “the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” That is the feeling that surgery provides every day.
What do you do for physical activity?
Weightlifting in the mornings. CrossFit whenever I can squeeze it in. Snowboarding in the winter.
What is your favorite book and why?
How to answer that!? Anything by Ernest Cline, Chuck Palaniuk, Kurt Vonnegut, Issac Asimov, Phillip K Dick, Arthur C Clarke, Ursula K Le Guin, Aldous Huxley, William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, JRR Tolkien, or Orson Scott Card.
What are your research interests?
Surgical education. Specifically: Instruction, Assessment, and Selection. Given the looming changes to our medical education system, I have been applying these interests to the area of Competency Based Medical Education.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
As a student I visited many programs but in my opinion none compared to the training environment at UBC. Amazing and collegial group of excellent surgeons very focused on education and teaching with a great track record for graduates, amazing location and the added bonus of 2 years protected funding to do a master’s degree of my choosing in a location of my choosing. Best decision ever.
When not in the hospital, where can you be found? Home with the kids.
Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years?
Academic practice in a large teaching centre. Mix of clinical, administrative and research commitments.
Has there been anybody in particular who has had a significant impact on your life?
Definitely my wife Michela. She has really sacrificed a lot to get us through this. Plus she laughs at my jokes.
If you could change one thing about BC’s healthcare system, what would it be?
Create one centralized easy to use system for sharing health care information. We are slowly getting there but I have definitely seen trauma patients get repeat CT scans within hours of each other at different Vancouver hospitals simply because the systems wouldn’t talk to each other. Seems crazy to me.
If you had a million dollars … I’d still be a few million short of a decent house in Cambie Village. If I was retired I would donate the money to Wikipedia. All of the information ever discovered online for free and accessible to everyone, anytime, anywhere. That’s a worthy goal in my opinion.
What words of advice do you have for undergraduate students considering a career in medicine?
Go into this with eyes open; make sure you know what you are getting into. Medicine will likely be the most stimulating and rewarding experience you take on but also the most demanding. Once you have decided medicine is the career for you, don’t shy away from the challenge. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.
Where did you grow up and what was it like?
High River Alberta. Nice small town with good people but lacked excitement. Always seemed to be getting in trouble….
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
Paper route. I learned if you want something you have to take advantage of any opportunities presented to you and work hard for it. No free rides. Looking back It’s easy to lose sight of how privileged we are.
What is your favorite thing about BC and why?
Diversity. Amazing food.
Who are your mentors and influencers?
Jim Rohn said “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’d like to extend that to 50. There are just so many amazing people that continually challenge me to be better.