It is a deep honour and joy to serve as the Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, where tradition meets innovation, and academic excellence blossoms in collaboration. Like so many in the Department, I have been a member of the clinical faculty for many years, providing me with a deep appreciation for the dedication and contributions of our clinical educators across the province.
It is with gratitude that we mark the end of Dr Redekop’s tenure as Head. Respected for his thoughtful and responsive leadership, he significantly strengthened the department’s foundation, including building an environment marked by excellence and respectful engagement. He has also been a dedicated advocate of clinical faculty, recognizing their significant contributions to academic life and developing programs to support clinical faculty research in the department.
At UBC Surgery, our core strength lies in our people—the dedicated clinicians, educators, researchers, learners and administrative staff who bring passion and commitment to their work every day. As we pursue excellence in patient care, research and education, my goal is to foster an environment characterized by human-centered leadership, collaboration and continuous growth.
I am guided by Adam Grant’s quote: “The true measure of leadership is how much you can empower others to succeed.” Across our distributed, province-wide department, I am focused on enhancing our connections, strengthening research, and supporting distributed education models and ensuring that our initiatives align closely with the real-world needs of our physicians, researchers, learners, staff and the communities we serve.
Together, we will embrace innovation, celebrate our diversity and strive for excellence. I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this outstanding department and look forward to engaging with each of you as we collectively improve health outcomes through leadership, education and impactful research.
Ahmer Azhar Karimuddin, MD, FRCSC
C.N. Woodward Chair
Head, Department of Surgery
University of British Columbia