Dr. Brandon Tang

Dr. Brandon Tang

During the COVID-19 pandemic, resident physicians were forced to adapt to virtual platforms to hone their clinical skills. While some were concerned about the loss of hands-on learning, Dr. Brandon Tang also saw tremendous possibilities.

“The world and medical education will never be the same,” he says. “With a blank slate we can re-envision the future of medical education.”

With this mindset, Dr. Tang, a fourth-year general internal medicine fellow at the University of Toronto and recent graduate of the University of British Columbia Internal Medicine Residency Program, helped organize the International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE) 2020.

In his role as an ICRE chief resident — one of four chosen internationally — Dr. Tang helped bring together more than 1,500 participants virtually to advance residency education. The annual event marks the world’s largest conference on postgraduate medical education, covering topics such as learning analytics, and equity, diversity and inclusivity in medical education.

“Brandon helped champion the decision to proceed with a virtual conference. He recognized the importance of demonstrating medical education’s resilience and adaptability,” says Resident Doctors of BC President Dr. Daphne Lu.

Giving residents a voice

As a member of the Board of Directors of Resident Doctors of BC and former co-chair of the Resident Doctors of Canada practice committee, Dr. Tang has worked to improve resident wellness and education for more than 1,300 residents in BC and more than 10,000 residents across Canada.

Inspired by his experiences as a resident physician, Dr. Tang recently delivered a TEDx talk entitled “Healing Assembly Line Medicine.” In it, he aimed to spark meaningful dialogue on health care systems to improve both the patient and provider experience.

In response to learner needs, Dr. Tang has also co-founded a novel medical textbook, Vancouver Notes: Internal Medicine, aimed at providing medical trainees with consultation guides for common internal medicine diagnoses. More than 90 residents and staff physicians have contributed their expertise, and Dr. Tang plans to donate proceeds from the book to support resident initiatives.