Meet Dr. Elf

Meet Dr. Elf, Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Medicine.

Name:

Dr. Elf

Title:

Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Medicine

How long have you worked at the UBC Faculty of Medicine?

I’ve been with the Faculty for several months now and during that time, I’ve embarked on an incredible journey around the province meeting faculty, staff and learners at the distributed medical education and research sites in the North, the Interior, on Vancouver Island and across the Vancouver-Fraser region.

Tell us what you do at the Faculty:

Before coming to the Faculty, I served as an elf physician and researcher at the North Pole. I am so pleased to be joining the Faculty of Medicine as a visiting scholar — truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. This position provides a front row seat to learning all about the incredible research, innovation and medical education underway in communities around the province. And, because I’m a researcher at heart, I’ve been gathering key insights and documenting my travels with photos and video.

You can explore highlights from my adventures on some of the Faculty’s social media channels. In fact, you might have already seen me (#DrElf) with Dr. Anna Blakney, Dr. Melissa Lem, Dr. Michael Kobor, Dr. Raymond Lam and James Andrew, as well as learners in Prince George and at the Physical Therapy & Research Clinic.

If you’re interested in seeing where I’m off to this week, follow along on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

What’s your favourite thing about your work?

Having an opportunity to get to know the many faculty, clinical faculty, staff and learners who are helping to transform health for everyone — the work all of you do is making an incredible difference to patients and families in B.C, across Canada and around the world. I hope to take some of the lessons I learn back to the North Pole when I return in January.

What’s one thing we might be surprised to learn about you?

Most people are surprised to learn that I don’t actually make toys. While a lot of my fellow elves are expert craftspeople, as an “Elf on the Shelf,” my expertise really lies in documenting and reporting back to Mrs. Claus. Have I mentioned that I’m also the workplace safety representative at Santa’s Workshop?

Where is your favourite vacation spot, and why?

Anywhere that’s not the North Pole, really.

But, if I had to pick, I would choose Kootenay National Park for its incredible natural beauty or Abbotsford for its plentiful blueberries in the summer. And, as a big fan of all the elves in the Lord of the Rings movies, I would love to visit the filming locations in New Zealand one day.

What makes you laugh?

Blitzen — he’s the life of the party when Mr. Claus isn’t around.

Your most healthy habit:

I stopped eating candy canes about five years ago, and now I’m big into yoga. In fact, I can stretch my legs up passed my hat without any stitching coming undone. I find yoga is a great way to wind down after a busy day and stay limber throughout the calendar year.