Patrick McDonald

Biography

Patrick completed his BSc and MSc at SFU in BPK while competing as a member of the men's varsity wrestling team at SFU. He then attended UBC Medical School and obtained my MD. Patrick completed his residency in Psychiatry in 2021, and is currently a clinical instructor, staff psychiatrist, and addiction medicine physician at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. He is also co-lead of the Substance Use Assessment Team at Lions Gate Hospital.

QUESTIONS

1) What is your current position? What does a typical work day look like for you?   

I am a clinical instructor in Psychiatry for UBC Medicine, and a staff psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver.  I have had a very busy clinical practice right out of residency. I start my days rounding on patients, and providing consultations in Psychiatry and Addictions in an outpatient and inpatient capacity.

2) How did your education in BPK influence your career?

BPK was an asset in medical school. It made the pre-clinical years a lot more manageable because of the strong background in basic sciences, human physiology, and anatomy. As a psychiatrist, our assessments and treatments utilize a bio-psycho-social approach. My background in BPK helped steer me towards addiction medicine and the intricate interplay of human physiology, and behaviour. One of my mentors who taught sports injuries at SFU, Dr. Don Hedges, was also an addiction medicine physician.

3) Who in BPK had an impact on you and why?

There are too many people to mention. My thesis supervisor, Dr. Matt White, was pivotal in supporting my goals of becoming a medical doctor.  He helped keep me on track, and also was very clear with me that he would help me work towards my own academic goals. We put in a lot of long days and nights in the lab, and I continued with that work ethic after completing my MSc. I think if I hadn't had his support and guidance, I wouldn't be where I am today.  Dr. Don Hedges "Doc", also deserves a nod for all the mentorship he provided in helping me connect with other students that had aspirations of going into medicine.  All of my professors were wonderful (Dr. Tibbits, Dr. Bawa, Dr. Walsh, Craig Asmundson, to name a few), and I have great memories of my time in the BPK department.

4) What is your favourite memory of your time at SFU as an undergraduate?

I think the special Christmas food drive in MBB 321 that a few friends of mine organized was pretty special. I also have some fond memories of studying in west mall with some now life-long friends, and going out afterwards.

5) What advice would you give to today’s BPK student? 

Your hard work will pay off, but don't forget to enjoy yourself along the way. Undergrad was but a brief stop for me (I did 16 years of post-secondary), but some of my fondest memories come from my years at SFU.