Posted on Jan 23, 2018
Dr. Matt Chow, our new Doctors of BC Co-Chair for the SSC operates under the belief that everyone has three unique stories: their past, now and what’s yet to be. As a trained psychiatrist, it is not surprising to find Matt’s practice is part of the ‘Three Story Clinic’, which clearly reflects this belief.
It is in the ‘what’s yet to be’ that Dr. Chow will be focusing on as he develops his Co-Chair role. Matt says “I want people to feel that the Specialist Service Committee is really for them to help assist them do their very best work. We may have limitations, but that doesn’t mean we can’t listen to our colleagues, learn about where their friction points are, and learn where the new opportunities are and try to enable them.”
Matt has been working with SSC for several years and on one of the more, as he puts it ‘stickiest files’ – fees. He has learned a lot working on this file – helping to make decisions that allow SSC fees to operate efficiently within its fixed budget. Even when it has impacted his personal practice.
That’s speaks to the character of the man. He has shown he works for the ‘greater good’ and not ‘special interests’. SSC will benefit from Matt’s personal ability and training to see things from other perspectives. Matt intends to get out there and meet his colleagues face-to-face through Sections, Medical Staff Associations and others to hear those multiple perspectives.
Matt goes on to say “I feel that it’s important to know what is going on. That’s something I found out early in my career. I used to work in one location – and I’m ashamed to say this, but I remember thinking we are the best here, we have the most skilled people and we are going to try and transmit our knowledge to everyone and try to help everyone. I realize now how naïve that was. Because now that I work in community practice and out in the far reaches of the First Nations communities or remote places where you have to get in by boat or by air - I know there’s actually a lot of knowledge on the ground already and the people are already doing excellent work. They don’t need someone in the ivory tower to tell them what to do. What they need is help – a helping hand – and the only way we can lend a hand is to ask them what kind of hand they need.”
It is Dr. Chow’s unique abilities and genuine interest in helping specialists in BC that bodes well for the future ‘what’s yet to be’ of the SSC.
