With experience in the health field as an occupational therapist for 35 years combined with a passion for education and 30 years as an instructor, Donna Drynan fits in perfectly as the new Director of Education at UBC Health.

Donna has a long track record of excellence in teaching and interprofessional education. She holds a Master of Education from the University of Toronto, but her role as an educator began early in her career—first with teaching OT clients and their families, then formally with U of T, and later with UBC as instructor for an assistive and rehabilitation technology course. She’s currently Associate Head, Fieldwork and Clinical Faculty Affairs in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Medicine. She is a past recipient of both the UBC Killam Teaching Prize and the Universitas 21 Health Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.

I love being able to collaborate with colleagues and students to think about new ways of doing things. Working with young adult learners helps keep me current.

“I think my background in adult education sparked in me a love of learning alongside other adults,” says Donna. “Most of my continuing professional development has been in the area of adult learning, curriculum design and development and ensuring that learning can be fun!” 

At UBC, she has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses, workshops for clinical educators and preceptors, and a guide for incorporating interprofessional experiences into practice education settings. She was also involved in developing an online program for preceptors.

“I love being able to collaborate with colleagues and students to think about new or alternate ways of doing things. Working with young adult learners helps keep me current,” she says. 

Donna isn’t new to UBC Health. She was part of the team that advanced interprofessional practice and education at UBC and helped develop the ethics and professionalism modules of the Integrated Curriculum. And for more than a decade, she has been a faculty supervisor with Health Mentors. 

Their energy and absolute enjoyment of learning with, from, and about each other is encouraging and instills hope for the future of our healthcare teams.

“My most rewarding collaborative health education experience has been facilitating the Integrated Curriculum sessions with many groups of health and human service students over the years,” Donna says. “Their energy and absolute enjoyment of learning with, from, and about each other is encouraging and instills hope for the future of our healthcare teams.”

In her new role as Director of Education at UBC Health, Donna will build on existing strengths in interprofessional education activities and facilitate innovation in collaborative health education across the health and human service programs at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. 

“I’m extremely excited to be working with the committed and dedicated team at UBC Health and being part of moving the initiatives aligned with strategic priorities forward in ways that will provide focused, sustainable, and inclusive activities in team-based care for students and faculty across both practice and academia.” 

UBC Health works under the auspices of the Office of the Vice-President, Health to enhance interdisciplinary health education, research, and systems by fostering collaboration across disciplines and faculties at both UBC campuses, as well as with institutions and government organizations around the province.

Posted November 13, 2020