Meet Dr. Justin Lam
Dr. Justin Lam is committed to reshaping medical learning environments to be more effective, fair and accountable for teachers and learners, and is illuminating the path forward through powerful research.
Dr. Lam recently joined Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) as a hospitalist paediatrician in the Clinical Teaching Unit and features an impressive early career as an education scientist. He was awarded the prestigious Robert Maudsley Fellowship in 2022 and supported by a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship the same year.
“A lot of my work is driven out a desire to strengthen medical education by creating conditions where every learner can succeed and be valued, no matter their background, which will have positive downstream effects on patient care,” said Dr. Lam. “A person’s social identity shouldn’t affect their experiences during their medical education and career. It shouldn’t influence whether they’re given certain opportunities, viewed as an expert, or recognized equally for their excellence.”
From his research, Dr. Lam notes that even small changes can have a big impact. For example, in Canada, pubs or bars can be a popular place for socialising. Dr. Lam advocates for residents to consider planning more of their social gatherings at venues where their peers, no matter their culture or religion, will feel comfortable.
“We need to recognize and consider whose part of our community,” said Dr. Lam. “We learn so much about how to be a physician from each other, from getting to know each other and seeing what other people do. So, we all benefit when we create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.”
Dr. Lam was also instrumental in founding Price of a Dream, which worked with the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada to waive medical school application fees for low-income students. The early results are inspiring, showing a notable impact in breaking down financial barriers.
