Each year, the UBC Faculty of Medicine celebrates outstanding contributions to Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD). In 2025, we recognize two recipients for their innovative excellence and long-term commitment to transform medical education across British Columbia.  

Award for Innovation in CME/CPD

Recipient: The Therapeutics Initiative Portrait Program team

Congratulations to the Therapeutics Initiative Portrait Program team for recognition on their original work—a Portrait educational tool that graphically displays prescribing patterns and peer comparisons, using provincial health data. Delivering personalized feedback and evidence-based recommendations, the tool's unique platform helps inform treatment plans and strives to improve patient care across British Columbia (BC).  

Dr. Jessica Otte, Educator and Researcher at the Therapeutics Initiative, shares "We are thrilled to receive this award for the TI Portrait Program, and hope all family physicians and NPs will sign up to see their prescribing data. Our educational Portraits have been tested in randomized controlled trials and are shown to improve patient care. It’s a real pleasure to know that the work we do has a positive impact for people in BC." 

Team members include:  

Dr. Anshula Ambasta, Dr. Ken Bassett, Mr. Sean Burnett, Dr. Greg Carney, Dr. Colin Dormuth, Mr. Ciprian Jauca, Dr. Malcom Maclure, Dr. Jessica Otte, Dr. Tom Perry, Ms. Ellen Reynolds, Mr. Doug Salzwedel, Ms. Dana Stanley, Dr. Aaron Tejani and Dr. Wade Thompson.

The program is sponsored by the BC Ministry of Health through a contribution agreement with the Faculty of Medicine.  

Award for Distinguished Service in CME/CPD

Recipient: Dr. Fariba Mohtashami, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

As Head of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynaecology at St. Paul's Hospital, Dr. Fariba Mohtashami has championed accessible continuing education for practicing gynaecologic surgeons. Her work spans designing educational platforms, providing surgical preceptorship and coaching to boost hospital surgical quality, and provincial leadership to expand this important work through coaching and hands-on workshops.  

Dr. Mohtashami’s efforts as an advocate for gender equity in medicine has helped frame structural health-care bias against women.

“Misogyny in medicine and sexism in surgery are not merely inequities — alongside the data gap, pain gap and pay gap, they are the modern faces of violence against women. When we ignore women’s data, dismiss their pain and devalue their work, we perpetuate new forms of violence that ultimately harm society as a whole,” shares Dr. Mohtashami. 

Learn more about the CME/CPD awards and read about the 2025 Faculty of Medicine Awards recipients.