In a bright and cheerfully decorated rehabilitation clinic located across the street from Surrey Memorial Hospital, UBC Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) student Marcus Tsai carefully moves what looks like an empty picture frame along the extended arm of a patient.

It’s a deceptively simple procedure, but a vastly important one. The “picture frame” is actually a perometer — a specialized machine that accurately measures the volume of someone’s limb. Here, it’s being used to monitor breast cancer patients for a type of swelling called lymphedema that can occur following a mastectomy.

“We measure any changes and track their symptoms,” explains Tsai. “We also educate patients on lymphedema self-management by showing them manual techniques to help with the swelling.”

These are just some of the many skills Tsai gained during his six-week clinical placement at the new student-led Fraser Rehabilitation Clinic in Surrey. In addition to caring for mastectomy patients, the clinic, which is a partnership between the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Fraser Health Authority, provides physiotherapy for patients following hip and knee replacement or limb amputation surgery, as well as PT and occupational therapy (OT) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

It’s one of several UBC student-led clinic models across the province providing clinical learning opportunities for health professions students while delivering care for patients and communities. 

“Surrey has a fast-growing population with a significant need for these services,” notes Amy Ellis, MPT-Fraser Valley Clinical Site Lead, UBC. “This partnership with Fraser Health is really helping to meet the needs of the community.”

In the clinic, MPT student Cary Brett has just finished seeing a patient under the supervision of his UBC clinical faculty instructor. A mature student who joined the program after a decade in education, Brett enjoys applying his teaching skills to supporting the health of patients.

“I recently worked with a patient who was scared to move after a total hip replacement,” he says. “We worked on understanding that his pain was normal and could be managed. I could see his relief, like ‘They hear me. They understand.’ Knowing you can have that kind of impact on someone’s life is really rewarding.”

In addition to connecting more patients with complex needs with care, the new clinic is allowing more health professionals to work and train closer to home.

“Building this network of care by training more health professionals feels very meaningful,” says Karen Chahal, clinical supervisor and a UBC clinical instructor of physical therapy. “Students like Marcus and Cary are seeing the positive impact they can have on patients, and how they can enhance the patient experience across the continuum of care.”

The UBC Faculty of Medicine’s impact goes beyond the Fraser. In fact, more than 300 UBC students across the health professions — including PT, OT, midwifery, audiology, speech-language pathology and genetic counselling — are bridging gaps in care across the province while training in urban, rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

 “It’s really inspiring to think about how, together, we can meaningfully improve the lives of so many people,” says Tsai.