2025 CHES Celebration of Scholarship
The Centre for Health Education Scholarship will host the 15th annual CHES Celebration of Scholarship on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at The University of British Columbia’s Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. This event is an opportunity for the CHES community to showcase and share their work and celebrate the accomplishments of the health professions education scholarship network.
In conjunction with this, the Centre for Health Education Scholarship is piloting our first in-person pre-conference workshop on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. The session topic is ‘Mobilizing Guided Walks for Situated Inquiry in Health Professions Education‘ led by Dr. Tim Dubé. Participation is limited to 30 attendees and will be granted on a first come, first serve basis. A waitlist will be maintained to monitor interest and to accommodate any last-minute cancellations.
Program
Click here for the 2025 CHES Celebration of Scholarship event program.
Registration
As our event sold out quickly, there is a waitlist to attend. If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to attend the Celebration of Scholarship on October 22, 2025, please let us know and we will make your spot available for another attendee.
Schedule
Abstracts
Oral Presentation Session 1A
Oral Presentation Session 1B
Oral Presentation Session 1C
Oral Presentation Session 1D
Oral Presentation Session 2A
Oral Presentation Session 2B
Oral Presentation Session 2C
Oral Presentation Session 2D
Oral Presentation Session 3A
Oral Presentation Session 3B
Oral Presentation Session 3C
Oral Presentation Session 3D
Poster Abstracts
Round Table & Workshop Abstracts
Plenary Speaker
Gordon Page Invited Lecture
Dr. Dorene Balmer, Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Title: Stories as Teachers
Abstract: In this talk, Dr. Balmer shares insights from a 12-year longitudinal qualitative study of six aspiring doctors, from the beginning of medical school all the way into clinical practice. Blending her own story with those of these aspiring doctors, she makes a compelling case for stories as teachers—calling for listening longer than a single telling, and for building caring relationships with participants who entrust us with their stories. She invites attendees to think differently about the role of long-form, narrative non-fiction in health professions education and to see themselves as storytellers.
Biography: Dr. Dorene F. Balmer is Professor and Distinguished Endowed Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and Co-director of Research on Pediatric Education at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Dr. Balmer began her career in pediatric nutrition at CHOP, where she became captivated by the clinical learning environment. This fascination led her to pursue a PhD in Public Health/Health Education and launch a new professional chapter in medical education at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She returned to CHOP and UPenn in 2015, where she currently supports scholarly projects across the U.S. and Southeast Asia, supervises PhD candidates, and leads educational programs in qualitative research and educational scholarship.
Her independent research focuses on identity work and career construction in medical education, where she has pioneered longitudinal qualitative studies that follow learners through time. A widely published author, associate editor, and editorial board member for leading health professions education journals, Dr. Balmer is most proud of her forthcoming narrative nonfiction book, which traces the lives of aspiring physicians from their first day of medical school into clinical practice (expected release: January 2026).
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by UBC CPD. You may claim a maximum of 6.25 hours (credits are automatically calculated). This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 6.25 Mainpro+® credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity. CFPC Session ID: 203350-001.