mike dE paoli

Emergency Room Physician, Lion’s Gate Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

Mike attended Brentwood from Grades 10 to 12 and was a proud member of Privett House (bleed blue!). Upon graduating in 2010, his path took him across the pond for six years of medical school, beginning in Scotland at the University of St. Andrews.

Studying at the home of golf, he managed to drop his handicap a few strokes as well as stay in touch with his Canadian roots and co-found the University of St. Andrews Typhoons hockey team. After three fantastic years of lectures, labs, dissection, and clinical skills, he graduated with a BSc (Honours) Medicine. The next stage of his medical training took him south to the University of Manchester for three clinical years based at a teaching hospital. Ultimately, he successfully completed medical school and graduated with an MB ChB in 2016.

As an international medical graduate (IMG), the journey back to Canada was both convoluted and challenging. It required writing several extra equivalency exams and then applying for Canadian residency training. Mike was, however, fortunate to apply and match to UBC's Rural Okanagan Family Medicine program based in Kelowna. Residency posed it’s own set of challenges (infamous 24 hour on call shifts…) however was vital learning and prepared him well for independent practice. In 2018, Mike completed family medicine training and began two years of practice as a family physician in Cranbrook.

After two fulfilling years of work as a family doctor, Mike chose to pursue his passion for acute care. During medical school and residency, he always loved the unique fast pace and team environment in the emergency department. Another application process and interview was followed by an extra year of emergency medicine specialty training. From 2020 - 2021 he completed this third year of residency based at St. Paul’s Hospital but rotated through several hospitals in the lower mainland.

Currently, Mike practices as an emergency physician at Lion's Gate Hospital in North Vancouver as well as at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. He tries not to work too much… to ensure he has time to travel, trail run, hike, ski, and come speak at Brentwood Careers Day!

Find Mike on Brentonian Connect