Spotlight: Mark Camps, MPT-North Class of 2024
In May, UBC Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) North second-year student Mark Camps embarked on a journey to pursue a personal goal of completing a multi-day bike trip from Prince George to Vancouver, helping to raise awareness and money for cancer research for the BC Cancer Foundation along the way!
Mark Camps hails from Salt Spring Island, B.C. and is a student in the 2022-2024 UBC Master of Physical Therapy - North cohort at ÂÜÀòÉäÇø.
What inspired you to pursue physiotherapy as a career?
From a very young age I was introduced to the outdoors and a wide range of different sports. With this came the appreciation of living an active lifestyle. As I was a very active kid I also had my fair share of injuries that impacted my ability to participate in the things I enjoyed. It was the combination of me wanting to understand my injuries and how to get better and me wanting to help people going through their own injuries that inspired me to pursue a career in physiotherapy.
This past April, you biked from Prince George to Vancouver as part of a BC Cancer Foundation fundraising endeavour. What were the highlights of this trip for you?
was quite the adventure! Being a six-day trip it inherently came with its ups and downs. A general highlight was anytime it was sunny, and the highway was flat. It was during these moments that I was truly able to enjoy my surroundings and soak in the beauty of this province. One specific highlight of the trip was the ride between Clinton and Lillooet as I biked through rolling hills, valleys and started to get a view of the astonishing mountain ranges. This ride, although being quite steep and having its fair share of hills, had some phenomenal scenery and a highway that was less busy than the 97 south.
What are you enjoying most about your studies in the MPT-North cohort?
I have really enjoyed getting to experience a new part of the province and getting to know my fellow classmates. Moving up to Prince George from Vancouver was quite intimidating at first but as soon as I met my classmates and the faculty up here at ÂÜÀòÉäÇø I immediately felt a sense of comfort. Along with having the chance to build relationships with peers from around the province, being able to explore a new environment and setting has been amazing. I really enjoy hiking, running and biking and have gotten the wonderful opportunity to explore Prince George and the surrounding area.
What has been one of your favourite MPT-North learning moments so far?
There have been many fantastic learning moments during my time in the MPT-North program so far. One that really stood out was a lab we had with a patient partner from the community. We got the wonderful opportunity to conduct a patient interview and a physical assessment with this patient. They were very open to sharing their story, helping us understand their situation and was very willing to participate during the lab. They brought a wonderful energy with them and created a very positive learning environment and allowed us all to get some practice and gain experience working with a patient. It was awesome to hear someone story that had been a local to Prince George for their whole life.
What’s next on your life bucket list?
Honestly the next thing on my bucket list is to get good at being a physiotherapist and gain experience to be a proficient and well-rounded clinician. Related to this a big goal of mine is to open my own physiotherapy clinic in a smaller city/community in BC. This of course is a bucket list item that will take time to achieve but something that I will set out to accomplish upon my graduation. Aside from career goals, another thing that is on my bucket list for the near future is to head to New Zealand for a month or two, buy a bicycle and explore the country. It would be absolutely amazing to explore a place such as New Zealand by bike.