The ongoing pressure on Canadian health systems has further illustrated the need to use finite resources wisely. Fortunately, emerging resource stewardship leaders, like Matthew (“Matt”) Hacker Teper, are already taking steps to address this challenge in their undergraduate medical training.

Matt developed a passion for resource stewardship during his graduate studies. His research in health service utilization and policy demonstrated the significant need to build health care systems that function in effective and equitable ways.

He continued pursuits in resource stewardship in medical school as an active student leader in the STARS program from 2020-2021. With a keen interest in knowledge translation, the program presented Matt with unique opportunities to develop creative strategies for disseminating the principles of Choosing Wisely.

In just one year – Matt alongside other students in STARS – accomplished a lot.

Matt and student leaders helped lead the creation of the University of Toronto’s first Excellence in Resource Stewardship Teaching Award, which recognizes residents or faculty who demonstrate exceptional resource stewardship teaching. They also conducted resident-led workshops on implementing Choosing Wisely principles in common clinical scenarios and navigating difficult conversations with patients about the risks and benefits of tests and treatments.

One highlight that Matt recalls was the creation of a sustainable health care case challenge. University of Toronto STARS students recruited over 10 interprofessional teams from across Canada to present proposals to address the challenge of single-use products in Canadian health systems. Teams were provided mentorship and feedback on quality improvement techniques to refine their proposals. These projects were then presented in a final round of “Dragon’s Den” style pitches with the winning team receiving $1000 to implement the project.

“Contributing to Choosing Wisely initiatives and the STARS program has taught me a lot about core concepts in resource stewardships, but it’s also allowed me to make great connections with likeminded students, residents and staff across the University of Toronto and Canada,” says Matt, reflecting on his time in the program.

Leading Beyond STARS  

Matt remains engaged with the STARS program as a Trainee Advisor, where he offers mentorship and guidance to current students as they implement their own initiatives. He also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of HiQuiPs, a free, open-access medical education blog that teaches fundamental concepts in health informatics, quality improvement, and patient safety to clinicians throughout Canada. HiQuiPS featured a three-part series on Choosing Wisely-related topics and quality improvement.

Looking ahead, Matt plans to continue his work in resource stewardship, with the goal of becoming a clinician-scientist. Equipped with the skills from the STARS program, Matt hopes to address issues in access to health services and develop innovative solutions to provide equitable care for Canadians.

“I aspire to be a leader in developing and communicating new policies and processes that enable us to care for our patients more effectively and safely,” he says. “Part of my mission will always involve supporting the Choosing Wisely community by incorporating new recommendations into my own practice and modelling resource stewardship for junior learners.”