Dr. Sydney Friedman was the first ever faculty member in Medicine at UBC. Hired in late 1949, he ardently took on the challenge of both housing and staffing the department, and his determination and spirit helped create the world-class Faculty of Medicine we have today.

Sydney grew up in Montreal and joined the Air Force in 1938. After a year of service, he returned to Montreal and completed his Doctor of Medicine and PhD at McGill University. He later taught at McGill until 1950. At McGill, Sydney fell in love with Constance and they were married in 1940. In 1950, at a crossroads in their careers, Constance and Sydney embarked on a cross-Canada adventure to become founding members of the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Upon arriving in Vancouver, Sydney and Constance worked tirelessly to create the Faculty of Medicine and teach the first graduating class of 1954. Initially teaching out of the army huts, he and Constance, who was research associate professor, travelled the world studying medical buildings to help envision what was needed at UBC. Thanks to their commitment, the Faculty of Medicine has grown from humble beginnings to be one of the most influential schools in the country.

Both Sydney and Constance were passionate about education and felt that students greatly benefited when they were able to learn from different perspectives. To encourage this, Sydney and Constance created several student award programs, including the UBC Friedman Scholar Program.

Sydney enjoyed his later years at his home near UBC’s Vancouver campus. He appreciated the close friendship and care he received from Rizlyn Ramos; she made everything in his life enjoyable. Sydney will be incredibly missed by a group of very close friends. He will be remembered for his significant accomplishments, great sense of humour and his many anecdotes from a time when Vancouver and Montreal were very different.

Dr. Friedman believed that a well-rounded education requires students to learn from different perspectives and learn from different cultures. The goal of the Friedman Scholar program is to provide funding to graduate students or medical residents so they can pursue a learning opportunity to further their career or to bring new perspectives to the education they have already received.

Your donation will honour Sydney Friedman’s legacy at UBC, by helping to extend the global reach of UBC graduate students and UBC Medical Resident Trainees. Your support will provide opportunities for students in the health sciences to travel to other areas of the world, to seek new perspectives and learn from experts in their fields.