If you live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you know that fear doesn’t always show up in dramatic moments. Sometimes it’s quieter.
It’s waiting for results, reading a report filled with unfamiliar words, and wondering what your future will look like when your body already feels unpredictable.
On National Physician’s Day, we’re honouring someone whose work carries many of his patients through their hardest moments: Dr. David Schaeffer, recipient of the 2025 Physician of the Year Award.
Dr. Schaeffer is a gastrointestinal pathologist at Vancouver General Hospital, and Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia.
His work is internationally recognized, but it happens quietly, behind the scenes. His research has deepened our understanding of the biology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He helps confirm diagnoses and assesses cancer and dysplasia risk. He also helps guide treatment decisions at moments when fear and uncertainty are at their highest.
What makes Dr. Schaeffer exceptional is his understanding that behind every biopsy and report is a real person trying to live their life while managing a chronic illness.
His leadership in standardizing pathology reporting across BC has helped reduce inconsistency and uncertainty, offering patients and families something invaluable: trust in the care they receive.
But Dr. Schaeffer doesn’t stop at the microscope. He’s dedicated time to patient education forums and digestive health meetings. He speaks directly to people living with Crohn’s or colitis and helps them understand their disease in clearer, more human terms. For patients who’ve felt overwhelmed or invisible, that kind of explanation can be empowering and deeply reassuring.
Dr. Schaeffer is also shaping the future of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care by mentoring physicians who will go on to care for patients across Canada and around the world. Through them, his compassion and commitment will be felt for years to come.
On National Physician’s Day, we thank Dr. David Schaeffer for his research, leadership, and the quiet confidence he brings to IBD care.