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As a practising anesthesiologist, Dr. Tyler Plyley is eager to share his knowledge and experience with the medical learners he meets every day on the job at Niagara Health.
But he’s just as keen to learn from them as well.
“It’s great to have learners who are enthusiastic and bring that enthusiasm to the operating room and that curiosity,” Dr. Plyley says. “It’s shaping their education, but it also shapes your perspective, too, by having them ask questions that shape and provoke your thoughts.”
That mutual respect and appreciation haven’t gone unnoticed. Dr. Plyley was recently recognized with the 2025 Dr. George Bibawi Award for Excellence in Teaching from McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
The award, named after retired Niagara Health anesthesiologist Dr. George Bibawi, is presented annually to a clinical teacher who exemplifies excellence in anesthesia education at McMaster’s Niagara Regional Campus.
Dr. Plyley was nominated by his peers, who describe him as a role model for future physicians and an attentive and supportive teacher who tailors learning to the objectives of the student.
The award comes just four years into his career as a physician at Niagara Health, having been drawn to anesthesia during a pre-clerkship rotation here as a McMaster medical learner himself.
“It was exciting to get the award in the context of having been here as a learner in the past. And paying it forward to learners on their medical journey is meaningful to me,” Dr. Plyley says. “Medical education has always been important to me. I’ve always enjoyed being able to share my experiences and teach learners and have learners around.”
“Medical education has always been important to me. I’ve always enjoyed being able to share my experiences and teach learners and have learners around.”
Dr. Plyley caught the teaching bug while in medical school, thanks to mentors he met during that time. Even while doing his residency in Vancouver, he found opportunities to advise his peers during the rigorous final leg of their medical training.
Anesthesia became his calling after meeting Niagara Health anesthesiologist Dr. Anil Pandey during a pre-clerkship rotation that first summer in med school. Dr. Pandey was always enthusiastic, eager to chat and offer opportunities for hands-on learning, Dr. Plyley recalls.
Those interactions helped him build confidence and competence as a budding anesthetist, he says.
As a clinical teacher, Dr. Plyley’s aim isn’t to sell the medical learners he meets on his profession. Instead, he shows them the diversity of roles and opportunities in the field, including in the operating room, obstetrics, critical care, ambulatory procedures and addictions medicine. He always has resources to share with those interested in learning more.
“I have open conversations on the pros and cons of the specialty and the things I like about it,” he says. “Students are always surprised to see the wide breadth of anesthesia. Before starting their rotations, they might have a narrow view of the specialty… but not only are they involved in managing patients through operations, there are opportunities to follow patients afterward, managing pain.”
He's also happy to tout the benefits of practising at Niagara Health, including the “family feel” of being at a community hospital.
“It’s nice working in the community I grew up in, and seeing people I grew up with over the years and went to school with, and now work with,” Dr. Plyley says. “I’m obviously excited about working in the new hospital, too, where the new operating rooms will be designed to make care more efficient.”
Other anesthesia education news at McMaster NRC
Dr. Amir Abrishami has been named Regional Education Lead, replacing Dr. Alexander Freytag, who held the position for six years. Dr. Abrishami brings great enthusiasm to the role and has been active in recruiting new faculty members.
Dr. Abrishami was named the 2024 recipient of the George Bibawi Award for Excellence in Teaching.
