Emergency Physician, former air evacuation and expedition doctor, and award winning writer

It was while working as a doctor on board an Arctic cruise ship that Vincent Lam had a serendipitous encounter with Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood. Lam confessed to her that he had always dreamed of being a writer and was working on his first book. Atwood agreed to read some of Vincent Lam's short stories. Seeing great potential in his work, Atwood decided to mentor Lam, and soon brought his short stories to Doubleday Canada, who published Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures in 2006.

This collection of twelve interwoven short stories gives an eye-opening account of what it means to be a doctor. Going on to win Canada's most prestigious literary award, the Scotiabank Giller Prize, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures was the first debut work to ever win the prize. It also confirmed Lam's place in Canadian literature, as the 32 years old recipient became the youngest writer to ever win the award. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures is currently being adapted into a new television series for The Movie Network/ Movie Central.

Raised in Ottawa, Dr. Lam did his medical training in Toronto, where he now practices emergency medicine. His past work in medicine also includes international air evacuation work and expedition medicine on Arctic and Antarctic ships

Dr. Lam has had extensive experience working on the front lines of healthcare, and was an emergency physician during the Toronto SARS epidemic of 2003. Drawing from his experience, he co-authored his second book, The Flu Pandemic and You. This book describes the history of influenza pandemics, and assesses the context for which the current threat exists. It provides a lucid, frank explanation of what to expect and how to prepare for the next influenza pandemic. Lam's non-fiction writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Toronto Star, Toronto Life Magazine and the New York Times.

For Vincent Lam, becoming a doctor and caring for patients has been the ultimate form of character study. He lives in the worlds of both medicine and writing, with each enriching the other.

Lam's parents immigrated to Canada from the expatriate Chinese community of Vietnam, raising a son who would not only become a regarded emergency room doctor, but also one of Canada's most renowned writers. Dr. Vincent Lam leads an inspired life; his perseverance and determination prove that success is a matter of staying motivated and holding onto the aspirations of your heart. Vincent Lam is proof that if you never let go of your dreams anything is possible.

• Living Two Lives: From Emergency Room Physician to Award-Winning Writer
  
  
• Storytelling: The Shared Heart of Medicine and Literature

"Vincent Lam's fresh and stunning talent will satisfy all readers who hunger for powerful stories."
- Wayson Choy author of All That Matters

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