Profile

When Dr. Christian Finley first attended university, it was for engineering — a field that would suit his problem solving and “let’s-fix-this” mindset. While he loved the caring community he found, and the very practical, solution-oriented classmates he met, there was another profession that almost seemed like a destiny.

His grandfather was a thoracic surgeon, his father was a thoracic surgeon, and Christian ultimately became a thoracic surgeon. “I might be the only person in the world with that kind of lineage,” he laughs. “But independent of that, the specialty was a good match for me, as you really have to be a strategic surgeon.”

Dr. Finley blended his surgical expertise with his deep knowledge of public health, and today, he is a Canadian leader in lung cancer management, policy and best practices. He keeps a solution-oriented approach to managing a complex and difficult disease and supports a long list of care organizations. Dr. Finley is lung cancer lead at the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, clinical lead for Ontario Lung Screening Program, cancer surgery advisor at the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, advisor to the Canadian Cancer Society and executive member of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons.

“It’s been very rewarding to be in clinical service to the lung cancer community,” says Dr. Finley, who is a vocal proponent of the need for early screening across Canada. He is also outspoken about the need to help patients across the spectrum of lung cancer, including at end of life.  “I’m proud of leading the effort to build a palliative care suite on our floor so our patients can die with dignity and comfort. As a specialist, you don’t always get to be involved on that level.”

Lung cancer is a leading cause of death in Canada, a fact Dr. Finley is intimately familiar with. “Almost every day I am made aware of another patient who has passed away. You do carry those burdens with you.”

Now, he can make his biggest impact on a population level by pushing for improved health policies on lung cancer prevention and treatment in Canada. In collaboration with fellow experts, he is building an action plan for how to broadly implement lung cancer screening in Canada — and in so doing, uniting every relevant non-governmental organization as well as pharmaceutical partners and other corporations to make this long-needed strategy feasible.

Dr. Finley joined the MD Physician Council (the Council) at its inception, months before the pandemic began. He says there is clearly a health and human resources crisis in the wake of COVID; and in its face, he believes that healthcare professionals must find joy and a more balanced lifestyle, which has long tended to be evasive for busy physicians.

He joined the Council to learn more about personal finance and the inner workings of MD Financial Management (MD), to contribute to important discussions, to make sure his colleagues’ interests are kept in mind and that physicians are cared for.

“I’m pleased my perspectives were well received, even before the Council was fully formed,” he says. “All members have a chance to contribute, and I think MD listened to our opinions — and since this is essentially a volunteer body, that is very important so that people are engaged.”

He says that MD’s appeal to the next generation of physicians is ultimately evidence that it continues to understand clients’ unique and evolving needs. “The MD Physician Council helps you stay on top of a changing landscape, and transparently, which goes a long way in reassuring physicians.”

Dr. Finley is a father of three children — two of whom were born when he and his wife first began their medical careers. “I barely remember those days,” he says now. No word yet on whether any of his kids will go on to mark an incredible fourth generation of thoracic surgery in the Finley family tree.