The “Parliament of Medicine” Comes to BC – You’re Invited!

Hundreds of physicians from across the country, myself included, will gather in Vancouver for the Canadian Medical Association’s General Council (GC) and AGM taking place August 21st to 24th. Otherwise called the “Parliament of Medicine” it’s where physician delegates of all stripes meet to deliberate issues of national importance affecting our patients, the profession, and the health care system. It’s where the merits of motions on diverse healthcare policy are debated, and where strategic sessions on evolving and emerging issues gain national professional debate. This year’s sessions focus on climate change, drug shortages, and the professional role of social media. Motions from the floor are considered and analyzed, and in high likelihood will contribute to new and updated CMA policy on behalf of all of Canada’s doctors.

Doctors of BC has always played an active role in this process by introducing a broad range of meaningful resolutions that have gained national attention and that CMA has adopted, including those as varied as developing a coordinated national approach to reducing polypharmacy in the elderly, to  requesting Health Canada ensure antibiotics given to livestock are by prescription only. And this year, based on our soon to be released policy paper, Doctors of BC will bring forward a resolution to develop a national strategy to formally recognize family caregivers as partners in health care. I look forward to discussing this topic with colleagues from across the country, as well as actively participating in new resolutions proposed by other provincial and territorial medical associations. 

Each medical association sends a caucus of delegates to GC to represent their interests. This year the BC caucus is broad and diverse in our representation, comprised of 33 delegates including three medical students, two residents, and three early career physicians. While the CMA asks that all medical associations include medical students and residents in their caucuses, Doctors of BC is one of only a handful to include them as full voting delegates – another way we engage with our younger members and acknowledge the importance of having their voice heard.

As I’ve said before – it is important as an association that we embrace and support our medical youth, and encompass diverse thought in our debate. And from experience I can tell you it’s very gratifying to see so many of our young doctors on the national stage demonstrating their leadership abilities, challenging the status quo, and infusing GC with their creative and innovative ideas and perspectives. Of the remaining delegate positions, some are selected by virtue of their position and office on the Doctors of BC Executive Committee while the others are filled via a call that is sent to you, the entire membership, in early spring. This is democracy at work in our association, and so it should be.

A final thought on this year’s 149th CMA GC & AGM: We will all have the privilege and opportunity of being led by a most able, strategic and respected physician leader – Dr Granger Avery. A rural generalist physician from Port McNeill, BC and a former Doctors of BC president, Dr Avery will be inducted as our CMA national president for 2016-2017. He will represent doctors countrywide in the pressing yet thoughtful conversations and debate that are necessary on a number of national issues including our faltering publically-funded universal health insurance system, the challenges inherent in delivering medical aid-in-dying to patients, and the effects of climate change on human health. It will be a very interesting year, and no doubt knowing Dr Avery, he will challenge Canada’s physicians, governments and healthcare partners to seek meaningful and enduring health care system transformation that will put patient’s first.

I hope to see you, my provincial peers and colleagues, indeed many doctors of British Columbia at this year’s GC activities. Registration is free for all Doctors of BC members including full access to observe and attend meetings and education events – all doctors are welcome. So please come and engage with our counterparts from across the country in helping shape the future of our health care system. In the CMA’s own words this year, “Change in Action – Be Part of It”.

For information on some of the motions being brought by Doctors of BC to the General Council, click here.