New president on the year ahead

In my first blog, I want to say what an honour it is to be President, and to represent our members and our profession over the coming year. 

To me, being a doctor is more than just a job – it’s a calling. Every day I have the privilege of improving the lives of my patients, while also making a difference in society as a whole. As I step into this role, I am committed to being a strong representative voice for you – our members – as well as listening to what you have to say.

An important topic to me – and a key theme for my presidency – is that of medical professionalism. As doctors of medicine, we strive for professionalism in every aspect of our working lives. It’s the cornerstone of our relationships with patients, with one another, with other health care providers, and most certainly with society. Challenges in our health care system are starting to erode some of the professionalism we strive to achieve.

During my term I will focus on improving the sense of professionalism among physicians so we can achieve maximum professional satisfaction. I believe the way in which to do this is by helping to unite our profession – to connect doctors with each other and with our organization. With better connections, better relationships, and better engagement, we can help strengthen the foundation upon which our professionalism is based. 

I know you’ve likely heard this expression many times in the last few years, but we truly are better together. This year I will make it my business to engage with all of our members to better connect us and to listen to what’s on your minds. I am excited for this opportunity and excited to work together to help advance our profession to be an influential voice in shaping health care change. 

I hope you will let me know what you think – about this blog and throughout the year. You can leave your comments below, or drop me a line at View Email Addresspresident@doctorsofbc.ca. I hope you will also follow me on Twitter @awruddiman  

Your voice truly is important to me.

Dr Alan Ruddiman

President, 2016-2017