Public Awareness Campaign

Dear Colleagues,

Doctors of BC is about to embark on a new, engaging public relations campaign designed to build awareness of our association and the work that we do to support member physicians. In late 2023, the Board wanted the association to more publicly address the healthcare crisis that confronts doctors daily and place physicians as leaders in the health care system by increasing the influence of their voice. 

Early this year, we undertook a public opinion survey, conducted by Leger 360, that showed just 7% of the BC public had awareness of Doctors of BC. This is the basis from where we are starting our campaign, ensuring that members and the community at large know who we are and what we do for members. We want the public, our patients, and our colleagues to know who we are as Doctors of BC, and become familiar with our logo and all the facets of our work. From here, with increased brand familiarity, we will embark on future campaigns on a variety of issues that address physician concerns and advocate more publicly on issues that matter to you.  

We know that British Columbians are frustrated about the lack of access to care, overcrowded EDs, long waits for surgical procedures, but they don’t always know that this is due to a lack of health care resources, staffing, and support. By bridging this awareness gap and increasing the physician voice demonstrating the many ways in which doctors care for their patients while showing the realities of their work, we hope to bring front and centre the value of doctors in the healthcare system, not just the value they bring to individual patients.  

The Board provided much input into this campaign, and fully supports it. As well, a number of family physicians and specialist physicians were interviewed so we could better understand their motivations, challenges, passions, and their daily life. The Board wanted physicians to be seen as people and that making real, life-changing differences to their patients is what keeps them going.  

Please be on the lookout all around BC for bus and transit station ads, and social and digital media advertisements positioning physicians as leaders in healthcare while creating awareness of Doctors of BC. This will be starting October 14. I think you’ll like what you see, and please know this is the just the start of something new for Doctors of BC - to advocate more publicly for you.  

Thank you for all that you do for patients, and to improve the healthcare system. 

With appreciation and gratitude, 

Dr Ahmer Karimuddin
President, Doctors of BC 
president@doctorsofbc.ca