Thanking Family Doctors

Family doctors are the first point of contact in the health care system. Our patients rely on us throughout their lives to take care of them from childhood into their senior years and to take care of those they hold dear. We are their advocates, their confidantes, and we care about their overall well-being.

May 19th marked the 5th annual World Family Doctor Day – a day that focuses on the role and contribution of family doctors around the world, and acknowledges the central role they play in delivering care to patients. It is also an opportunity to celebrate advancements in family medicine. 

I feel very privileged to be a family doctor. I know why I get up in the morning, and I know that when I see my patients, I’m making a difference – I’m contributing something of value to them, to their families, and to society as a whole. It’s an incredible feeling and it’s a wonderful way of giving back.

But what does it mean to be a family doctor? To me it means being my patient’s medical advocate – helping them navigate a confusing health care system and guiding them to make the best possible decision for themselves and their health. It also means being somewhat of a teacher. Over the years I have found that people get better faster when they are more involved in their care and understand what is going on and why.

Since I began practicing 35 years ago, I have seen the role of the family doctor evolve. We have more female doctors than ever before giving us better gender balance, more of us work in teams with other health care providers and information technology is transforming our practices and making us more efficient. At the same time, family practice has become more challenging. There aren’t enough of us meaning many patients don’t have their own family doctor, the average patient is now more complex and as our population ages and more people live with chronic ailments, the provision of organized care becomes more and more difficult. 

But the bottom line is family doctors have a great job. We have a privileged position, and we get to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our patients each and every day. We have every reason to be proud of what we do, and who we are. So on behalf of Doctors of BC, thank you to all of the family doctors in our province!

- Dr Bill Cavers
2014-2015 President