How to become CMA President

*An election period is only established when there are two or more candidates for CMA President-elect nominee. Voting for the President-elect is conducted electronically by preferential ranked choice ballot, which means that each voter is asked to rank the candidates in order of preference. In casting a vote, voters indicate their first preference by entering “1” in the box beside that person’s name, “2” beside their second choice and so on. The voter is not required to rank all candidates.

Determine if you are eligible

To be eligible to be presented for election as CMA President-elect at General Council in August 2021, individuals must:

• be a member of the medical profession;
• be a member in good standing of the CMA and the AMA;
• have been a member of the CMA for the preceding five consecutive years;
• have a registered mailing address in Alberta; and
• agree to stand as a candidate.

The position of CMA President-elect may be of interest to individuals who:

• are currently practising medicine in Alberta;
• demonstrate interest in the organization of medical care and medical practice;
• possess experience with the physician/community/government interface; and
• are recognized as leaders by their peers.

Candidates should be willing to devote the necessary amount of time to this role, specifically:

• three consecutive years on the CMA Board of Directors, first as CMA President-elect, then as CMA President and lastly as CMA Past President;
• at least 200 to 220 days working on CMA activities during their year as CMA President.

Click here for more details on the President’s role.

Conflict of interest

Candidates for the position of CMA President-elect are asked to consider - in advance - potential conflicting responsibilities should they assume the role of CMA President-elect. They may wish to consider the CMA Board of Directors’ Conflict of Interest Guidelines, which are available upon request by emailing CMAElections@cma.ca.

Equity & Diversity

As described in our Policy on Equity and Diversity in Medicine, the CMA is committed to equity and diversity and to reconciliation. The CMA aims to implement robust processes for inclusion as a vehicle to achieving equity and diversity. It is important that we have leadership that reflects the diversity of the medical profession and the communities we serve to ensure a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and skills to provide better solutions, drive innovation and creativity, and enhance decision making. The CMA encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

Submit your nomination documents

Interested individuals are asked to submit the following documents:

• a completed nomination form, which entails collecting the signatures of 10 members of the AMA who support the candidate’s nomination;
• a one-page message of intention using the template provided;
• a one-page bio using the template provided; and
• a completed skills and diversity questionnaire to identify and highlight their key skills and strengths for the presidency role.

These documents must be sent via email to CMAElections@cma.ca by 11:59 pm (EST), Nov. 26, 2020.

Please note: The message of intention and bio must be no longer than one page each. The CMA reserves the right to edit these documents as needed for length, prior to publishing them on cma.ca. Each candidate’s message of intention, bio and self-assessment questionnaire will be made available on cma.ca.

Participate in the all-candidates teleconference

Candidates who’ve submitted an application by Nov. 26 will be contacted by the CMA to participate in an all-candidates teleconference meeting. It is hosted by the Nominations Committee and Appointments Committee, and will cover topics such as the role of the CMA President-elect, the CMA’s strategic direction and the elections process and guidelines. The teleconference will take place in early January 2021.

Participate in the election campaign

• Candidates may begin campaigning on Nov. 27, 2020 and are asked to abide by the campaign guidelines outlined here.
• Nomination documents candidates submitted in November will be published on cma.ca by mid-January, 2021.
• An invitation to vote will be emailed to CMA members in Alberta. The voting period will be Feb. 11 to Feb. 25, 2021. Voting will take place via a third-party secure voting site.
• When the voting closes, ballots are tabulated by the third-party election provider to ensure accuracy and compliance with accepted electoral processes. After the PTMA President-elect nominee is identified, there is a third-party audit of the elections within 15 business days of the election.
• The results of the election will be declared on Feb. 26, 2021.

Should you require additional information, please contact CMAElections@cma.ca.

Presidential rotation