The CMA is its members — physicians and medical students who are dedicated to patients and improving medical care in Canada. We will address physician and medical student well-being, stand by the principles developed for the profession and champion the contributions being made.
CMA doubles down on physician health and well-being
The health and wellness needs of physicians and physicians-in-training are a CMA priority, so much so that we’ve appointed a vice-president of physician health and wellness, Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie.
We also released the findings from our Physician Health and Wellness Survey, bringing much-needed focus and attention to the alarming declines in physicians’ well-being.
As noted in the CMA’s Statement on Physician Health and Wellness, improvements are required at the professional, systems and individual levels to ensure physicians and medical learners receive the support they need to be healthy.
Sold out! International conference a resounding success
The growing concern over physician health and wellness was demonstrated during the International Conference on Physician Health held in Toronto this August. The sold-out event was co-hosted by the CMA, the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association. The 82 presentations and workshops and 100 poster presentations demonstrated how important physician health is to the practice of medicine and to our patients. We thank everyone who took part in the conference to raise awareness about physician health and find solutions to safeguard it.
The new CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism
From its beginnings, the CMA has emphasized the importance of ethics to the profession. Our Code of Ethics, first written in 1868 — a year after the CMA was formed — and periodically updated since then, addresses decision-making, consent, privacy, confidentiality, research and physician responsibilities.
Changes in modern medicine have necessitated another revision. Medical innovations, technological advances and different patient expectations have placed new demands on our practices. In working on the new code in 2017 and 2018, the CMA completed extensive research and consulted with hundreds of physicians, stakeholders and patients. The revised code, now called the CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism, affirms the profession’s core commitments and advances virtues and responsibilities suited to the modern era.
Celebrating the profession
This year, the CMA established National Physicians’ Day to celebrate Canadian physicians and physicians-in-training and raise public awareness about their many contributions. Support for the creation of a national day is also gaining support in Parliament. In 2018, Senator Art Eggleton introduced the Bill An Act respecting National Physicians’ Day, which would create an official commemorative day at the federal level.
This in addition to the annual CMA awards, which recognize and celebrate the outstanding work of learners, physicians and others who are advancing medicine and the care of patients. The calibre of recipients each year is astonishing, proving that Canada is home to exceptional doctors and learners.