Statement on National Resident Awareness Week
OTTAWA, Feb. 5, 2018 /CNW/ - We seize National Resident Awareness Week (Feb. 5-9) to recognize and thank Canada's 12,000 residents for contributing so significantly to the health of Canadians. In addition to pursuing excellence in medical care as learners, residents also provide care to patients and serve as advocates for critical policy matters. This leadership sets an inspiring example for the future of medical care in our country.
Working closely with Resident Doctors of Canada (RDoC), we're committed to addressing the challenges confronting residents and the medical profession. We recognize the importance of creating additional residency spaces and the CMA Board of Directors approved a resolution in December 2017 on this very issue. Specifically, we'll be advocating to allocate additional funding on an urgent basis to enable Canada's 17 faculties of medicine to offer additional postgraduate training positions in 2018.
The stress imposed on residents must be addressed. Most recently, the CMA has released a new health policy that acknowledges the challenges that medical learners face and calls for action. Supporting physician health is a CMA priority and we recognize that everyone has a role to play in finding solutions. In addition, we'll soon have findings from our National Physician Health Survey, which will provide an up-to-date portrait of the challenges we're facing. Together, we can use this data to tackle the root causes affecting physician health in Canada.
As we look to the future, we'll continue to explore how medicine is changing, and how we can best support physicians and medical learners across the county. This work includes upcoming revisions to our Code of Ethics, including a new section on medical professionalism - a first on the international scene. As a profession, we must also define the kind of medical culture we want, including how we treat one another as colleagues. Our new Charter of Shared Values will be a resource to guide us as we strengthen our intra-professionalism.
The CMA is proud to represent you, our next generation of medical professionals. Once again, thank you for all that you do -- not just during resident awareness week, but 365 days a year.
Dr. Laurent Marcoux
CMA President
The Canadian Medical Association unites 85,000 physicians on national health and medical matters. Formed in Quebec City in 1867, the CMA's rich history of advocacy led to some of Canada's most important health policy changes. As we look to the future, the CMA will focus on advocating for a healthy population and a vibrant profession.
SOURCE Canadian Medical Association
