Brief update (April 17): Initiatives to answer COVID-19 questions
Dear Fellows,
Recognizing that I sent you a special email on Monday outlining the Royal College’s four-point plan to hold spring 2020 exams this fall, I will keep this next update brief. I appreciate your time and I hope you find the following updates helpful.
CovidQuestions.ca
Together with our partners at the Canadian Medical Association and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, we partnered with spark*advocacy to launch a new website: covidquestions.ca. This site connects Canadians with credible and trustworthy answers to their top-of-mind questions.
- Link directly to covidquestions.ca
- Read the news release
Do your children have questions about what it’s like to be a doctor or surgeon right now?
COVID-19 has impacted Canadian children in unprecedented ways, but there is a gap in support for children and youth whose parents and loved ones are on the front lines of patient care. With this in mind, we are launching a new initiative. Between now and April 23, we invite your children and youth to submit their questions (written or video format) to the Royal College. Fellows and family physicians will then record answers, grounded in their unique insight and experience. We will then edit the videos together and share with you all.
- Submit a question by April 23 (please include name, age, city): kids@royalcollege.ca
- Volunteer to join our team of question-responders/more info: kids@royalcollege.ca
Launching Perspectives — a new series of Fellow stories, reflections
Last week I introduced the idea of a “Perspectives” series to share first-person experiences or reflections on teamwork, ingenuity, triumph and hope, amidst COVID-19. Thank you for answering and here are the first two entries.
- Coming together in the time of COVID-19 (By: Dr. Renata M. Villela)
- A letter to my husband (By: Dr. Taunya St. Pierre)
Useful Government of Canada links
- COVID 19: Guidance documents (section for health care professionals)
- National COVID-19 Volunteer Recruitment Campaign (closes April 24, 2020)
- Wellness Together Canada (new service for mental health/substance use support)
Thank you for your patience
In closing, I would like to thank you all for your continued patience as I respond to emails I received over the past few weeks. There has been no shortage of ideas on resources to share, stories to tell or topics to feature in future correspondence. The delayed response is only a reflection of not having enough time in the day — not a lack of care or concern.
Until my next update, please take care.
Susan
Susan D. Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, FRCSC
Chief Executive Officer
Access COVID-19 news and resources on the Royal College website
- Navigating Medical Emergencies – free e-Book
- COVID-19: Global, pan-Canadian and regional resources
- Telemedicine and virtual care guidelines by province
- Wellness resources
- Coronavirus outbreak and impact to the Royal College
- Royal College Newsroom