Celebrating National Physicians’ Day
Dear Fellows,
Amidst the hard work and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrating National Physicians’ Day is more important than ever. The work you do and the teams you support are making a difference every day, and please know we appreciate and deeply respect it.
During the past seven weeks, I have corresponded with many of you via email, telephone and virtual platforms. I have been amazed by your nuanced thinking, creativity and resilience as we all adjust to this “new normal.” I have been moved by your stories. I have felt a deep sense of gratitude for your diverse opinions and work, helping patients and supporting each other. Our Fellowship is a source of incredible strength.
We will get to the other side of this pandemic. In the meantime, let’s take a moment to celebrate this deeply rewarding calling we all share as physicians. Happy National Physicians’ Day!
Here are a few items to encourage you.
Perspectives
In early April, I asked you to share your experiences or reflections on teamwork, ingenuity, triumph and hope, in these difficult times. We have some incredible submissions to share.
- “The two longest days of my life were waiting to find out if I had tested positive for COVID-19….” Read more in Dr. Debra-Meghan Sanft’s submission: New virus, new perspective: My COVID-19 experience.
- “I last saw Kai-Lee five weeks ago. She took home her computer, office chair, printer and some critical files, and set them up in her bedroom next to her toddler’s crib.….” Read more in Dr. Amy Hendricks’ submission: Hats off to Kai-Lee.
- “We are/ Unseen sentinels/ In the night / An army in waiting / To battle the fright….” Read more of Dr. Shaheeda Ahmed’s poetry: We Are and Wake.
Perspectives are still being collected. If you’d like to contribute, please email newsroom@royalcollege.ca.
Research on COVID-19
We have now posted the second article in our COVID-19 Research Series. Read about Dr. Darrell Tan’s work investigating the effectiveness of long-time HIV medication, Kaletra, in preventing COVID-19. His profile follows that of Dr. Robert Maunder who is working to support mental health on the front lines. Read about them in our newsroom.
Other important updates
This has been a busy week for news. In addition to some important Royal College updates, I also want to share a couple of items that crossed my inbox that may be of interest.
- We also notified you of Council’s decision to hold a special meeting on May 28, 2020, to discuss a petition we received. Please learn more and plan to attend, if you can.
- On May 5, the University of British Columbia is hosting a webinar with emergency and critical care specialists to answer questions, and share their experiences diagnosing and managing COVID-19 patients. More details: https://ubccpd.ca/course/covid19-webinar-may-5
- On May 6, Choosing Wisely Canada is hosting its next virtual gathering to discuss palliative care conversations in the COVID-19 pandemic. More details: https://choosingwiselycanada.org/event/week4-covid19/
Again, Happy National Physicians’ Day. I sincerely thank you for all you do.
Susan
Susan D. Moffatt-Bruce, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, FRCSC
Chief Executive Officer
