Meet Dr. Connie Switzer
To celebrate National Volunteer Week, we’ve created some special profiles to showcase the difference volunteers make and why they are an integral part of the work we do.
Long-time Royal College volunteer Connie Switzer, MD, FRCPC, is clinical professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. She is also a consultant gastroenterologist at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton and site leader for gastroenterologists at the hospital.
Connie joined the Royal College’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Accreditation Committee, chairing the Maintenance of Certification sub-committee for nearly two decades. For 12 years, she also brought her expertise to the Royal College’s Gastroenterology Examination Board, serving as the chief examiner for four of those years.
Connie says the most important aspect of volunteering with the Royal College has been the satisfaction of knowing her work has helped improve patient care. “The work I did on both the examination committee and the CPD committee led to progressively better-defined standards of care and education.”
A powerful experience
More specifically, Connie oversaw the redevelopment and modernization of the Gastroenterology exam, advanced the Royal College exam development system’s grid and led a redevelopment of the OSCE exam. She also led the team that prepared the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology’s (CAG) applications for Royal College accredited CPD provider status.
All this has led Connie to develop an abiding interest in how CPD works, how it is developed, why it is important and how its success can be evaluated. She says her CPD Accreditation Committee work has been a powerful experience, and has helped her advance the knowledge base and competence of the CAG as it relates to CPD development, evaluation and redirection.
“As chair of the CPD committee, it has been my privilege to work with the most committed group of individuals that have a combined passion and commitment to CPD that is compelling.” Connie also credits Royal College staff for their diligence in helping the committee move through its work with ease.
Dr. Connie Switzer (on the far right) giving the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology the award for demonstrating excellence through their innovative Colonoscopy Skills Improvement Course in October 2016.
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