Do you believe your ideas have value? Do you think you’d make a good leader?

If you hesitate to say yes, then CPSA needs you. Consider running for Council!

By Dr. Kirsten Jones, CPSA Councillor

When I ran for a position on CPSA Council, I was a bit shocked to be elected. A colleague encouraged me to run and I wasn’t optimistic about my chances as I had little experience serving on committees and boards (just a lot of experience wrangling toddlers). But I was interested in the issues and in tackling health care from a wider perspective.

Now, after 18 months as a CPSA Councillor, I am grateful to be in this role. I’ve learned about governance, health infrastructure, the physician and patient experience, and what is coming up in the future of medicine. I’ve been able to exchange ideas in a respectful and meaningful way and as part of Council, I’ve made decisions that impact both the direction of CPSA, and my own patients and clinical practice.

We tend to think of physician leaders as having particular characteristics: older, academic and male for instance. But if those are the only people who join our Council, we miss out on the diverse perspectives that counter groupthink, promote high-quality decision-making and expand our networks of influence.

Forget your age, gender, or where you practice. Do you have an interest in quality improvement and assessment, physician health, the physician-public relationship, or patient advocacy? Would you like to be involved in strategic planning, or policy development at the provincial level?

An election for four new physician Council members will be held this fall and we need physicians who have an interest in medical regulation, a willingness to learn and a lot of fresh ideas. If you have any of these things, please consider running for CPSA Council. Touch base with us for tips on how to create an effective platform-just email councillor@cpsa.ab.ca.

And whether or not you decide to run, please VOTE. Vote for physicians who represent your perspective. Have your say in who is regulating you. Help us see the issues from as many sides as possible. And think of yourself as someone with leadership potential-no matter if you’re young or old, urban or rural, a locum or a resident, or wearing a tattoo, a hijab, or even a baby.

Nominations open in August and the election will take place in October. Please watch your email and future issues of Messenger for more information. This is your chance to make a difference in our profession-take it!

Dr. Kirsten Jones, a General Surgeon based in Lethbridge, has served on CPSA Council since 2018.

Want to learn more about running for CPSA Council? Join us for an upcoming town hall information session!