The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has put forward a proposal for their vision of the future of medicine. According to an internal report, the focus of this model would be on social justice instead of medical expertise.
The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Interim Report was written by Dr. Ritika Goel, a family physician at the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team. The report claims that the health-care system perpetuates “structural violence” on marginalized people and highlights the need to center values such as anti-oppression, anti-racism, and social justice.
CanMEDS is a framework that outlines the abilities required by physicians to meet the health-care needs of their patients, and the report is a step toward updating these requirements. The proposed CanMEDS 2025 project aims to ensure that physicians can support the goals of anti-racism and anti-oppression and promote equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
The report also notes that competencies can be re-organized and modified to prioritize the teaching of critical reflection and self-reflexivity. It aims to teach medical professionals about equality and advocacy so they can effectively engage in community-led social change. Furthermore, the new model of CanMEDS would allow medical schools to embed and infuse lenses of social justice, anti-oppression, advocacy, and equity throughout their teaching, clinical work, and research.
The report offers a definition of anti-racism, seeking to overcome racially inequitable outcomes and power imbalances. It also aims to promote a broader cultural shift within the profession and responds to current and expected societal needs over the next decade.
However, the proposed changes come within the context of regulatory bodies undertaking disciplinary action against medical professionals for comments they have made on social and political issues, including COVID-19 vaccines, public health orders, and gender issues. The report references cases of professionals, such as BC Nurse Amy Hamm and Dr. Patrick Brian Phillips, whose medical licenses have been affected due to their positions on these issues.
The proposed changes to the model of medicine, as highlighted in the report, involve a significant shift in priorities and values for the profession. It is likely that these changes will prompt further discussions and debates within the medical community.