Delphi Monthly
February 2022
Welcome!
As we continue into the heart of winter 2022, we at the SOGC are reminded of the importance of collaborative, inclusive, and supportive care now more than ever. Only when we work together can we deliver the best possible care. In the upcoming months, there are many opportunities to reflect on how we can better support one another.
February is Black History Month, a time to honour the significant accomplishments and contributions of Black Canadians both past and present. It is important that we recognize the substantial health and socio-economic disparities Black communities continue to face and remain dedicated to the fight for equitable and accessible health care for all racialized communities. I encourage you to take the time to learn more about Black Canadian history and to reflect on opportunities to engage in anti-racism activities, not just this month but all year long. We too will continue to listen, learn, and work to become better allies.
In March, we are looking forward to the West/Central CME (March 17th-19th), which will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers on relevant issues and gain a better understanding of how we can support each other. I encourage you to join us in person or virtually on March 18th for an important session on equity, diversity, and inclusion. I will be using my President’s lecture to shed light on collaborative care in obstetrics. I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on the SOGC Women’s Health podcast where I spoke about my vision for nation-wide collaborative care practices. You can access the podcast on Apple Podcasts and all major listening platforms.
We are all still maneuvering around what feels like the never-ending grip of COVID-19. The SOGC will continue to pivot as variants emerge and remains committed to providing you with the most up-to-date and relevant information as it is available. It is important that we continue to encourage our pregnant patients to be fully vaccinated to protect themselves AND their babies. It’s also imperative that we take care of one another during these stressful and difficult times.
Stay safe and be well,
Dr. Maggie Morris
UPCOMING EVENTS
We hope to see you March 17-19, 2022 !
WEST/CENTRAL CME 2022
We are thrilled to invite you to join us for our upcoming
in-person West/Central CME!
Enjoy the breathtaking views at the Rimrock Hotel in beautiful Banff, Alberta and take the opportunity to lunch, learn, and ski!
Don’t forget to book your hotel and flights soon. Enjoy discounted rates when you book now.
The SOGC is carefully monitoring the progression of the Omicron variant and will react accordingly if/when necessary.
We have implemented a number of protocols in order for everyone to gather safely. Read more about the safety protocols HERE
Prefer to join us online? A virtual option with a combination of live-streamed plenary sessions and on-demand sessions will also be offered.
UPCOMING ALARM COURSES
In-person ALARM courses have returned!
- Banff, AB March 20-21, 2022 (ENGLISH)
- Quebec, QC June 5-6, 2022 (ENGLISH)
- Quebec, QC June 5-6, 2022 (FRENCH)
Our ALARM Virtual courses are also open for registration.
If you want to train with your team or within your community, ALARM can come to you.
To book a course with at least 12 participants, contact Kaitlin Moberg at kmoberg@sogc.com
PARTNER NEWS
March 10 – CFWH ESCAPE ROOM FUNDRAISER
8:00pm to 10:00pm (EST)
Current circumstances dragging you down? Need an escape? Join the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health (CFWH) for an escape room. Search and hunt online to solve a kidnapping. Gather 3 friends (together or virtually) or trust us to find you teammates. Challenge others to compete against you. Winners will be recognized but bragging rights are best. All you need is a device with internet access and a keen sleuth nose.
Cost is $25.00, per person, entry fee will go to fund research in Women’s Health sponsored by the CFWH.
MARCH 24-25 – INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S HEALTH MEETING
The SOGC & ACOG have worked in collaboration to bring you the 7th International Indigenous Women’s Health Meeting in a virtual setting.
Our joint planning committee has created a thoughtful program under the theme, Still Standing – Finding our Strength in the Midst of Covid & Climate Change.
We hope you will join us virtually for this important bi-annual meeting where we intentionally invest in learning about the intricacies of the health issues facing the Indigenous women’s community.
Please note the sessions will only be offered in English
April 25 – EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FOR RCOG WORLD CONGRESS 2022
For the first time, RCOG World Congress will be an innovative and inclusive hybrid event, held simultaneously in London and online.
You can now register for our state-of-the-art virtual Congress, including post-event access to all content for six months. Take advantage of our early bird offer to save significantly on your fees by registering before Monday, April 25 2022.
More information can be found at rcog.org.uk/congress2022
SOGC NEWS
The SOGC wants you to be a Board Director!
Are you a recognized leader?
Have you had prior involvement with SOGC committees or CME course development?
Do you think strategically and communicate effectively?
Are you knowledgeable of governance principles?
Click HERE for all the details and the nomination form!
THE SOGC ACADEMIC COUNCIL
The Academic council and its committees have continued to meet virtually throughout the pandemic in order to plan and host the academic sessions at the SOGC’s CME events, develop a question bank and administer the National MCQ Exam for residents, host virtual conferences and journal clubs for medical students, and to identify opportunities for collaboration and partnership across our Canadian undergraduate, postgraduate and faculty programs.
The Academic Council is also proud to continue its esteemed tradition of presenting various awards at its conferences, such as the Carl Nimrod award at the Ontario CME. The Carl Nimrod award recognizes outstanding achievement within the field of education in OB/GYN. As the 2021 Ontario CME was virtual, the list of recipients can be found here. The Academic Council will also be presenting a number of awards at the upcoming 2022 ACSC in Quebec City, including the Excellence in Research Award, Best of the Best and the Mentorship Award.
Here are some highlights from Academic Council:
The Education and Innovation Committee held one of the most successful Academic Days at the 2021 Virtual Ontario CME, facilitating and participating in a program focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the OB/GYN educational environment. The committee continues to brainstorm innovative ways to provide educational program content for both the West/Central CME and the 2022 ACSC.
The Promotion of the Specialty Committee has continued its work hosting interactive Medical Student Programs, including a virtual session in January 2022. The program hosted over 140 medical students and consisted of a keynote speaker, an interactive panel of residents providing insight into the life of an OB/GYN resident and two informative sessions with expert insight on how to prepare for the CaRMs interview process. An in-person Medical Student Program is being planned for June 2022 in conjunction with the SOGC’s ACSC in Quebec City, QC.
The Undergraduate Medical Education Committee has begun preparing for its first Canadian Clerkship Coordinator School (CCCS). The first CCCS will be held virtually and will focus on enhancing teaching and administration activities, networking and sharing of knowledge between undergraduate medical educators across the country.
The Multiple Choice Committee held the Academic Council’s annual Multiple Choice Exam in December 2021 for the second time. Almost 400 OB/GYN residents from across Canada took part in the exam, that cumulated with a National Review, hosted by Dalhousie University via Zoom. The Multiple Choice Committee will continue to add to their question bank.
The Resident Committee remains active, creating their own question bank in partnership with the SOGC to provide Canadian residents additional resources to prepare for the Royal College Exam. Their Advocacy and Wellness Subcommittee provides residents with monthly wellness initiatives and brainstorms ideas to promote resident wellbeing. For the second year, the Undergraduate Subcommittee has launched their Mentorship Program which provides an opportunity for staff OB/GYNs to provide a short-term mentorship experience to one or more medical students interested in the field. The Undergraduate Subcommittee also participates in the medical student programs. The Postgraduate and Undergraduate Subcommittees continue to update resident champion lists, resident program sheets, the fellowship program guide, and various other resources for current and future OB/GYN residents. The Meetings and Conference Subcommittee are planning the content and activities for their resident half day at the 2022 ACSC.
The Survey Committee continues to meet quarterly to discuss and review surveys submitted for distribution to SOGC members. In the year since its inception, the Survey Committee has helped streamline the submission process and created a landing page for all survey inquiries on the SOGC’s member portal. This landing page also hosts a Survey Resource Guide that contains useful tips for survey development. This year the Survey Committee reviewed 12 surveys, 8 of which have been circulated to SOGC membership. In order to track the results of surveys distributed by the SOGC, there is a push by the Survey Committee to increase reporting, including tagging abstracts, presentations, and/or publications to indicate SOGC’s contribution.
The Academic Council is looking forward to working with our new SOGC CEO, Dr. Diane Francoeur, as well as with our Academic Departments on even more exciting initiatives in 2022!
NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE FOR A 2021 REGIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD!
The SOGC Regional Achievement Awards recognize the excellence of SOGC members from a given region who volunteer at the local, regional, or provincial level as an advocate for women’s health.
Western region: British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon
Central region: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories
Ontario region: Ontario, Nunavut
Quebec region: Quebec
Atlantic region: Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Application deadline: Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 23:59 PST
WOMEN’S HEALTH PODCAST
| Catch up on all the episodes you’ve missed! Streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major listening platforms. Check out these highlights: |
Cannabis Use and Women’s Health
Featuring Dr. Lisa Graves
Menopause and Breast Cancer
Featuring Dr. Michelle Jacobson
FEATURED ONLINE COURSES
Valentine’s Day is approaching! What is more romantic than being up to date on the latest in contraception?
Earn 3 hours of Section 3 CME credits with our Contraception online course.
This online course will give you the opportunity to evaluate twenty cases of women seeking contraception. These will present common and not-so-common situations that may face health care providers.
Want to develop hands-on skills? Try one or both of our preceptorship programs
Intrauterine Contraception (IUC) Insertion Preceptorship
Earn 4 hours of section 3 CME credits with the online modules and an additional 10 hrs. of section 3 CME credits with the hands-on portion of this course.*
Extended Release Subdermal Implant Preceptorship Program
Earn 4 hours of section 3 CME credits with the online modules and an additional 1 hour with the virtual one-on-one portion of the course.*
*Both the online modules and hands-on portion of the courses are included in the original price.
COMMITTEE NEWS
CALL FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
We are excited to offer several new vacancies to join the Guideline Management and Oversight Committee (GMOC) and Obstetrical Content Review Committee (OCR). This is an excellent way to meet new colleagues and work together on many important projects including our clinical practice guidelines, online courses, and research initiatives.
Please find the committee descriptions and application forms below.
The deadline has been extended to February 14, 2022
The Guideline Management and Oversight Committee (GMOC)
The GMOC is a highly specialized committee that was created by the SOGC Executive and Board of Directors with the mandate to better manage and direct the guideline production and update process for the SOGC. Read the terms of reference HERE.
We are now accepting applications for the following vacancies:
- Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Co-Chair
- Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist
- Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Urogynaecology Specialist
- Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Generalist
Given the specialized nature of this committee, applicants should meet the following criteria:
- More than 5 years in clinical practice (> 5 years since residency)
- Experience writing SOGC clinical practice guidelines
- Competent at conducting peer-reviews (e.g., grants, manuscripts, etc.) and critically appraising scientific literature
- Experience chairing/co-chairing committees and/or working groups (for the Co-Chair vacancy)
The Obstetrical Content Review Committee
OCR committee members develop clinical core content for the ALARM, ALARM International, and Salus Global programs (i.e. moreOB). Read the terms of reference HERE.
We are now accepting applications for the following vacancies:
- Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Midwife (RM)
- Family Physician (FP) or Obstetrician/Gynaecologist
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Alberta Cervical Cancer Screening Program (ACCSP) is hosting its 12th Annual Colposcopy Meeting. This virtual event will be held on Friday March 11th, 2022 from 12:30 -5:00 pm and only open to Colposcopists and related health professionals practicing in Alberta. The focus of the day will be on best practices for colposcopy management, as well as current and emerging issues for colposcopy with links to pathology and patient centered care. The event includes case reviews and didactic and interactive presentations. The event is currently being reviewed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada for accreditation.
For more information or to register, please contact Paul Wright at paul.wright2@albertahealthservices.ca.
The Canadian Society of Pelvic Medicine (CSPM) Annual Meeting will be held in Toronto on April 30, 2022. CSPM is a not-for-profit society devoted to bringing health care workers together who have an interest in pelvic floor medicine and reconstructive surgery, focusing on women. We are now accepting abstract submissions for oral and video presentations (submission deadline March 7). The call for abstracts, along with the full meeting program and registration information, can be found at: www.canadiansocietyforpelvicmedicine.org/meetings/annual-meeting/annual-meeting-2022.
We hope you will join us in person or virtually!
FEATURE ARTICLE
Make sure to read our feature article this month: A conversation with Dr. Jessica Dy: Building trust and responding to change by Kerrie Whitehurst.