On BC Family Doctor Day, I wish to extend to you, my inspiring family medicine colleagues, my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible work you do, day in and day out, on behalf of your patients.
Thank you for the breadth of your knowledge and the depth of your understanding of the patient.
Thank you for seeing the patient as a whole person, not just as a disease to be managed or a problem to be solved.
Thank you for seeing beyond the physical etiologies – for taking the important step of exploring and understanding the emotional, the social and spiritual aspects of illness and wellness.
Thank you for meeting the patient where they are and working with them on their journey to health and through illness.
Thank you for finding the windows of opportunity to plant the seeds of change – for health promotion and illness prevention with your patients, and for system sustainability.
Thank you for the rapid literature searches, the hallway consults, the late-night texts done to find the best possible care for your patients.
Thank you for the endless and thankless hours spent outside of direct patient care – on paperwork, in meetings to advocate for your patients, on projects to improve patient care and the health care system.
Thank you for the missed meals and the sleepless nights.
Thank you for supporting each other: for the cross-coverage; for the empathetic ear; for the shoulder to cry on; for the quiet words of support and validation that contribute to resiliency.
Thank you to your families and friends who share you with your patients.
Thank you for having the courage and fortitude to be a family physician.
We see you and understand the sacrifices you make and the barriers you face. What you do matters. Your work and commitment make a difference. And more importantly, YOU matter. May you find the capacity within yourselves today to reflect on how valuable YOU are, and to extend to yourself the same time, and understanding, care and compassion you generously give everyday to the people you serve.
To celebrate BC Family Doctor Day and raise awareness of your unique and valuable contribution to health care in our province, the BCCFP has a feature on family medicine in this weekend’s Vancouver Sun and Province
Best wishes and Happy Family Doctor Day!
Jeanette Boyd, BSc, MD, CCFP
President, BC College of Family Physicians
Jeanette.Boyd@bccfp.bc.ca
