The COVID-19 pandemic has caused us all to focus on what really matters. Our health, the health of our loved ones, and the health of society. I am quite proud of the Canadian federal, provincial and municipal governments for their actions aligned with public health recommendations to flatten, if not plank, the curve. They have made difficult decisions in a reasonable timeline to protect all Canadians.

As 2019 ends, I have a wish list for 2020 and beyond. As a collective, we must focus on the greater good for the health of Canadians, and ensure the success and wellbeing of those in our environments including learners by:

“At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”  Maya Angelou

Since the release of our Report on Unmatched Canadian Medical Graduates (uCMG), the AFMC has worked relentlessly to address this crisis. We have advocated that provincial governments consider increasing the number of residency positions to augment the ratio of undergraduate to post graduate positions to 1:1.2, and to unblend the CMG and IMG streams.

For medical education, this is one of the most wonderful times of the year as new medical graduates transition to residency. Convocations, graduation balls, weddings, vacations soon turn into packing, moving, unpacking, and prepping. This is a time of excitement, joy, mixed in with anxiety and fear of the unknown. That bridge you cross without really seeing what is on the other side. Some graduates may wonder if they made the right choice.