Canadian Association of General Surgeons

Last updated

The Canadian Association of General Surgeons is a professional association for general surgeons in Canada. It was founded in 1977.

Contents

History

The Canadian Association of General Surgeons held its inaugural meeting on 11 May 1977 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to which all general surgeons in Canada were invited. Both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Professional Corporation in Quebec appreciated the importance of continuing education and consultation with National Specialties Societies, and supported the establishment of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons in order to represent what were then 2000 general surgeons across the country.

Organization

The Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS) is the main national organization representing the interests of General Surgeons in Canada. The mission for CAGS is "The Canadian Association of General Surgeons promotes the training, education, continuing professional development, thoughtful practice and research essential to the provision of the exemplary surgical care Canadians expect and deserve". The vision of CAGS is that "The Canadian Association of General Surgeons is the voice of the specialty of General Surgery in Canada". [1] CAGS is sponsoring society of the Canadian Journal of Surgery.

CAGS offers its members a range of educational opportunities, supports surgical research, and provides a forum for Canadian General Surgeons to discuss the issues that challenge the specialty of General Surgery. CAGS sponsors a yearly meeting called the Canadian Surgery Forum. This meeting is held in a different major Canadian city each year. It also administers a yearly in-training examination administered for all residents enrolled in Canadian general surgery training programs free of charge. This examination is also offered at a fee for any CAGS member at the annual Canadian Surgery Forum. In support of research, CAGS operates a research fund called the Canadian Surgical Research Fund (CSRF). This fund was created in the 1980s to promote research by general surgeons and general surgery residents in clinical and basic science. The CSRF currently funds two research projects per year and sponsors an annual research retreat for general surgery residents across Canada.

CAGS is composed of many committees including the examination committee, the resident committee, the international surgery committee, as well as various subspecialty committees (such as the oncology committee and the head and neck surgery committee).

Membership

Membership in CAGS falls under one of eight different categories:

  1. Active Member: Must be certified to practice General Surgery in North America
  2. Associate Resident: Must be enrolled in a Canadian General Surgery Program
  3. Associate Fellow: Must be enrolled in a Fellowship Program in North America
  4. Affiliate Member: Allied health professional, technician, office manager, or other medical specialist (outside of General Surgery).
  5. International Member: Must be enrolled in surgical training outside of North America and must provide two letters of support from active CAGS Members.
  6. Medical Student: Must be enrolled in medical school
  7. Senior/Retired Member: Must be a retired medical practitioner who has held a valid certificate in general surgery in North America, and has been an Active Member for a minimum of five years
  8. Honorary Member: Must have been an active member and nominated by the CAGS Executive

Arms

Coat of arms of Canadian Association of General Surgeons
Notes
Granted 14 July 1993
Crest
Issuant from a circlet of maple leaves Gules veined Or a hand proper grasping a sword its hilt and pommel Or blade Argent fixing a dragon's head erased Gules.
Escutcheon
Or an eagle holding in its dexter talon a spear erect entwined of a serpent all Gules within a bordure compony Gules and Argent.
Motto
Sapientia Manque Apta (By Means of Wisdom and a Skillfull Hand) [2]

Related Research Articles

General surgery

General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland. They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft tissue, trauma, peripheral artery disease and hernias and perform endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy.

Anesthesiology Medical specialty concerned with anesthesia and perioperative care

Anesthesiology is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, and pain medicine. A physician specialized in anesthesiology is called an anesthesiologist or anesthetist, depending on the country. In some countries, the terms are effectively synonymous, but in other countries they refer to different positions and the term "anesthetist" is only used for non-physicians, such as nurse anesthetists.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is a regulatory college which acts as a national, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to oversee the medical education of specialists in Canada.

Podiatry Medicine branch focusing on human lower extremities

Podiatry or podiatric medicine is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, and medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity. The term podiatry came into use in the early 20th century in the United States and is now used worldwide, including in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery Surgical treatment

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery.

Surgical technologist Profession

A surgical technologist, also called a scrub, scrub tech, surgical technician, or operating room technician, is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care. Surgical technologists are members of the surgical team. The members of the team include the surgeon, surgeon's assistant, circulator nurse and anesthesia provider. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques. There are few mandatory professional requirements for surgical technologists, and the scope of practice varies widely across countries and jurisdictions. Surgical technologists attend junior colleges and technical schools, and many are trained in military schools. In the military they perform the duties of both the circulator and the scrub. The goal is for surgical technologists to be able to anticipate the next move the surgeon is going to make in order to make the procedure as smooth and efficient as possible. They do this by having knowledge of hundreds of surgical procedures and the steps the surgeon needs to take in order to complete the procedure, including the very wide range of surgical instruments they may need. Specialties can include, but are not limited to, the following: genitourinary, obstetrics and gynaecology, urology, ENT, plastics, general, orthopedics, neurology, and cardiovascular. They only work in surgical or perioperative areas and are highly specialized.

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Scottish medical association

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, within the Surgeons' Hall, designed by William Henry Playfair, and adjoining buildings. The main campus includes a skills laboratory, the Surgeons' Hall Museums, a medical and surgical library, and a hotel. A second office was opened in Birmingham (UK) in 2014 and an international office opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2018.

A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), laboratory medicine (pathology), or primary care. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple-year residency to become a specialist.

Medical education in Australia

Medical education in Australia includes the educational activities involved in the initial and ongoing training of Medical Practitioners. In Australia, medical education begins in Medical School; upon graduation it is followed by a period of pre-vocational training including Internship and Residency; thereafter, enrolment into a specialist-vocational training program as a Registrar eventually leads to fellowship qualification and recognition as a fully qualified Specialist Medical Practitioner. Medical education in Australia is facilitated by Medical Schools and the Medical Specialty Colleges, and is regulated by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Agency (AHPRA) of which includes the Medical Board of Australia where medical practitioners are registered nationally.

Walter Randolph "Ranny" Chitwood, Jr. is known for his work as a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University located in Greenville, North Carolina.

American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice and is headquartered in Chicago, IL. The ACS was established in Chicago, IL, in 1913 at the initiative of Franklin Martin, MD, FACS. The College is a surgical society dedicated to promoting the highest standards of surgical care through education of, and advocacy for, its Fellows and their patients, and to safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.

In Canada, a medical school is a faculty or school of a university that trains future medical doctors and usually offers a three- to five-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degree. There are currently 17 medical schools in Canada with an annual admission success rate normally below 7.5%. As of 2021, approximately 11,500 students were enrolled in Canadian medical schools graduating 2,900 students per year.

The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) is a non-profit educational and professional organization founded in 1981. With over 2,000 members in 21 countries, both women and men, AWS is one of the largest international organizations dedicated to supporting, enhancing the interaction, and facilitating the exchange of information between women surgeons at various stages in their careers. The organization's mission statement reads: "To inspire, encourage, and enable women surgeons to achieve their personal and professional goals".

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded for the purpose of certifying surgeons who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge. Surgeons certified by the ABS, known as diplomates, have completed a minimum of five years of surgical residency training following medical school and successfully completed a written and oral examination process administered by the ABS. The ABS provides board certification in general surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical critical care, surgery of the hand, hospice and palliative medicine, and complex general surgical oncology.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) promotes sports medicine education, research, communication, and fellowship and includes national and international orthopaedic sports medicine leaders. The Society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists, including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries. Formed in 1972 as a forum for education and research with 100 members, the AOSSM today has to more than 2,000 members.

The Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP) is an organization of faculty, researchers, and others interested in supporting the advancement of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) academics. The Association currently has over 2,100 members. The AAP has an official journal, American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, holds an Annual Meeting, and leads various programs and activities to support and enhance academic physiatry.

The Association for Academic Surgery is the world's largest organization dedicated exclusively to the promotion of surgical research. It has about 3,000 active and senior members. Its annual meeting is the association's main forum to communicate scientific progress in surgery. Until 2005, the association held its own meetings. These meetings were hosted by surgical university departments in the United States. In 2006, the organization merged its annual meeting with the annual meeting of the Society of University Surgeons to form the "Academic Surgical Congress".

West African College of Surgeons West African medical college

The West African College of Surgeons is a professional organization that promotes education, training, examinations and research in surgery in Africa. The college is the first organization to organize surgical subspecialty training in the region. It awards diploma of fellowship in surgery and is one of out of two bodies that accredits institutions to train surgical residents in member countries.

The International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) is an international medical society with around 4,000 members. The membership comprises mostly orthopaedic surgeons along with sports scientists, sports physicians and sports physical therapists. The members are from some 92 different countries and are members of their local orthopaedic sports medicine societies or similar associations. Members may also be associated with their global regional orthopaedic sports medicine society such as the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), the Asia-Pacific Knee, Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Society, the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia, Rodilla y Deporte (SLARD) in particular.

Physicians in Canada Canadian physician

Physicians and surgeons play an important role in the provision of health care in Canada. They are responsible for the promotion, maintenance, and restoration of health through the study, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, injury, and other physical and mental impairments. As Canadian medical schools solely offer the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees, these represent the degrees held by the vast majority of physicians and surgeons in Canada, though some have a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from the United States or Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from Europe.

References

  1. "About CAGS". Canadian Association of General Surgeons. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. "Canadian Association of General Surgeons" . Retrieved 4 January 2022.