Cowboys, costumes, and CME

Family Doctor Week

The week of FMF 2009 also coincides with the College’s Family Doctor Week in Canada—a time for family physicians and their patients to celebrate the relationships they have with one another. During Family Doctor Week statements will be read by elected officials in federal and provincial houses of parliament across the country, recognizing the contributions of Canada’s family physicians to the health and well-being of Canadians. The presentation of the Reg L. Perkin Award to each of Canada’s 10 FPOY (selected by their patients and peers in each province) will be another highlight of Family Doctor Week.

Scientific program

The scientific program for FMF 2009 has been developed by and for family physicians from large and small communities throughout Canada. One of the reasons FMF has become one of the most successful medical meetings in the country is that it offers family doctors a unique opportunity to attend outstanding continuing medical education and professional development programs that apply to a range of their interests and areas of involvement—as clinicians, teachers, researchers, and participants in other health system roles—and it can all be done at one conference. This, combined with the chance to meet old friends and make many new ones, has made FMF a tremendously popular event.

For family physicians who include areas of special interest in their practices, FMF will offer the opportunity to create learning tracks to meet their particular needs in areas such as emergency medicine, child and adolescent health, maternity care, and care of the elderly. Presentations in these topic areas will, of course, be open and of value to all family physicians—those with traditional, broad-scope practices and those whose practices include 1 or more special interests.

Family Medicine Forum will also ’’walk the talk’’ with respect to collaborative, team-based care, as we welcome family practice nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and others to join us so that we can learn and share clinical experiences together. As always, there will also be an important place at FMF for medical students and family medicine residents—our family doctors of the future. The interaction between the family physicians of today and tomorrow at each FMF never fails to provide inspiration and lasting memories.

Social events

In addition to the many get-togethers that attendees plan on their own, there will be a number of exciting social events as part of the FMF experience, including the Section of Researchers’ Dinner (Wednesday, October 28), Convocation and the FMF Welcome Reception (Thursday, October 29), a student-resident social evening (Friday, October 30), the Section of Teachers’ Dinner (Friday, October 30), and the President’s Installation and FPOY Ceremony (Saturday, October 31). Immediately following the FPOY presentations on Saturday evening, all FMF attendees and their families are invited to the FMF Celebration party, which this year, being on Hallowe’en, will have a ghoulish theme. For the younger children (accompanied by at least one adult), there will be a special Hallowe’en party earlier that day.

Family Medicine Forum 2009 in Calgary will be a great time. We hope to see you there. For more information and to register, please keep checking our website (http://fmf.cfpc.ca).