Passionate about Medicare?

Dear Colleagues,

My name is Rithesh Ram.  I am an MD/PhD student at the University of Calgary and a medical student board member for Canadian Doctors for Medicare (CDM).  

Canadian Doctors for Medicare stepped into the national health care debate in May 2006 when a group of physicians and friends became concerned about the increased privatization in Canadian health care and the development of a two-tier health care system that would allow the wealthy to buy private insurance for private care at the expense of the vast majority of Canadians. 

Our members include high-profile leaders in clinical medicine, research, policy and education residents, medical students, retired physicians; and "Friends" in other health professions and among the Canadian public. We believe that Medicare must be reformed but that reform must take place within the public system so that it benefits all Canadians. CDM is approaching its 4th birthday, and we thought it high time it started reaching out to medical students in a more tangible way. 

We are looking for motivated students who are interested in getting more involved in the organization.  Specifically, students who would be interested in taking a leading role within the organization by founding a CDM chapter at their medical school.  Currently there are chapters at the University of Toronto, BC, McMaster, Western, Calgary.  Chapters do a variety of things, including:

- speaker presentations on the evidence
- membership drives
- speaking with politicians about healthcare policy
- writing articles for your school newspaper or other media

Many of you may already have been involved in similar activities to promote the CDM message.  The hope is to formalize them so that the CDM national organization can better support you (e.g. speakers, print material, funding, training, etc.). 

 

If you are interested in organizing a chapter at the U of S, please email me at rram@ucalgary.ca.  

Please pass this message along to all of your interested colleagues at your school and at others across Canada.  After all, as future doctors we will be inheriting the healthcare system.  We have an opportunity to shape it.

Yours sincerely,
Rithesh Ram

Student Representative

Board of Directors

Canadian Doctor's for Medicare