Thank you for the opportunity to be here today.
The Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada is a voluntary association of first nations, Inuit, and Métis physicians and medical students who hold the vision of healthy and vibrant indigenous nations, communities, families, and individuals, supported by an abundance of well-educated, well-supported indigenous physicians working in partnership with others who share this vision with us.
Since 2004, IPAC has been a leading organization in the development of Canada's medical workforce, through promotion of the recruitment and retention of first nations, Inuit, and Métis medical students and the development of curriculum that will enhance the ability of all of Canada's physicians to deliver high-quality, culturally safe care to first nations, Inuit, and Métis patients.
Our work to date has been in partnership with other organizations such as the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and national aboriginal organizations. I'm pleased with the progress we have made in developing strong foundational materials for the 17 faculties of medicine to use as they implement recruitment and retention policies and indigenous health curriculum locally. These can be found on our website and include First Nations, Inuit, Métis Health Core Competencies: A Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Medical Education; IPAC-AFMC Pre-Admissions Support Toolkit for First Nations, Inuit, Métis Students into Medicine; and curriculum modules in family medicine, mental health, and obstetrics and gynecology for use at the post-graduate and continuing medical education levels.
We have celebrated these accomplishments, but much remains to be done. We must keep in mind that it takes a minimum of nine years to train a physician and that the development of the indigenous medical workforce requires increasing the number of students who are graduating from high school, successfully completing the required undergraduate university courses, either identifying or being identified as being qualified to enter medicine, completing medical school, applying to residency, and completing a residency program. While I'm thankful that the aboriginal health human resources initiative has been renewed for two years, I'm concerned that the changes that are still necessary at all levels of learning, which I've just mentioned, are not accomplishable in that timeframe, and that a student who began his or her medical training when AHHRI was first established will not have completed it by the end of the current two-year funding term. Aboriginal health human resources require a long-term commitment and sustained investment in order to achieve its important goals.
Further, as a national professional organization we must maintain our ability to provide leadership in the development of Canada's medical workforce. We are uniquely placed because of our combination of medical training, indigenous health expertise, indigenous community connections, and knowledge of appropriate process to continue to guide our partner organizations and the medical schools as we seek to see curriculum implemented in all 17 schools at all levels of learning, and more students supported to apply and succeed through medical education.
IPAC continues to seek ways in which we can encourage and facilitate this implementation. If supported, we will again be able to have substantial representation at the Canadian Conference on Medical Education, the largest national medical education conference and an excellent chance to meet with deans, administrators, and other indigenous health educators. It was a year ago that Dr. Barry Lavallee, Charlene Hellson, and I presented a plenary session at that conference on cultural safety and indigenous health that provoked tears in multiple attendees and earned us a standing ovation, which had never been done at that conference before.
I mention that because never has it been more apparent, the appetite and the readiness for change that exists when it comes to further developing the indigenous medical workforce. We must continue to push this agenda forward through maintaining the indigenous health educators working group, reviewing the evaluation of projects currently under way and building on the lessons we have learned; developing an indigenous physicians and medical student role model book to inspire our kids and youth; developing courses that will help first nations, Inuit, and Métis students prepare for medical school admission interviews; making progress on the development of a textbook on indigenous health in partnership with the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada, and through nurturing our collaborative relationships with our international indigenous brothers and sisters.
IPAC is privileged to host the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress in Whistler, B.C., in August 2010. PRIDoC includes representatives from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Hawaii, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands. I am the current chair.
PRIDoC will bring to Canada internationally recognized indigenous health researchers, clinicians, and medical educators. There are significant benefits to our students and physicians, and thus to our colleagues and patients. PRIDoC is an excellent time to develop and nurture mentoring relationships; international collaborations in areas of mutual priority such as medical workforce development; knowledge translation; and skill development.
I would not underestimate the importance of peer support for indigenous physicians, given our high workloads, high stress, and resulting high levels of burnout. This is a key retention issue that is often under-addressed.
We have previously applied to Health Canada for support for this important conference through the health care policy contribution program, and we're working with the health human resources strategies division and AHHRI to obtain Health Canada's support. Given the direct relationship of PRIDoC to aboriginal health human resource development, I am hopeful that we will soon hear positive news about Health Canada's support for this high-profile conference.
In closing, on behalf of IPAC I would like to thank the staff at AHHRI in first nations and Inuit health and Health Canada nationally, who have worked with us and supported our leading work in the development of Canada's medical workforce.
We remain committed to improving the medical workforce that serves first nations, Inuit and Métis people by increasing the number of indigenous doctors and better training all physicians to provide high-quality, culturally safe care. We hope we can count on sustained commitment and resourcing until our shared goals are achieved.
Thank you.