CPSBC has zero tolerance for racism or discrimination in medical practice. Discrimination, whether directed towards patients or colleagues, has no place in a profession dedicated to healing, trust, compassion and empathy.
While CPSBC has explicitly outlined the duty registrants have to provide care to patients without discrimination through standards such as Access to Medical Care Without Discrimination and , we must recognize that discrimination within the profession itself is equally damaging and requires attention. Whether expressed through overt hostility or subtle bias, racism and discrimination in medicine undermine the very foundations of safe, equitable patient care.
Recent incidents of targeted harassment directed at physicians based on their religious beliefs are particularly troubling, reminding us that discrimination in medicine is not an abstract concept but a lived reality. Similarly, while many nations continue to struggle with armed conflict, we are aware of the tension that can arise between colleagues who may have different opinions about international politics or foreign government actions.
It is important to remember that targeted harassment fractures trust between colleagues, corrodes team-based care, and inflicts lasting harm on individuals and their families. When registrants do not feel safe, supported and respected by their colleagues, it becomes harder for them to provide quality medical care to their patients.
The CMA requires registrants to:
- Treat colleagues with dignity and as persons worthy of respect. Colleagues include all learners, health-care partners, and members of the health-care team.
- Take responsibility for promoting civility, and confronting incivility, within and beyond the profession.
- Avoid impugning the reputation of colleagues for personal motives; however, report to the appropriate authority any unprofessional conduct by colleagues.
- Assume responsibility for personal actions and behaviours and espouse behaviours that contribute to a positive training and practice culture.
When discrimination occurs in a clinical encounter, a teaching or training environment, or a professional interaction, it is not merely a lapse in civility, it is a breach of ethical duty and an affront to the integrity of the profession.
CPSBC acknowledges that registrants may face discrimination from patients as well. Racism or discriminatory behaviour directed at registrants or their staff is unacceptable and may constitute grounds to end the patient-registrant relationship. The practice standard provides further guidance on this important decision.
Discrimination in medicine is not only a matter of individual behaviour but of professional responsibility. Every registrant shares the duty to challenge it, eliminate it, and replace it with practices grounded in respect, equity, and cultural humility. By confronting discrimination directly and holding ourselves and each other accountable to the principles of the CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism, we strengthen our profession and ensure that patients, family members, caregivers, and colleagues are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Patrick Rowe, MD, CCFP (EM), FCFP
Registrar and CEO
Comments on this or any other article published in the ºÚÁÏÉç Connector can be submitted to the communications and public affairs department at communications@cpsbc.ca.