Hello
I am Dr John Julyan-Gudgeon. I am a family doctor in Red Deer for the last 14 years (yes, I am a constituent of the Minister of Health, think about those possibilities). Before that I was a medical officer with the Canadian Forces, stationed in Edmonton. Before that I earned three degrees, all in Alberta; my medical degree at UofA. I have also worked many blue-collar jobs and my family comes from a labour background. That will become important later in this discussion.

I am also a founding member of United Family Physicians of Alberta. This is a growing group of family doctors who see the status-quo third-party-style representation of our value to the public and the government (essentially our employer) has done nearly nothing for us, except allow the continuous slide of our careers into unsustainability. Not only does UFPA see this slide as a failure of effective representation, but we are also laying the ground work for installing a different paradigm of representation. One that uses grass-roots principles to unify us, identify our needs and demands straight from the rank-and-file themselves, but to also push on government with mechanisms proven effective in influencing them (and thus, have largely been vilified as unprofessional).

There is lots to cover, so strap in… and pace yourself.

This letter breaks into many topics:

1. SFM presidential election. (My letter of intent for this position, further position statements, how to vote)

2. UFPA polling results showing what we have identified, so far, as Alberta family physicians’ most pressing concerns.

3. Are you burned out? Here is a self-administered inventory to start the process of letting you know your struggles are not your own.

4. Do you want in to UFPA? Do you want to be heard? Do you want to be empowered to act in solidarity? Here is a poll to help start that process.

5. Don’t want to be “inside UFPA” but still want your voice heard? Of course. This same poll still works for you.

6. Lastly, a member of your support staff brought “The Fax” to your attention? Originally UFPA was going to offer a raffle to acknowledge them for making the choice to pass you the fax instead of trashing it. That was deemed “off sides” and had to be removed else the election would be deemed unfair. That doesn’t mean YOU can’t reward your MOA for bringing you the fax. That act might save your career.