The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is a national medical society in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, representing over 4,000 obstetricians/gynaecologists, family

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

, and allied health professionals in the field of sexual

reproductive health Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, healthcare, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual wellbeing during all stages of their life. The term can also be further de ...

. Having been operational for more than 7 decades, the number of participants might rise surpassing the original number making it one of the most valuable society of Obstetricians in the world.

Status and activities

The SOGC has been granted accreditation by the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (french: Collège royal des médecins et chirurgiens du Canada) is a regulatory college which acts as a national, Non-profit organization, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a speci ...

(RCPSC) as a Continued Professional Development provider for physicians and health care providers in Canada. The Society offers professional educational including the Annual Clinical Meeting, RCPSC-accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs,

e-learning Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning. When referred to with its abbreviation, edtech, it often refer ...

modules, and its Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MORE^OB) patient safety program. The SOGC produces national clinical guidelines for both public and medical education on women's health, and publishes the monthly ''Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada'' (JOGC), Canada's peer-reviewed journal of obstetrics, gynaecology, and women's health. The ALARM (Advances in Labour and Risk Management) International Program, a training tool designed to reduce maternal death or injury in developing countries, has been delivered in over 20 countries around the world by SOGC member volunteers. The SOGC received a $1,052,726 grant from the

Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC; french: Agence de la santé publique du Canada, ASPC) is an agency of the Government of Canada that is responsible for public health, emergency preparedness and response, and infectious and chronic dis ...

's Immunization Partnership Fund to conduct surveys and focus groups of women of reproductive age and health care providers on the topic of

vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...

. Tools were developed based on these results in order to combat

vaccine hesitancy Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...

. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, these materials were updated in order to increase uptake of

COVID-19 vaccines A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an est ...

in pregnant or fertile women.

History

The SOGC was founded in 1944. The members of its Founding Council, which governed from 1944 to 1945, were: *President: Léon Gérin-Lajoie *President-elect: William A. Scott *Vice-president: John D. McQueen *Secretary: James C. Goodwin *Treasurer: D. Nelson Henderson *Councillors: Arthur B. Nash and Hector Sanche Dr. Léon Gérin-Lajoie, the SOGC's first president, suggested the name "Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada - Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada." Gérin-Lajoie was one of several SOGC representatives at the

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, usually just FIGO ("fee'go") as the acronym of its French name Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique, is a worldwide non-governmental organisation representing ob ...

(FIGO) First World Congress in 1954 and went on to become FIGO's vice-president in 1957 and president in 1958. Beginning in the late 1980s, the SOGC gradually broadened its purpose to include international women's health, advocacy, indigenous health, public education, patient safety, and human resources in obstetrics and gynaecology. During this period, the Society also began admitting members of related medical professions, such as nursing and midwifery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Society Of Obstetricians And Gynaecologists Of Canada Medical associations based in Canada Obstetrics and gynaecology organizations