Canadian Association of General Surgeons
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Association of General Surgeons is a professional association for General surgery
in Canada
. It was founded in 1977.
in Toronto
, Canada
, to which all general surgeons in Canada were invited. Both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
and the Professional Corporation in Quebec
appreciated the importance of continuing education
and consultation with National Specialties Societies, and supported the establishment of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons in order to represent what were then 2000 general surgeons across Canada.
CAGS offers its members a range of educational opportunities, supports surgical research, and provides a forum for Canadian General Surgeons to discuss the issues that challenge the specialty of General Surgery. CAGS sponsors a yearly meeting called the Canadian Surgery Forum. This meeting is held in a different major Canadian city each year. It also administers a yearly in-training examination administered for all residents enrolled in Canadian general surgery training programs free of charge. This examination is also offered at a fee for any CAGS member at the annual Canadian Surgery Forum. In support of research, CAGS operates a research fund called the Canadian Surgical Research Fund (CSRF). This fund was created in the 1980s to promote research by general surgeons and general surgery residents in clinical and basic science. The CSRF currently funds two research projects per year and sponsors an annual research retreat for general surgery residents across Canada.
CAGS is composed of many committees including the examination committee, the resident committee, the international surgery committee, as well as various subspecialty committees (such as the oncology
committee and the head and neck surgery committee).
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was founded in 1977.
History
The Canadian Association of General Surgeons held its inaugural meeting on the 11th of May, 1977 at the Royal York HotelFairmont Royal York
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to which all general surgeons in Canada were invited. Both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
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 national, private, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to oversee the medical education of specialists in Canada...
and the Professional Corporation in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
appreciated the importance of continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
and consultation with National Specialties Societies, and supported the establishment of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons in order to represent what were then 2000 general surgeons across Canada.
Organization
The Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS) is the main national organization representing the interests of General Surgeons in Canada. The mission for CAGS is "The Canadian Association of General Surgeons promotes the training, education, continuing professional development, thoughtful practice and research essential to the provision of the exemplary surgical care Canadians expect and deserve". The vision of CAGS is that "The Canadian Association of General Surgeons is the voice of the specialty of General Surgery in Canada".CAGS offers its members a range of educational opportunities, supports surgical research, and provides a forum for Canadian General Surgeons to discuss the issues that challenge the specialty of General Surgery. CAGS sponsors a yearly meeting called the Canadian Surgery Forum. This meeting is held in a different major Canadian city each year. It also administers a yearly in-training examination administered for all residents enrolled in Canadian general surgery training programs free of charge. This examination is also offered at a fee for any CAGS member at the annual Canadian Surgery Forum. In support of research, CAGS operates a research fund called the Canadian Surgical Research Fund (CSRF). This fund was created in the 1980s to promote research by general surgeons and general surgery residents in clinical and basic science. The CSRF currently funds two research projects per year and sponsors an annual research retreat for general surgery residents across Canada.
CAGS is composed of many committees including the examination committee, the resident committee, the international surgery committee, as well as various subspecialty committees (such as the oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
committee and the head and neck surgery committee).
Membership
Membership in CAGS falls under one of eight different categories:- Active Member: Must be certified to practice General Surgery in North America
- Associate Resident: Must be enrolled in a Canadian General Surgery Program
- Associate Fellow: Must be enrolled in a Fellowship Program in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
- Affiliate Member: Allied health professional, technician, office manager, or other medical specialist (outside of General Surgery).
- International Member: Must be enrolled in surgical training outside of North America and must provide two letters of support from active CAGS Members.
- Medical Student: Must be enrolled in medical schoolMedical schoolA medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
- Senior/Retired Member: Must be a retired medical practitioner who has held a valid certificate in general surgery in North America, and has been an Active Member for a minimum of five years
- Honorary Member: Must have been an active member and nominated by the CAGS Executive