Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) is a national medical society in Canada
, representing over 3,000 obstetricians/gynecologists, family physician
s, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals in the field of sexual reproductive health
. Since its founding in 1944, the society has promoted excellence in the practice of obstetrics and worked to advance the health of women through leadership, advocacy, collaboration, outreach, and education.
SOGC's stated core beliefs and principles are:
(RCPSC) as a Continued Professional Development provider for physicians and health care providers in Canada. The Society offers a portfolio of professional educational activities including the Annual Clinical Meeting, RCPSC-accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs, e-learning
modules, and its Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) patient safety program.
A leading authority on reproductive health care, the SOGC produces national clinical guidelines for both public and medical education on important women's health issues, and publishes the monthly Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC), Canada's peer-reviewed journal of obstetrics, gynaecology, and women's health.
SOGC's International Women’s Health Program (IWHP), under which SOGC volunteers work with partner OB/GYN associations, strives to achieve a better world for women via a rights-based approach. The IWHP promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights, including safe motherhood and newborn health. Through IWHP, SOGC partners with obstetrics and gynaecology associations in low-resource countries to upgrade the organizational capacity of the association and to enhance the skills of health care professionals so that they may assume a leadership role in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health.
The ALARM (Advances in Labor 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.
It was Dr. Léon Gérin-Lajoie, SOGC's first president, who suggested the name "Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 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
(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, SOGC gradually broadened its purpose to include international women's health, advocacy, aboriginal health, public education, patient safety, and human resources in obstetrics and gynecology. During this period, the society also began admitting members of related medical professions, such as nursing and midwifery.
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...
, representing over 3,000 obstetricians/gynecologists, family physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals in the field of sexual reproductive health
Reproductive health
Within the framework of the World Health Organization's definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene, addresses the reproductive processes, functions and system...
. Since its founding in 1944, the society has promoted excellence in the practice of obstetrics and worked to advance the health of women through leadership, advocacy, collaboration, outreach, and education.
Mission and principles
SOGC's stated mission is to promote excellence in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology and to advance the health of women through leadership, advocacy, collaboration, outreach and education.SOGC's stated core beliefs and principles are:
- Women should have equitable access to optimal, comprehensive health care provided with integrity and compassion.
- Women should have the information they need to make choices about their health.
- The Society's members have the right to practice in a safe and supportive environment.
- The practice of obstetrics and gynecology must be based on the best scientific evidence available.
- The Society has a responsibility to facilitate change in relation to health system issues affecting the practice of obstetrics and gynecology.
- The Society has a responsibility to continue promoting patient safety throughout health care systems.
- The Society has a responsibility to be visible through advocacy efforts in support of women’s health globally.
Status and activities
SOGC has been granted full accreditation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of CanadaRoyal 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...
(RCPSC) as a Continued Professional Development provider for physicians and health care providers in Canada. The Society offers a portfolio of professional educational activities including the Annual Clinical Meeting, RCPSC-accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs, e-learning
E-learning
E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The information and communication systems, whether networked learning or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process...
modules, and its Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently (MOREOB) patient safety program.
A leading authority on reproductive health care, the SOGC produces national clinical guidelines for both public and medical education on important women's health issues, and publishes the monthly Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada (JOGC), Canada's peer-reviewed journal of obstetrics, gynaecology, and women's health.
SOGC's International Women’s Health Program (IWHP), under which SOGC volunteers work with partner OB/GYN associations, strives to achieve a better world for women via a rights-based approach. The IWHP promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights, including safe motherhood and newborn health. Through IWHP, SOGC partners with obstetrics and gynaecology associations in low-resource countries to upgrade the organizational capacity of the association and to enhance the skills of health care professionals so that they may assume a leadership role in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health.
The ALARM (Advances in Labor 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.
History
SOGC was founded in 1944 as a response to the need to promote physician education, research and excellence in care. 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
It was Dr. Léon Gérin-Lajoie, SOGC's first president, who suggested the name "Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 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
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics
The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, usually just FIGO as the acronym of its French name Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique, is a worldwide NGO organisation representing obstetricians and gynaecologists in over one hundred territories...
(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, SOGC gradually broadened its purpose to include international women's health, advocacy, aboriginal health, public education, patient safety, and human resources in obstetrics and gynecology. During this period, the society also began admitting members of related medical professions, such as nursing and midwifery.