With the introduction of the Royal College Strategic Plan 2023-2026 (extended to 2027), the organization has focused its efforts to better understand member needs and determine how to improve engagement and the overall member experience.

Thank you to all members who participated in the listening and learning process, which started with a member survey mid-2024, followed by a series of small and large group consultations as well as feedback received through the ongoing CEO Listening Tour. 

What we heard

With the feedback received from Fellows and Affiliate members across the country during the consultations in the latter half of 2024, four key areas of focus for improvement clearly emerged:

• offer more opportunities for meaningful engagement and recognition across the member lifecycle;
• offer timely, clear, personalized communication to members, Resident Affiliates, and certificants; 
• enhance our support and advocacy to improve members’ day-to-day lives; and 
• ensure protection of the designation to ensure ongoing public trust and professional excellence. 

Within these key areas of focus, the Royal College must contextualize how to prepare a meaningful response that includes factors such as the role and influence it carries in the health care ecosystem, health system needs, and our connections with other health care partners such as the Medical Regulatory Authorities (MRAs).

What’s next? The member experience strategy

Our work will focus on capturing and framing our path forward in a comprehensive strategy. As we continue to build out, refine and design a coordinated member experience strategy, we will take stock of small, medium and large initiatives that are currently underway and those in development to respond to the four key areas of focus identified.

We must also look at how we transition from a strategy into concrete, actionable initiatives to bring about real change across the member continuum – from medical students and residents, to mid-career and retired Fellows. We want to build on the trust you have in us and showcase and strengthen the value of being a Royal College member.

We recognize changes will not happen overnight. Building the foundation – the strategy – is the first step, and working with units across the Royal College to implement the strategy will follow.

The good news is we are not starting from scratch. Some improvements to the member experience were previously introduced as part of the digital transformation to improve your access to programs and services (My MOC, My Learning and My Portal), as well as the announcement of a specialized, self-operated assessment centre balancing candidate experience and fiscal responsibility.

Additionally, the Royal College has renewed its commitment to supporting future members throughout their professional journey. This includes initiatives such as the work of the Transition into Practice National Advisory Committee, participation in the 2025 Resident Orientation Days, and the popular Specialty Café podcast series.

We invite all our members to actively participate in shaping our future! Share your feedback and ideas on how we can enhance your experience. Let us know what matters most to you – together, we can create a Royal College that truly reflects your needs and is relevant to your practice. Join the conversation by reaching out to us directly at membership@royalcollege.ca.