What is a ‘physician organization’?

A physician organization is defined by the Royal College as a not-for-profit group of health professionals with a formal governance structure, accountable to and serving, among others, its specialist physician members through

• continuing professional development,
• provision of health care, and/or
• research

Examples of physician organizations:

• faculties of medicine
• hospital departments or divisions
• medical societies
• medical associations
• medical academies
• physician research organizations
• health authorities not linked to government agencies
• Canadian provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities (MRAs)

This definition excludes pharmaceutical companies and their advisory groups, medical and surgical supply companies, medical device companies, communication companies and other for-profit organizations and ventures/activities.

Examples of other groups that are not considered physician organizations:

• disease-oriented patient advocacy organizations (e.g. Canadian Diabetes Association)
• government departments or agencies (e.g. Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada)
• medical education or communications (MEC) companies (e.g. CME Inc.)
• for-profit online educators, publishing companies or simulation companies (e.g. Medscape, CAE)
• small groups of physicians working together to develop educational programming