Section of Medical Students Council

The Section of Medical Students (SOMS) Council is a national committee of medical students established in 2006. SOMS is the voice of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC’s) Student members and connects the College with medical students across Canada. The SOMS Council has two Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) representatives from each Canadian medical school.

The SOMS Council:

1. Is the voice of medical students within the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
2. Shares the perspectives of medical students from each school about family medicine as a career
3. Shares feedback and plans activities related to FMIGs at each medical school:
   1. Develops strategies to encourage and foster interaction among medical students interested in a career in family medicine
   2. Recommends or develops ideas, programs, and products to enhance the image of family medicine as a career of first choice among medical students
   3. Obtains and shares feedback from medical students regarding family medicine education at the undergraduate level

Type of committee

The SOMS Council is a national standing committee of the CFPC Board of Directors.

Meetings

The SOMS Council has two face-to-face meetings per year—one at the CFPC’s annual Family Medicine Forum (FMF), and the other at the national CFPC office in Mississauga.

Committee membership

Two members, one first-year and one second-year student, are elected from each medical school’s FMIG. The SOMS Council is chaired by two medical student representatives that act as co-chairs.

The SOMS Board identifies representatives for these CFPC Committees:

• Section of Teachers (one seat)
• Section of Residents (one seat)
• First Five Years in Family Practice (one seat)
• Undergraduate Education Committee (two seats)
• Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS): observers (two seats)
• Membership Advisory Committee
• Family Medicine Forum Committee (one seat)
• Member Interest Groups Section (MIGS) (one seat)
• Global Health Program Committee (one seat)
• LearnFM Editorial Advisory Board (one seat)
• Honours & Awards Committee (one seat)
• The World Organization of Family Doctors (Wonca) Polaris (one seat)

Observers

Non-voting representation includes seats from the following committees, organizations, medical schools, and associations on the SOMS:

• Section of Residents (one seat)
• Faculty Member from a Canadian medical school (one seat)
• CFPC Chapter Representative (one seat)
• La Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ) (one seat)

Contact SOMS

The elected Co-chairs of the SOMS are Kerry Howell (Alberta) and Jeana MacLeod (Dalhousie).

If members have an issue or topic to discuss with the SOMS or at the next SOMS Council meeting, email SOMS.