Examining collegiality in Saskatchewan - Saskatchewan Medical ...

tual respect amongst colleagues even
when they have differing opinions;
understanding that the common goal
is good patient outcomes; non-competitiveness
in that the entire medical
team wins when good outcomes are
achieved; correcting mistakes through
quality assurance in a non-blaming environment;
and helping each other in
caring for the patient by using full and
complete communication.
Good in theory, but how does it translate
to practice? Dr. Bill Haver, managing
partner of Lakeside Medical Clinic
in Saskatoon, says the concept of collegiality
is one of the pillars on which
the clinic’s success is built. The clinic
includes 21 physicians offering both
appointments and walk-in care. “We
discuss things informally all day, every
day. We meet over lunch or coffee. We
meet more formally at group meetings
and CME sessions. We wander into each
other’s office, or we meet in the hallway
randomly or intentionally,” Dr. Haver
says. “We get another opinion. We
consult. We discuss, we debate, and we
research. We compare experience. We
seek further clarification.”
He goes on to say that “this has become
an integral part of our culture: we help
each other. The ultimate beneficiary of
this is the patient, but we all feel very
fortunate to be surrounded by people
who understand the problem and are
willing to help.”
Physician collegiality also seems to be a
key component of work/life harmony.
“A collegial environment, at least for
us, extends beyond the walls of our
clinic and beyond the practice of medicine,”
explains Dr. Haver. “Medicine is
just a part of our life – the part we have
chosen as our profession – but, as colleagues,
we understand that our lives
have to include far more in order to
maintain perspective.”
Dr. Vuksic argues that trusting your
colleagues, one of those underpinning
values of collegiality, means being confident
sharing your patients, knowing
that the same standard of care and best
practices are being applied whether
you are in the room or not.
If it’s broke, can we fix it?
How you define collegiality and the degree
to which it exists in Saskatchewan
obviously depends on the vastly different
experiences of each of the province’s
more than 2000 physicians.
An international medical graduate arriving
in Saskatchewan in January may need
collegiality in the form of a colleague
FEATURE
teaching her family to skate and commiserating
about the cold, on top of clinical
support that helps her adjust to new practice
norms and expectations. A family
physician in rural Saskatchewan may feel
as isolated and overworked as an endocrinologist
practising in Saskatoon, both
in need of professional relief. A first-year
resident needs a collegial atmosphere in
which he can ask questions, develop his
skills, and get the most out of his training.
However, whatever the definition or
context, two common concepts emerge
as key to building collegiality: compassion
and communication.
Dr. Vuksic believes that having compassion
for one’s colleagues – being
able to understand each other’s roles
Physicians and staff at Lakeside Medical Clinic in Saskatoon enjoy lunch together.
SMA News Digest Spring 2011 5