Why I Belong to SDCMS-CMA

Other than the day I got married, the finest day of my life was when I received an acceptance letter to medical school. It has always been my firm belief that there is no more noble calling than to heal the sick, so to find that I was about to join that most revered of professions was a joy beyond belief. Ever since that day, now over 40 years ago, I have felt extraordinarily privileged to consider myself a part of this finest of disciplines.

During the course of my medical education, I became aware that physicians had a proud tradition of organizing themselves into professional societies for the purpose of advancing the best interests of both their patients and colleagues. I was surprised to learn that there are often obstacles to providing the best medical care possible. There were, I found, an abundance of entities ranging from government bureaucrats to insurance companies to mid-level practitioners of various sorts who were (and still are) missing no opportunity to interfere with quality patient care. It soon became apparent to me that there was an obvious need for me to participate in joining with my peers to stand up for the highest possible care standards for our patients.

It is in this context that I view my involvement over the last 30 or so years with the San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) and the California Medical Association (CMA) in such a positive light. As a new physician in the area, I was fortunate to meet physicians who served as role models for me by not only working diligently to care for patients, but by giving freely of what would otherwise be leisure time to attend breakfast or evening meetings, accept committee assignments, meet with politicians, and try to persuade their often reluctant colleagues of the need for professional involvement and unity. Much as I viewed it earlier as an honor to be considered a part of the brotherhood of medicine, I now viewed it as being an even higher goal to become an active participant in organized medicine.

It all started by my calling the current SDCMS president and persuading him to appoint me to the Legislative Committee. I was privileged to participate in a trip to Sacramento to meet with legislators, who treated me with great courtesy as they listened patiently to our concerns. When it became apparent that there was a real potential for these activities to make an actual difference, I was, as they say, “hooked.”

Eventually, I submitted my name as a candidate for what was then called the Council, or governing body of SDCMS. This provided me with an opportunity to meet and work with our county’s most revered physicians — something which certainly would never have otherwise happened. As my enthusiasm grew, I found it impossible to turn down an opportunity to volunteer. Before I knew it, I was a candidate for SDCMS president. After winning that election against a very noble and qualified opponent, I proceeded to experience the most exhilarating year (and more, but that’s another story) of my professional life. At the end of that year, unable to just walk away, I began to devote energy to our San Diego District 1 CMA delegation. Not only did this afford me an opportunity to represent my colleagues at the state level, but also to meet and work with a truly dazzling collection of physician leaders from every corner of California.

So, in summary, I belong to SDCMS and CMA because I feel it is imperative for all physicians to recognize that they do not practice in a vacuum and that they and their patients are powerfully impacted by outside forces. It is neither fair nor sensible to leave the task of addressing those forces to others. If we truly believe that we are privileged to be a part of this honored profession of medicine, then we must each do our part to see to it that we remain able to offer the highest caliber of care possible to our patients and to support one another in this ongoing and demanding effort. To this task I take pride in committing the best effort I am capable of making and my encouragement to my colleagues to do likewise.