Improving your contributor experience

Member engagement is vital to the Royal College, specialty medical education, Fellowship and, ultimately, patient care. We are committed to keeping you up to date on the ways we are working to strengthen and improve the support we give to those who get involved by giving of their time and expertise to advance specialty medical education and the Royal College’s work.

Want to join us in the journey? Learn more on the Get Involved webpage.

Priority 1: Addressing issues of equitable access and diverse participation by improving our processes

Opportunities to contribute to the Royal College is determined by a combination of personal, institutional, and social factors. This includes a person’s entry route, career stage, specialty, type of practice and location. Support available for roles vary by business unit.

There is a need to establish standards, streamline processes and measure success so that individual contributions are consistently, meaningfully, and fairly recognized as integral to delivering the Royal College’s mission. This work will help us understand and address barriers to equitable access and diverse participation within our engagement opportunities.

2020	Council passed a motion to formally adopt the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (CCVI). Visit Volunteer Canada’s website to learn how the CCVI’s adoption can help organizations operationalize values of diversity, equity, inclusion and access into their policies, procedures, and practices. In December 2020, the Fellowship Affairs Committee (FAC), the stewards of this work, endorsed these three priorities, and Royal College leadership is committed to meeting its goals.
2021	Results from the first biannual Royal College Contributor Satisfaction Survey were used to inform the decisions we make on our Roadmap priorities. The seven satisfaction indicators are: 78% Overall highly/satisfied (2017 – 72%) 77% strongly/agree with “My contributions support the Royal College's mission” 70% strongly/agree with “My input is valued all or most of the time” 65% strongly/agree that the recognition they receive is meaningful 69% say leaders encourage diverse perspectives all or most of the time 89% expect to learn something they can use in professional practice or residency. 56% learn something all or most of the time. 9% were recruited into their first role through an open call or application process Building on a draft plan presented to the Fellowship Affairs Committee (FAC) in June 2021, the Royal College is laying the groundwork to implement a co-creation model for the collection and use of social identity data.
2022	We continue adopting best practices with a focus on improving technology and other enabling supports.
2023	Key plans and decisions related to how Members get involved and contribute will incorporate standards that meet or surpass the guiding principles endorsed in 2020 to enable more equitable access and diverse participation. The 2nd Royal College Contributor Satisfaction Survey will be conducted. Note: Experiences of discrimination, racism and historical trauma are important social determinants of health for certain groups such as Indigenous Peoples, those from the LGBTQ2S+ community and Black Canadians. Learn more about Canada’s definitions of social determinants of health and why it matters.

Priority 2: Advancing CPD with new Orientation & Training supports

The Royal College listened and heard from those who get engaged with our work. We are working to improve your experience in how we welcome and support you.

2020	We conducted a survey in 2020. Two key points are informing changes to training and orientation: 56.6% of Members who are engaged with us to support the Royal College’s mission are satisfied or very satisfied with the training & support they received, and About 20% are asked to train or support their peers. Only half are satisfied with the support they receive to do so. Fellows engaged with the Royal College welcome an increased focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion, so long as the training and support is practical and the resources are relevant. Read the results from fall 2020’s Training & Orientation survey.
2021	The Royal College established the Contributor Learning Task Force to guide the development of standard orientation and leadership supports. Task Force members were selected from an open call and includes five Fellows with varied Royal College and professional experiences. Sharon Card, MD, FRCPC Alain Gagnon, MD, FRCPC Anand Karvat, MD, FRCPC Roy Kirkpatrick, MD, FRCPC Modupe Tunde-Byass, MD, FRCPC
2022	The Royal College Contributor Task Force will provide guidance on a standard orientation, supports for Chairs and ways to embed equity into learning. They will also advise on the development of new peer-to-peer learning opportunities including a coaching/mentoring pilot and the potential development of an advocacy focused community of practice.
2023	By the end of 2023, orientation and training will be a learner-based model, with a focus on new orientation and supports for leadership roles such as Committee Chairs. Over time, we expect that Fellows will increasingly attribute personal or professional development to their Royal College experience.

Priority 3: Recruitment & Screening

We are committed to addressing valid concerns raised around equitable access and diverse participation in the Royal College. We will build momentum and capacity so that changes made to the recruitment & screening process address issues of equitable access and diverse participation.

2020	In June, we issued a statement on behalf of Council and staff committing the Royal College to address systemic racism in health care. The Nominations Committee introduced a Diversity Monitor role into their selection process. Read more on the governance page.
2021	Since 2015, Fellows interested in becoming involved with the Royal College were asked to fill out an online form. Internal analysis showed that these Fellows are unlikely to be contacted. In April 2021, the form was replaced with this Get Involved webpage. We are examining the make-up of our current workforce and leadership team, recruitment and retention practices, and organizational culture. Read more in our Strategic Plan and our Annual Review to members.
2022	The CCVI continues to guide changes to the annual Committees of Council appointment process, which includes a new open call and standard application process, applied across all Committees of Council. Read more on the committees page.
2023	By the end of 2023, access to opportunities will start being more equitable, and participation more diverse.