Dr Mike Green was elected as the 70th President of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) on November 1, 2023, at the Annual Meeting of Members. He was officially installed in the role on November 10, 2023, during Family Medicine Forum.

Dr Green, who grew up in Vancouver, BC, completed his medical degree at the University of British Columbia and had planned to do his residency training at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont, or at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS, but on a “bit of a whim” he interviewed with Memorial University of Newfoundland in St John’s and opted to go there.

“I thought it would be fun to go to the opposite coast. I also thought it would be totally different from Vancouver, and I was correct.”

In addition to having a great clinical experience in Newfoundland and Labrador, Dr Green discovered that the province offered an amazing music scene; an accomplished violinist, Dr Green performed with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. He also met his future wife, Martina, there.

Based on a suggestion from one of his preceptors and mentors, Dr Cheri Bethune, who served as CFPC President from 1996 to 1997, Dr Green started his medical career in Moose Factory in northern Ontario, and he stayed there for 8 years.

“I really loved the people and the communities where I worked, both in Moose Factory and in the coastal communities. I was the regular visiting physician for Kashechewan [near James Bay], which I visited anywhere from 1 to 4 times per month over the years. People were friendly, and I felt really welcome. I also worked with a great group of colleagues.”

Moose Factory served as a teaching site for family medicine residents, mostly from Queen’s University, including CFPC Past-President Dr Christie Newton.

While Dr Green was in Moose Factory, Indigenous people in the area were embarking on a return to self-governance.

“In Moose Factory and the Mushkegowuk Territory, you were always faced with the legacy of colonization. The hospital itself was a former ‘Indian Hospital’ that had served as a tuberculosis sanatorium. There had been a notorious residential school in the region that was the root of a lot of multigenerational trauma and suffering. You could really see how the move away from traditional culture and activities had had a negative impact and the benefits to individuals and communities when these connections were strengthened or restored.”

During his time in Moose Factory, Dr Green completed his master’s degree in public health with a focus on health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD. While most of the program was online—“I used 50k dial-up Internet”—he and his family (2 of his 4 children were born in Moose Factory) would fly to Baltimore so he could attend classes in person. The family moved to Kingston in 2003 so Dr Green could pursue academic work at Queen’s University, where he is now Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Public Health Sciences. He also sees patients as part of the Queen’s Family Health Team, is Senior Adjunct Scientist at ICES, and has a passion for research.

“Being a family doctor prepared me to be flexible. I love the variety. It’s what drew me to family medicine.”

In looking ahead to his year as CFPC President, Dr Green noted it will be important to make “real progress in the area of practice reform.”

While he said he does not expect the crisis in family medicine1 to be solved immediately, Dr Green does want to see tangible results, including better compensation levels, different remuneration options, and greater support for team-based care and infrastructure.

With his broad range of practice experiences—including having worked as a comprehensive rural generalist and in public health—Dr Green said he understands well the diverse settings members are working in and their related challenges.

“A lot of the issues we are facing are ones that have been a big part of my other roles. I am not shy to advance members’ concerns to government or to other key partners in the health care sector. I also love to talk with people and exchange ideas and perspectives, so please drop me a line at mgreencfpc.ca. Let me know what you think!”