/ The Society of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists of Canada / Approved: / June 2012
Reviewed: / June 2013
Revised: / June 2013
Junior Members Committee Terms of Reference
PURPOSE: /
  • To provide a forum in which Ob/Gyn’s in training can express opinions and recommendations pertaining to issues affecting training and practice
  • To provide information and develop programmes for Junior Members of the Society
  • To increase communication among Junior Members and Members of the Society

OBJECTIVES:
COMMITTEE COMPOSITION:
SELECTIONof
REPS:
TERMS of
REPS: /
  • To promote membership in the SOGC among residents and medical students.
  • To assist in member development by promoting fellowships and elective grant availabilities.
  • To work with the Promotion of the Specialty Committee in promoting the specialty of Ob/Gyn to medical students and the community
  • To address issues that directly impact Ob/Gyn residents
  • To develop opinion papers and policy statements for the Society which directly impact on residents well-being and education
  • To represent and promote resident perspective in the development of SOGC academic programming.
  • To communicate JM Committee activities within the Junior Member communities of each university
  • The committee will consist of the Chair, Chair-Elect and Past-Chair, two resident representatives from each Canadian Ob/Gyn residency program (32), one member advisory, the SOGC EVP (ex-officio member),one fellow and one medical student (non-voting member).
  • Each Canadian Ob/Gyn residency program will contribute a senior and a junior resident representative.
  • There will be eleven executive officers on the JM Committee: Chair, Chair-Elect and Past-Chair, five regional representatives and fellow, one member advisory, the SOGC EVP (ex-officio member). The regional representatives will be seniors (occasionally junior representatives) of their respect training programs; however, the Chair, Chair-Elect and Past-Chair will not hold a program representative position.
  • The full JM Committee will therefore consist of 39 members.
  • A junior and senior JM Committee representative will be selected by their respective residency programs and will subsequently be appointed to their positions by the JM Committee. This internal process of selection will be determined by each residency program and not by the JM Committee.
  • Each residency program will have two JM Committee representatives – one senior and one junior representative. The junior JM representative will preferably be a PGY1, PGY2, or PGY3 and the senior JM representative will preferably be a PGY3, PGY4 or PGY5
  • The SOGC Council appoints the EVP (Ex-officio member) to the JM Committee.
  • The JM Committee selects the Member Advisory and the Junior Member Committee will review this position annually.
  • The JM Committee will select the non-voting medical student representative from medical student SOGC members and the Junior Member Committee will review this position annually.
  • The JM Committee will select the fellow representative. The fellow holds a voting position and the Junior Member Committee will review this position annually.
  • It is recommended that JM Committee representatives will remain on the JM Committee for a term of two academic years. After the first year, the junior representative should ascend to the position of senior representative for the following year, and each residency program should select a new junior representative each year. If the junior representative resigns or is not chosen by his/her university to continue as senior representative, then a new senior representative in addition to a new junior representative should be selected by that residency program.
  • If a representative is elected into the Chair-Elect position, he/she will no longer be a program representative and his/her home program then should select a new program representative.
  • No resident shall serve as JM Committee member for more than five years.

MEETINGS:
DECISION-MAKING: /
  • The committee will hold one face-to-face meeting during the academic year. This meeting will take place at the Annual Clinical Meeting. Attendance by JM Committee member at this meeting is strongly encouraged.
  • Mandatory JM Committee teleconferences will occur, at minimum, once every monthas determined by the Chair/Chair Elect. Members are required to RSVP to teleconference announcements and contribute to agenda items or teleconference discussion when called upon.
  • These teleconferences will serve to organize and prioritize the committee’s tasks for the year; however, the bulk of the committee’s work will take place outside of teleconference time and on an on-going basis throughout the year.
  • Attendance at meetings and teleconferences are a mandatory component of membership of the committee. A committee member that anticipates that he/she will be unable to attend a teleconference or meeting should inform the committee coordinator and the Chair or Chair Elect of this expected absence prior to the teleconference or meeting. A committee member that has more than two unexplained absences per academic year or is unable to attend regular meetings despite timely notification of absences will have their position reviewed by the JM Executive Committee. This junior member may be asked to step down and a new member in their place will be requested.
  • Committee decisions will preferentially be made via consensus. Rarely, if consensus cannot be achieved, a majority vote may be held to reach a decision. In the case of a vote, each committee member present, except non-voting members, will have one voting right. If a tie vote occurs, the issue will be decided upon by a second vote among the current JM Executive Committee members.
  • For meeting and decision-making purposes, quorum will consist of eight JM Committee representatives and two executive members.

COORDINATOR: / Janie Poirier
The Society of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists of Canada / Approved: / June 2012
Reviewed: / June 2013
Revised: / June 2013
Junior Members Executive Committee
Terms of Reference
PURPOSE: /
  • The Junior Members Executive will prioritize and organize the roles, responsibilities and activities of the JM Committee.

OBJECTIVES:
COMMITTEE COMPOSITION:
TERMS of OFFICERS:
SELECTION of OFFICERS:
MEETINGS:
DECISION-MAKING:
COORDINATOR: /
  • To oversee the realization of JM Committee activities.
  • To oversee the fulfillment of JM Committee roles and responsibilities.
  • To decide delegation to other SOGC committees and associations such as APOG and the Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health.
  • One Chair
  • One Chair-Elect
  • One Past Chair
  • One representative from each of the five regions
  • One Fellow representative
  • One Member Advisory
  • The EVP (Ex-officio member)
  • The terms of Chair, Chair Elect and Past Chair will be one academic year. Chair Elect will assume the Chair position and Chair will assume the Past Chair position at the end of their terms.
  • Regional representatives will serve a term of one academic year. However, a past regional representative may be nominated and subsequently re-elected to a regional representative position. No one resident will be regional representative for more than two consecutive years.
  • The regional representative is preferably a senior university representative but a junior representative may hold this position when circumstances allow.
  • It is preferable that the regional representative’s home university differ every year; however, this is not a requirement.
  • Selection of JM Regional Representatives and JM Chair Elect will occur at the SOGC ACM. Nominations for JM Regional Representatives and Chair Elect will be accepted prior to and at the ACM JM Committee meeting and election of these officers will occur via majority vote.
  • It is preferable that the Chair Elect be a senior committee representative, however, junior representatives and SOGC junior members who are not JM Committee members may be nominated and be elected to the position of Chair-Elect. It is preferable that the candidate to the position of Chair-Elect be a PGY2 or PGY1 as of July.
  • If a program representative is elected into the Chair-Elect position, he/she will no longer be a program representative and his/her home program then should select a new representative.
  • Chair Elect will assume the Chair position following the SOGC ACM. No vote is required to for the Chair position except in situations of non-confidence or position vacancy.
  • If any executive committee member position becomes vacant during the year, nominations will be re-opened and election of this position will occur by majority vote.
  • Selection of the APOG representatives will occur at the SOGC ACM. APOG representatives will be Executive Committee members; however, this is not a requirement.
  • The committee will hold a minimum of two face-to-face meetings during the academic year. One will be held at the Annual Clinical Meeting in conjunction with the full JM Committee meeting and a second, mid-year meeting will take place at a predetermined location (budget permitting).
  • Attendance at meetings and teleconferences are a mandatory component of executive membership of the committee.An executive committee member that anticipates that he/she will be unable to attend a teleconference or meeting should inform the committee coordinator and the Chair or Chair Elect of this expected absence prior to the teleconference or meeting. An executive committee member that has more than one unexplained absence per academic year or is unable to attend regular meetings despite timely notification of absences will have their position reviewed by the JM Executive Committee (minus the executive member in question). This executive member may then be asked to step down from the executive committee and the JM Committee.
  • For meeting and decision-making purposes, the presence of the following shall constitute quorum: Chair, Chair Elect OR Past Chair and two Regional Representatives.
  • Executive committee decisions will preferentially be made via consensus. Rarely, if consensus cannot be achieved, a majority vote may be held to reach a decision. In the case of a vote, each executive committee member present will have one voting right.
  • Between meetings and teleconferences of the full JM Committee, the Executive Committee shall have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the JM Committee.
Janie Poirier

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