Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada


The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is a national medical society in Canada, representing over 4,000 obstetricians/gynaecologists, family physicians, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals in the field of sexual reproductive health.

Status and activities

The SOGC has been granted accreditation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as a Continued Professional Development provider for physicians and health care providers in Canada. The Society offers professional educational including the Annual Clinical Meeting, RCPSC-accredited Continuing Medical Education programs, e-learning modules, and its Managing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently patient safety program.
The SOGC produces national clinical guidelines for both public and medical education on women's health, and publishes the monthly Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, Canada's peer-reviewed journal of obstetrics, gynaecology, and women's health.
The ALARM International Program, a training tool designed to reduce maternal death or injury in developing countries, has been delivered in over 20 countries around the world by SOGC member volunteers.

History

The SOGC was founded in 1944. The members of its Founding Council, which governed from 1944 to 1945, were:
Dr. Léon Gérin-Lajoie, the SOGC's first president, suggested the name "Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada - Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada." Gérin-Lajoie was one of several SOGC representatives at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics First World Congress in 1954, and went on to become FIGO's vice-president in 1957 and president in 1958.
Beginning in the late 1980s, the SOGC gradually broadened its purpose to include international women's health, advocacy, indigenous health, public education, patient safety, and human resources in obstetrics and gynaecology. During this period, the Society also began admitting members of related medical professions, such as nursing and midwifery.