Activities Profile on the CCMS

by Dr. John Chiu
Advisor & Past President, CCMS (Ont.) & FCCP (Ont.)
Past President, Federation of Chinese Canadian Professionals (Ont.) Education Foundation
Past Chairman & Past President, Federation of Chinese American & Chinese Canadian Medical Societies

MEDICAL ACTIVITIES

  • Educational CME dinner Lectures
  • Annual Medical Seminar, in cooperation with the FCCP (Ont.) and other sections of the Federation
  • Biennial Conference since 1982 on Health Problems Related to the Chinese in North America, held so far in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Toronto(1990), and Vancouver, (a FCMS activity). The CCMS (Ont.) will be hosting again in Toronto in 2008 (the 14th Biennial Conference).
  • Offshore CME tours/cruises
  • Medical Students Orientation annually in Oct/Nov; & Career Guidance Evenings on request
  • Mentor Program for medical students; also supporting several yearly activities of the students
  • Basic Chinese Medical Vocabulary Seminars
  • Liaison with other Asian and non-Asian Medical/Health Societies, e.g. Filipino Chinese Medical Association, member organizations of the Federation of Chinese American & Chinese Canadian Medical Societies (FCMS), other Chinese Canadian medical groups, and the Ontario Medical Association
  • Assistance in clinical research and data collection, e.g. Cancer Screening practices in Chinese Women, Stroke Issues in the Chinese Patients
  • Radio, TV and Newspaper medical talks, Health Awareness Outreach lectures, public Health Forum, community health clinics, etc.

SOCIAL & CULTURAL

  • Social activities: Christmas Family Party, FCCP Chinese New Year Ball, etc
  • Sports activities: badminton, basketball, tennis, soccer, golf tournament, etc
  • Cultural Tours: particularly to China, Hong Kong and the Southeast Asia
  • Cultural events: opera, ballet, art gallery and museum exhibitions, theatres
  • Other events may include nature tour (e.g. Algonquin Park), summer picnic, etc

COMMUNITY LIAISON AND OUTREACH SERVICES

  • Liaison: The Society has been in regular dialogue and association with numerous medical organizations as well as the medical faculty of the University of Toronto. These include the Liver Foundation (CCMS together with the Liver Foundation were instrumental in bringing in free Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns for Hepatitis B carrier mothers), the Hearing Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Red Cross (in form of donations and blood donor clinic), as well as various Hospitals in the greater Toronto area. The Society also helped the University of Toronto in setting up exchange program with the Szechuan Medical College (now the West China University of Medical Sciences), and was consulted on the issues of English proficiency examination, and entrance examination to the university.
  • Hospitality: The Society regularly offers hospitality to visiting medical colleagues from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries.
  • Community Education on medical health: Regular individual medical/health talks, lectures and education series have been given by Society members to the Chinese Canadian community and non Chinese community groups, at various venues such as hospitals, community centres, Mon Sheong Home for the Aged, Radio stations, MTV, Fairchild TV, City TV, and local cable channels. Among other educational services, the Society also sponsored a year long question and answer medical column in the Sing Tao Daily News. The CCMS (Ont.) members are also regular organizers of Community Health Forums at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto.
  • Other Community Services: These included free medical clinic for Vietnamese refugees, supporting Chinese outreach programs in hospitals, breast cancer outreach clinic, sponsoring tea parties at Mon Sheong Old Age Home, and donating and offering support to activities of charitable organizations such as the United Way, various Hospital Foundations, Mon Sheong Home for the Aged, St. John=s Ambulance Service, the Hong Fook Mental Health Service and the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto and other Chinese Canadian organizations.
  • Community Issues: The Society was actively involved in community issues such as Vietnamese Refugees Programs, Metro Police Race Relations, W5 Campus Giveaway, University of Toronto English Proficiency Test and Entrance Examination, Hepatitis B vaccines, Bill 94 and other OHIP issues, Foreign Medical Graduates, Nursing Home projects, SARS education, etc.

PROMOTING HIGHER EDUCATION

  • The CCMS (Ont.) has been the staunchest supporter of the FCCP (Ont.) Education Foundation, the charitable arm of the FCCP, which promotes higher education through prizes and scholarships, interest free student loans and annual Awards of Merit. The Society members accounted for well over 50% of the money raised in the initial three years of the Foundation, whose capital fund now stands at around $1 Million. The CCMS (Ont.) has also established through the Foundation, giving out annually two prizes of $500 each in Anatomy, and Metabolism and an Entrance scholarship ($2500) which are given out annually at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto.