39 candidates vie for 4 OMA physician board director positions

Voting in the 2025 Ontario Medical Association election opened Monday and never in the history of our association have members had more choice in who to elect as their leaders. We have 39 candidates for the OMA board—the most we have ever had stand for election since we modernized our governance structure in 2020—vying for four of the board’s seven physician board director positions.And it’s not only in our elections that we’re seeing a growing wave of engagement from Ontario’s doctors. Over the past year, we’ve also had record number of applications for various OMA committees, panels and working groups. Hundreds of doctors are raising their hands to take part in the association’s work.A cynical critic may look at these numbers and say, “look how bad things are, members are demanding change!”As OMA immediate past-president, I look at these numbers and say, “look how much our members care about their peers and improving the system.”Read: Has scope expansion fragmented patient care? Doctors group says better coordination is neededThe increased engagement also tells me members have faith in our elections—that they feel they have a viable avenue to effect real change and improvement. It tells me that our association is healthy and that we are getting stronger with each passing year.Are some members motivated to get involved out of anger and frustration? Of course. And others are motivated to be a part of the progress we are making. I encourage you to read all our candidates’ statements to experience the wide diversity of motivations and ideas.As OMA past-president tasked with overseeing our elections, I am heartened to see the large number of first-time candidates this year. Any OMA member can put their name forward to stand for election. And we ask all members to vote for the candidates they feel will bring the best mix of skills, experience, and leadership potential to create a skills-focused board. Our election policies, originally put in place in 2020, and continuously reviewed and refined year-over-year, don’t just aim to promote fair and transparent elections. They also support equity of opportunity to lead for all members.Structured differently, the OMA elections could simply be a popularity contest—a demonstration of who has the widest personal network, often favouring those with the loudest voices, or those working in large specialities or big cities. In 2020, members told us clearly that is not what they wanted. They wanted elected leaders who had the best skills for the job. They also wanted the OMA to provide opportunities to develop leadership skills, to give members the chance to find potential leaders in our profession and give them their support.The elections’ structure we have today is the result of a balance. We listen to members and are also guided by best governance practices. Is it perfect? No, and it never will be. But is it responsive and continuously improving? Yes.I feel fortunate that the members who drove our governance modernization in 2020 chose the path we are now on. Had the election for OMA president focused on campaigning and popularity over skills and leadership potential I would have never stepped forward. And I would have missed out on one of the high points of my career. This year, there is one number I want to see catch up with our record number of nominations and that’s voter turnout. I know it can be difficult to remain optimistic in our current environment. But please, look to your colleagues who have put in time and effort into running in this election and pledge your support for them by casting your vote before polls close February 7.Dr. Andrew Park is the Ontario Medical Association’s past-president.

39 candidates vie for 4 OMA physician board director positions

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