Gratitude

Dr Charlene Lui

In medicine, our work is often defined by urgency. The constant demands of clinical practice, administrative responsibilities, and personal commitments can leave little room to pause. Yet moments of reflection are essential—not only to sustain our own well-being, but also to ensure that our profession remains grounded in compassion, equity, and purpose.

For me, Thanksgiving is an annual reminder to pause and reflect. Today, I’m thinking about the many colleagues I’ve met across the province who continue to show up with compassion, commitment, and ingenuity, despite the mounting pressures in our health care system—the dedicated physicians who step up with solutions when they notice patients can’t access the care they need. Innovators like Dr Christie Chan, who secured federal funding for a mobile health unit to reach remote communities and encampments, remind us what’s possible when compassion and creativity guide care delivery.

Inspiring stories of physicians who action creative solutions to health care challenges are not rare; they are the norm in BC’s medical community. Yet this culture of perseverance raises a sobering question: What toll is this taking on us as individuals? Physicians today face increasing workloads, longer wait lists, and mounting administrative demands. The emotional labor of caring for patients within a strained health care system—particularly for physicians working in underserved, rural, and Indigenous communities—adds further weight to an already heavy burden.

Amid these systemic challenges, there is still much to be thankful for. I invite you to extend gratitude beyond our profession—to the families, friends, and loved ones who sustain us. Those who experience our late nights and missed holidays deserve acknowledgment. Their patience and understanding make it possible for us to meet our patients’ needs. I encourage you to reconnect with them. Take the time to step away from clinical roles and embrace personal ones. Let’s give ourselves permission to rest, share a meal, and be more than our work.

Just as important, let’s not overlook the colleagues who catch us when we falter—the mentors who listen, the peers who check in, the teams who support us. Our professional community is one of our greatest strengths, and I’m thankful to stand with all of you. Please reach out to me anytime at president@doctorsofbc.ca.

Of course, we are not passive participants in this system. We are advocates, leaders, and system builders, and our collective voice has never been more important. We’ve seen the power of collective action—whether advancing primary care reform, like the Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model; standing in solidarity with colleagues, like the medical staff association in Kelowna; or raising the alarm on physician burnout.

I encourage you to take time to rest, reconnect, and reflect. Then, I invite you to engage with your divisions, medical staff associations, sections, and societies, and Doctors of BC. Our collective voice remains essential to shaping a health care system that serves every patient, every community, and every physician with dignity and respect.

To my colleagues across BC—those in hospitals and in community, both rural and urban—thank you. Thank you for your mentorship, your leadership, your expertise, and your perseverance. I hope you find time this season to reconnect with those who matter most and to acknowledge the relationships that sustain your work and well-being.

In solidarity and appreciation,
—Charlene Lui, MD
Doctors of BC President

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