The story
History
Efforts to form a national medical association date back to 1844, when Quebec physician Dr. Joseph Painchaud and colleagues discussed ways to support physicians and their families. There were false starts in attempts to form an association, but soon after Confederation, practicing physicians were successful in developing a national body.
A formal meeting to establish the Canadian Medical Association took place in Quebec City on October 9 to 11, 1867, with 164 physicians attending to discuss medical education and licensure.Sir Charles Tupper, later Prime Minister of Canada, served as the association’s first president.
The CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism has existed in one form or another since 1868. As recently as 2015 this document was considered by the CMA to be "arguably the most important document produced by the CMA. It has a history of providing ethical guidance to Canada's physicians. The Code is reviewed and updated periodically with the most recent revision to be released in 2026 at the direction of the CMA Board.
In its first 25 years, meeting attendance was small. There was a notice of motion in 1894 to disband it and in 1921, the association faced insolvency.
The Montreal Medical Journal became the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 1911.
The CMA played a role in the establishment of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Protective Association, and the Medical Council of Canada.
The association participated in public health responses to the 1918 Spanish Flu, the 2002 SARS outbreak, and the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
In the 1930s, the CMA contributed funds toward the creation of the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), using proceeds from donations made to a national jubilee fund for King George V’s silver jubilee.
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Since the 1950s, the CMA has publicly opposed tobacco use and supported policies restricting tobacco marketing in Canada.
In 1957, the CMA helped develop the Registered Retirement Savings Plan, aimed at improving retirement security for Canadians. It later created MD Financial Management to provide financial services for physicians and their families. The CMA sold it to Scotiabank in 2018 for $2.6 billion, under a 10-year collaboration agreement — a decision that drew both support and criticism within the profession.
In 2018, the CMA withdrew from the World Medical Association (WMA) in protest over plagiarism concerns involving the incoming WMA president’s speech. In 2025, the CMA announced it was rejoining the WMA “at a time when global health issues are demanding increasing attention and collective action.”
On September 18, 2024, the CMA issued an apology for its role and the broader medical profession’s involvement in harms to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada’s health system.
Trustworthy health information
In 2024, the CMA and Abacus Data launched a Health and Media Tracking Survey to shed light on the prevalence of false health information in Canada, its impact on health and the health system, and potential strategies to mitigate the problem.
To improve the media environment and provide accessible, evidence-based health and health system information, the CMA has launched Healthcare for Real and Tellement Santé. The CMA is also advocating for the passage of the federal government’s Safe Social Media Act to hold digital platforms accountable for online harms to people living in Canada, especially children.
From Wikipedia’s article on Canadian Medical Association, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3