The Syrian Board of Medical Specializations “SBOMS” recently held elections via the Zoom platform on December 31, 2023. The purpose of the election was to select a head of resident doctors and a head of resident female doctors in SBOMS. This was the first time such an experiment was conducted in northwestern Syria, and it aims to empower resident doctors to have a say in selecting and shaping their professional future in medical specialties.
The competent scientific councils and the Board of Directors of SBOMS will work in cooperation with the elected heads to ensure that resident doctors’ needs and demands are adequately represented and addressed at the administrative level. This collaboration will help draw a better future for medical specialties and medical services provided to the people of Syria and everyone who needs these services. The SBOMS management acknowledges the significance of this election and the importance of representing resident doctors’ interests for better healthcare services. The process began with an announcement and the opening of candidacy for the positions of head of resident doctors and head of resident doctors. The tasks required for these roles were also clarified. Several male and female doctors applied for candidacy within the time open. After reviewing the applications, five male and two female doctors who met the required conditions were accepted.
Each doctor gave a brief introduction to their professional background and personal interests. They then presented their ideas on how to improve the training and development of resident doctors in the Syrian Board of Medical Specializations. The goal is to have a positive impact on Syrian society by enhancing the quality of medical and health services provided to the people.
On the evening of Sunday, December 31st, 2023, voting opened via the Zoom platform for one hour. The results were available to all participants, including polling and resident doctors. We are pleased to report that the first steps of this pioneering experiment were successful and noteworthy.
A total of 204 male and female doctors participated in the electoral process, with a turnout of 64.4%. The electoral process was technically successful as all submissions were reviewed. 12 ballots were canceled due to duplication, and 192 ballots were validated. This reflects a strong commitment to democratic principles and the success of the process.
The doctors who submitted their nominations were from different specialties, indicating a commitment to multidisciplinarity. The winning physician was also from a different specialty, which can provide useful diversity in management and leadership.
Dr. Hilal and Dr. Ghanima expressed their commitment to representing and promoting the rights and interests of residents in their motivation statements. Dr. Hilal expressed his gratitude to the resident doctors for entrusting him and emphasized his commitment to effectively represent them in the future. He also thanked the supervising and trained doctors for their support and expressed his desire to fulfill the SBOMS’ goal of producing distinguished doctors worldwide. Dr. Ghanima expressed her pride and motivation to improve the working conditions of the resident doctors and thanked them for their trust. Both doctors wished success to the educational institution and prayed for God’s help in fulfilling their responsibilities and meeting everyone’s expectations. Finally, they expressed their hope to be a positive influence and contribute to the betterment of the community.
In conclusion:
“The Syrian Board of Medical Specialization is committed to ensuring the active participation of resident physicians in decision-making. We wish this step success and hope it inspires the management of SBOMS, scientific councils, and supervisors of resident doctors’ training to improve the educational and training process in medical specialties. Our goal is to motivate doctors in Syria to keep up with the latest medical updates, and actively participate in the development of medical sciences and scientific research.”