About CSIM

The Canadian Society of Internal Medicine (CSIM) is a national medical society of physicians who are specialists in the broad discipline of General Internal Medicine. CSIM members provide expert medical care for adults with complex multi-system diseases at community and academic hospitals across Canada.

Mission Statement

The CSIM is a non-profit professional society that promotes the health and well-being of Canadian patients, their communities, and their health care systems. We seek to foster leadership and excellence in the practice of General Internal Medicine (GIM) through research, education, and advocacy for health promotion and disease management.

Vision

We believe that General Internal Medicine in Canada plays a central role in the training of current and future clinicians, in clinical research, in patient care, in health promotion, and in health advocacy; and that it unites a body of knowledge, values, and principles of care that lay the foundation for excellence in the Canadian health care system.

Values

We embrace the ethical and professional standards that are common to all healing professions, as well as the specific values of generalism, teamwork, competency-based training, life-long learning, evidence-based medicine, holism, and humane, patient-centered care.

History

The CSIM has a rich history dating back to 1958 when Dr. Brock Fahrni and a group of dedicated physicians established it as a national federation of provincial societies. Their goal was to provide a collective voice for Canadian internists, ensuring the specialty’s growth and recognition. Despite initial success, the society faced challenges in maintaining momentum and ceased operations in the late 1960s.

A major turning point came in 1983 when Dr. Alan Gilbert, recognizing the increasing subspecialisation of medicine, led efforts to re-establish CSIM. During a meeting at the Royal College in Calgary, he and a group of internists laid the foundation for the society’s contemporary resurgence. This revival strengthened the representation of General Internal Medicine and reinforced its importance within Canada’s healthcare system.

Today, CSIM is a thriving organization committed to advancing internal medicine through education, research, and advocacy. It plays a vital role in supporting internists and promoting excellence in patient care across Canada.

In recent years, CSIM has taken an active role in shaping the future of internal medicine training. In 2019, CSIM issued a position statement calling for a unified training pathway, eliminating the standalone four-year IM certification in favor of General Internal Medicine (GIM) as the primary route to practice. This led to CSIM’s involvement in the Medicine Pathways Project, an ongoing initiative aimed at streamlining internal medicine training in Canada. As a key stakeholder in this project, CSIM continues to advocate for high-quality training and a clear, consistent pathway for future internists and general internists.

To learn more about the history of the CSIM, contact info@csim.ca.