Gigi Osler

Canadian politician and physician

The Honourable

Gigi Osler

FRCSC

Chair of the
Canadian Senators Group

Incumbent

Assumed office
October 24, 2023
Leader| Scott Tannas
Preceded by| Robert Black
Canadian Senator
from Manitoba

Incumbent

Assumed office
September 26, 2022
Nominated by| Justin Trudeau
Appointed by| Mary Simon
Preceded by| Murray Sinclair
President of the Canadian Medical Association
In office
2018 – 2019
Personal details
Born|

Flordeliz Sharma

(1968-09-09) September 9, 1968 (age 56)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Political party| Canadian Senators Group
Spouse|

John Hugh Cameron Osler

(m. 1993)​

Alma mater| University of Manitoba
Website| www.drgigiosler.com

Flordeliz "Gigi" Osler (née Sharma) FRCSC (born September 9, 1968)[1] is a Canadian Senator, physician, and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba.[2][3] She was the 2018–2019 President of the Canadian Medical Association.[4]

## Early life and education

[edit]

Osler was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her mother was a nurse from the Philippines and her father was an Indian physician. As a child she lived on-site in the Riverview Health Centre.[5]

She studied medicine at the University of Manitoba and graduated in 1992.[6] She remained there to specialize in head and neck surgery and graduated from residency in 1997.[6] Thereafter, she completed a rhinology position at St. Paul's Hospital Vancouver, specializing in endoscopic sinus surgery.[6] Osler later recounted that in the 1990s "surgery was still very much a male-dominated field. I was told, ‘Surgery’s too tough. You should look at pediatrics.’"[5]

## Career

[edit]

Osler is the current Head of the Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at St. Boniface Hospital and is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Manitoba College of Medicine.[5]

In 2011, she volunteered with the Canadian Helping Kids in Vietnam's medical mission to Long Xuyên, which focused on delivering medical equipment and educating Vietnamese doctors and nurses.[7] She has also been part of several missions to train surgeons in Africa and has spent several years in Mbarara.[8][9] She has been an invited faculty member at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.[10]

In 2017, Dr. Osler defended the practice of "income sprinkling", which allows high-earning professionals and business owners to reduce taxes by distributing income to family members who may do minimal work.[11]

In 2018, Osler was announced as the president of the Canadian Medical Association.[12][13] She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Regional Advisory Committee.[14] She is also a Fellow of the Royal College.[15]

In 2021, Dr. Osler became president of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada.

On September 26, 2022, Osler was appointed to the Senate of Canada by the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.[16] On January 10, 2023, Osler joined the Canadian Senators Group.[17]

### Physician health

[edit]

Osler believes that maintaining the health and wellness of oneself should be incorporated into medical training.[18][19] In 2015, Osler co-chaired the Canadian Conference on Physician Health.[5][20]

## Personal life

[edit]

Osler is married to John Hugh Cameron Osler and has two children.[5] She is the great-great-grand niece-in-law of William Osler by affinity.[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Cabana, Ysh (December 15, 2022). "Flordeliz Osler". Canadian Encyclopedia.
2. ^ "Practitioner Information". The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
3. ^ "Faculty & Staff". University of Manitoba. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
4. ^ "Dr. F. Gigi Osler, Past President, 2019–20". Canadian Medical Association. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
5. ^ a b c d e "Madam President". University of Manitoba. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
6. ^ a b c d "Dr. F. Gigi Osler, BScMed, MD, FRCSC". Doctors Manitoba. 2017-11-13. Archived from the original on 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
7. ^ "Gigi Osler BScMed, MD, FRCSC | Speakers | 2018 COS Annual Meeting and Exhibition". sites.grenadine.co. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
8. ^ "Dr. F. Gigi Osler, President, 2018–19 | Canadian Medical Association". www.cma.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
9. ^ "Canadian Specialists Train MUST Students in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery". Soft Power. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
10. ^ "Dr. F. Gigi Osler | BACO International 2020". www.baco2020.org. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
11. ^ "Dr. Gigi Osler on #TaxFairness" – via www.youtube.com.
12. ^ "Gigi Osler takes over as president of Canadian Medical Association – great-great-great niece of legendary physician and past CMA president". Retrieved 2019-02-08.
13. ^ "New CMA head says time is now for politicians to talk decriminalizing opioids". CBC. September 21, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
14. ^ "The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada :: RAC Region 2 members". www.royalcollege.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
15. ^ "The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada : Directory". rclogin.royalcollege.ca. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
16. ^ "The Prime Minister announces the appointment of two Senators". Prime Minister of Canada. 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
17. ^ Canadian Senators Group/e des sénateurs canadiens [@csg_gsc] (January 10, 2023). "As an internationally renowned surgeon & former president of the @CMA_Docs, Senator Gigi Osler is a leader in transforming Canada's health care system to ensure that it is accessible to all. Members of the CSG look forward to working with @drgigiosler" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
18. ^ "CFMS at the International Conference Physician Health" (PDF). CFMS. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
19. ^ "Speakers – CMA Health Summit". Retrieved 2019-02-08.
20. ^ "Congratulations to Dr. F. Gigi Osler, the 2017 CMA President-elect Nominee" (PDF). ENT Canada. Retrieved 2019-02-08.

## External links

[edit]

* Osler's inaugural address as the President of CMA
*   * Gigi Osler – Parliament of Canada biography

* v
* t
* e

Current members of the Senate of Canada

Presiding officers:

* Speaker: Raymonde Gagné
* Speaker pro tempore: René Cormier

AB|

* ■ Fridhandler
* ■ LaBoucane-Benson
* ■ Simons
* ■ Sorensen
* ■ Tannas
* ■ K. Wells

BC|

* ■ Busson
* ■ Dhillon
* ■ Greenwood
* ■ Martin
* ■ Wilson
* ■ Woo

MB|

* ■ Adler
* ■ Gagné
* ■ McCallum
* ■ McPhedran
* ■ Osler
* 1 vacancy

NB|

* ■ Arnold
* ■ Boudreau
* ■ Cormier
* ■ Kingston
* ■ McNair
* ■ Poirier
* ■ Quinn
* ■ Richards
* ■ Ringuette
* ■ Ross

NL|

* ■ Manning
* ■ Marshall
* ■ Petten
* ■ Ravalia
* ■ D. Wells
* ■ White

NS|

* ■ Aucoin
* ■ Bernard
* ■ Coyle
* ■ Cuzner
* ■ C. Deacon
* ■ Ince
* ■ Kutcher
* ■ MacDonald
* ■ Prosper
* ■ Surette

ON|

* ■ Al Zaibak
* ■ Ataullahjan
* ■ Black
* ■ Boehm
* ■ Boniface
* ■ Boyer
* ■ Burey
* ■ Cardozo
* ■ Clement
* ■ Dasko
* ■ M. Deacon
* ■ Dean
* ■ Harder
* ■ Hay
* ■ McBean
* ■ Mohamed
* ■ Moncion
* ■ Moodie
* ■ Pate
* ■ R. Patterson
* ■ Pupatello
* ■ Senior
* ■ Varone
* ■ Yussuff

PE|

* ■ Downe
* ■ Francis
* ■ MacAdam
* ■ Robinson

QC|

* ■ Audette
* ■ Brazeau
* ■ Carignan
* ■ Dalphond
* ■ Forest
* ■ Galvez
* ■ Gerba
* ■ Gignac
* ■ Hébert
* ■ Henkel
* ■ Housakos
* ■ Loffreda
* ■ Massicotte
* ■ Mégie
* ■ Miville-Dechêne
* ■ Moreau
* ■ Oudar
* ■ Petitclerc
* ■ Saint-Germain
* ■Seidman
* ■ Smith
* ■ Verner
* ■ Youance
* 1 vacancy

SK|

* ■ Arnot
* ■ Batters
* ■ Klyne
* ■ Lewis
* ■ Muggli
* ■ Wallin

Territories|

■ Anderson

■ Karetak-Lindell

■ Duncan

* ■ Independent Senators Group (46)
* ■ Canadian Senators Group (20)
* ■ Progressive Senate Group (18)
* ■ Conservative (14)
* ■ Non-affiliated (5)
* ■ Vacant (2)

*[m.]: married
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