Thank you, BCMA

I was knocking the BCMA, today. That's the British Columbia Medical Association. I'm often ungratefully of the opinion they're increasingly irrelevant and don't really do anything for doctors.  I get overworked, tired and grumpy and want to walk out of this 'professional 'union'' and join the Teamsters.
That said, I really admire the guys and gals who do the horrible committee work and actually sit down with the government professionals who make a life time out of screwing professionals and unions all to improve their own take home.  With stats showing that for doctors to make the same income they did 25 years ago at 30 patients a day they have to see 60 patients minimum in the same time.  Further there is a recommendation we write down for five minutes every 5 minutes we're with a patient halving the available health care in Canada by one self serving legal convention. At the same time all doctors are enemies whereas 'earth doctors' overnight can be 'trusted'.
Constantly government plays one group against another and politics takes a front seat to everyone and everything.  The BCMA is the only group actually working for me.  I knock them like a kid knocks the family. Thanks to the BCMA I have something. Not what CUPE has or the Teamsters but something is a whole lot better than what it could be.  The men and women in the BCMA, especially the executive need my support.  I give that to the 'elected' governemnt. When the votes are cast I go with the winner even if the winner isn't the one I necessarily wanted.
The BCMA isn't the Teamsters. When a doctor is sent into the ring with Cassius Clay in the fixed fights that they give us, the doctor usually isn't up for the brawling and eye gouging that's what politicians live for.  Doctors are 'specialists'.  They're fragile hot house plants, little geniuses. Years ago they didn't become bankers and lawyers or even politicians when they could but instead became doctors because apparently we have this 'care for people' trait that pure businessmen and professional athletes lack.  Doctors lack some key thing by having this caring for people thing and  that makes them likely to lose in a street fight with what the government has to negotiate with us.
I spent my life learning how to 'heal' patients, to 'get them well'. Long ago I figured out that if I ever had a fight with a military guy or policeman he was likely going to win because he'd spent his life learning how to put me down and make me temporarily at least very 'unwell'.   That's the story with the BCMA.  They aren't the teamsters.  Despite that they're family and they're my family so I have to be a bit more supportive.  I still just wish they'd consult the Teamsters, somebody who could help them negotiate with government and maybe return to doctors their 'autonomy' and their ability to do what was best for their patient's, with more resources for the task.
So Thank You BCMA, I know you're all doctors and doctors by definition are 'lovers' not 'fighter's but I love you for trying.  One of these days we'll have a David to face the Goliaths.  Fix up that stethscope into a sling shot.  For now I'll  accept that we're doctors. The BCMA is indeed some of the very best of the best.  But they're not the Teamsters.