Gigi Osler

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Gigi Osler

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|FRCSC}}

| image = F Gigi Osler, Canadian Medical Association crop.jpg

| imagesize =

| office = Chair of the
Canadian Senators Group

| leader = Scott Tannas

| term_start = October 24, 2023

| term_end =

| predecessor = Robert Black

| successor =

| office1 = Canadian Senator
from Manitoba

| appointed1 = Mary Simon

| nominator1 = Justin Trudeau

| predecessor1 = Murray Sinclair

| term_start1 = September 26, 2022

| office2 = President of the Canadian Medical Association

| term2 = 2018 – 2019

| birth_name = Flordeliz Sharma

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|9|9}}

| birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

| alma_mater = University of Manitoba

| spouse = {{marriage|John Hugh Cameron Osler|1993}}

| website = [https://www.drgigiosler.com/about-dr-osler.php www.drgigiosler.com]

|party = Canadian Senators Group

}}

Flordeliz "Gigi" Osler (née Sharma) {{post-nominals|country=CAN|FRCSC}} (born September 9, 1968){{cite encyclopedia|last=Cabana|first=Ysh|title=Flordeliz Osler|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/flordeliz-osler|encyclopedia=Canadian Encyclopedia|date=December 15, 2022}} is a Canadian Senator, physician, and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba.{{cite web |title=Practitioner Information |url=http://member.cpsm.mb.ca/Practitioner/Profile?id=55330 |website=The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba |accessdate=18 November 2020 |archive-date=13 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113070931/http://member.cpsm.mb.ca/Practitioner/Profile?id=55330 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Faculty & Staff |url=http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/health_sciences/medicine/units/otolaryngology/facstaff/faculty.html |website=University of Manitoba |accessdate=18 November 2020}} She was the 2018–2019 President of the Canadian Medical Association.{{cite web |title=Dr. F. Gigi Osler, Past President, 2019–20 |url=https://www.cma.ca/dr-f-gigi-osler-past-president-2019-20 |website=Canadian Medical Association |accessdate=18 November 2020 |language=en}}

Early life and education

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.{{Cite web |url=http://news.umanitoba.ca/madam-president |title=Madam President |website=University of Manitoba |date=13 September 2018 |language=en |access-date=2019-02-08}}

She studied medicine at the University of Manitoba and graduated in 1992.{{Cite web|url=https://doctorsmanitoba.ca/2017/11/dr-f-gigi-osler-bscmed-md-frcsc/|title=Dr. F. Gigi Osler, BScMed, MD, FRCSC|date=2017-11-13|website=Doctors Manitoba|language=en-CA|access-date=2019-02-08|archive-date=2019-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124359/https://doctorsmanitoba.ca/2017/11/dr-f-gigi-osler-bscmed-md-frcsc/|url-status=dead}} She remained there to specialize in head and neck surgery and graduated from residency in 1997. Thereafter, she completed a rhinology position at St. Paul's Hospital Vancouver, specializing in endoscopic sinus surgery. 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.’"

Career

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.

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.{{Cite web|url=https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/cos-sco/en/toronto2018/participants/45|title=Gigi Osler BScMed, MD, FRCSC {{!}} Speakers {{!}} 2018 COS Annual Meeting and Exhibition|website=sites.grenadine.co|access-date=2019-02-08}} She has also been part of several missions to train surgeons in Africa and has spent several years in Mbarara.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cma.ca/dr-f-gigi-osler-president-2018-19|title=Dr. F. Gigi Osler, President, 2018–19 {{!}} Canadian Medical Association|website=www.cma.ca|access-date=2019-02-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.softpower.ug/canadian-specialists-train-must-students-in-ear-nose-and-throat-surgery/|title=Canadian Specialists Train MUST Students in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery|website=Soft Power|date=18 January 2019|access-date=2019-02-08}} She has been an invited faculty member at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baco2020.org/speakers/dr-f-gigi-osler|title=Dr. F. Gigi Osler {{!}} BACO International 2020|website=www.baco2020.org|access-date=2019-02-08}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Gigi Osler on #TaxFairness |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc6Ry183_dA |via=www.youtube.com}}

In 2018, Osler was announced as the president of the Canadian Medical Association.{{Cite news |title=Gigi Osler takes over as president of Canadian Medical Association – great-great-great niece of legendary physician and past CMA president |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-gigi-osler-takes-over-as-president-of-canadian-medical-association/ |access-date=2019-02-08}}{{Cite web |date=September 21, 2018 |title=New CMA head says time is now for politicians to talk decriminalizing opioids |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cma-president-decriminalizing-opioid-1.4832141 |access-date=2019-02-08 |website=CBC |language=en}} She has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Regional Advisory Committee.{{Cite web |title=The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada :: RAC Region 2 members |url=http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/membership/regional-advisory-committees/region-2/rac-region-2-members-e |access-date=2019-02-08 |website=www.royalcollege.ca}} She is also a Fellow of the Royal College.{{Cite web |title=The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada : Directory |url=https://rclogin.royalcollege.ca/webcenter/portal/rcdirectory_en/RCDirectorySearch?searchText=Gigi+Osler|access-date=2022-02-11 |website=rclogin.royalcollege.ca}}

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.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-26 |title=The Prime Minister announces the appointment of two Senators |url=https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2022/09/26/prime-minister-announces-appointment-two-senators |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=Prime Minister of Canada |language=en}} On January 10, 2023, Osler joined the Canadian Senators Group.{{Cite tweet |author=Canadian Senators Group/e des sénateurs canadiens |user=csg_gsc |number=1612827336197705728 |title=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}}

= Physician health =

Osler believes that maintaining the health and wellness of oneself should be incorporated into medical training.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfms.org/Press%20Release%20Announcement%20ICPH%20f_u-2.pdf|title=CFMS at the International Conference Physician Health|website=CFMS|access-date=2019-02-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://cmahealthsummit.ca/speakers/|title=Speakers – CMA Health Summit|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-08}} In 2015, Osler co-chaired the Canadian Conference on Physician Health.{{Cite web|url=http://www.entcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/Osler-President-Elect-CMA-May-2017.pdf|title=Congratulations to Dr. F. Gigi Osler, the 2017 CMA President-elect Nominee|website=ENT Canada|access-date=2019-02-08}}