Five Questions with CASEM President Tatiana Jevremovic, M.D.

Tatiana Jevremovic, M.D. — current president of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM)

The Canadian Academey of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) hosts its annual symposium in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in just a couple of days:  from June 6 to 9 sports medicine clinicians from around Canada and the globe will be attending what looks to be another excellent conference which CASEM is hosting.

This past year Tatiana Jevremovic, M.D. has been serving as the CASEM president.  We thought it would be a good time to catch up with her before the clock runs out on her presidency at the end of this month.

In the midst of all her many, many commitments, she graciously found the time to do this interview.  We were delighted with the results, and we know you will be as well.

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1. CJSM: Where else to begin but by asking you about your year as President of the CASEM. You complete your term at the end of June, after the annual meeting which takes place in Halifax this year. What were your major challenges as president this year?  What were your high points?

TJ: There have been a few high points during my presidency year. We hired a communication advisor that has started elevating CASEM’s profile on social media through infographics and soon-to-be-completed new podcasts. We have met and introduced CASEM to the Public Health Agency of Canada as well as other organizations such as ParticipACTION, and are exploring future collaborations on projects of mutual interest such as concussion and health enhancing physical activity.. We continue to strengthen our professional relationships with friends and stakeholders such at Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), Canadian Concussion Collaborative affiliated organizations (CCC), and others.

It has been an extremely exciting year, and my biggest challenge has been accepting that this role is only for 1 year. I will miss it terribly, but am comforted in knowing that my successor, Dr. Paul Watson, will do a great job. I will also continue to promote the Academy and all of its success in my new role as past president.

2. CJSM: You currently work as an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Family Medicine at Western Ontario and at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic in London, ON. Can you tell us a little about your background in sports medicine and what you do with your professional time when you are not attending to CASEM Presidential duties?

TJ: LOL! My family and friends would be shaking their heads right about now, saying… ’what doesn’t she do with her professional time?’… I will try and be succinct in my answer.

I completed my family medicine residency with the added 3^rd year of Emergency Medicine training at McGill University. In 2002, I moved to London to do a 4^th year in Sport and Exercise Medicine at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic. I have since stayed on at the Clinic as a staff, seeing patients of all ages and level of activity.

At the University level, I work with the Women’s Rugby team, and from 2004 until 2010 – I was the team physician for Rugby Canada’s National Women’s team. From 2004 until 2010 I also built my team physician experience by attending different local, provincial, national and international events (both as medical team member and CMO) culminating with the Vancouver Olympics. I then started a family, and settled into the role of Chief Medical Advisor for Skate Canada, which continues to this day.

I joined the Department of Family Medicine at Western University in 2010 where I teach residents and peers– and got promoted to Associate Professor last year.

I joined the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) Sport and Exercise Medicine Section Executive in 2002 as a resident. I continue to be involved with this Executive as the Tariff Chair, but have held many other positions throughout the past 14 years including Chair. In 2014, I was elected to the OMA Board of Directors where I held a seat for 4 years, with my term ending this past May.  I am the CASEM representative on the College of Family Physician of Canada (CFPC) Sport and Exercise Medicine Committee, as well as the CFPC’s representative on the Exercise is Medicine Canada (EIMC) National Advisory Council (NAC). Late last year, I took on a more active role within the Ontario’s South West LHIN as the Primary Care Representative for both the Diagnostic Imaging and MSK Strategy, hoping to be able to help shape our provincial government’s initiative around MSK care to best suit physicians and the patients they serve. I think that covers most of it….

3. CJSM: We follow you [@TatianaJev] on Twitter as well as CASEM itself [@CASEMACMSE]. If you were to compose a 280 character tweet to tell the world about CASEM, what would you say about the direction the society will be taking in the future?

TJ: The Canadian Academy of Sport & Exercise Medicine (CASEM) is a vibrant and growing Association. Its members are Canada’s sport and exercise medicine experts. Follow us @CASEMACMSE, and check out our infographics and podcasts on many different topics related to healthy living, physical activity and sport and exercise medicine.

4. CJSM: There has been considerable buzz in the sports medicine world about the concept of ‘exercise is medicine’ and the central role sports medicine clinician societies can play in promoting exercise for all. To highlight this, for instance, the Australasian College of Sport Physicians (ACSP) formally changed its name to the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) a few years ago.

Has CASEM (Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine) always been known as that, or was it ever simply ‘CASM’?  Furthermore, what initiatives does CASEM promote to put the ‘exercise’ into ‘medicine’ in the nation of Canada?

TJ: Yes indeed, CASEM use to be called CASM. We too introduced the ‘E’ to our name in 2010, to highlight the importance of Exercise both through organized sport and non-organized activities, and to inform the public and stakeholders that we work with athletes or all ages and all physical activity levels.

CASEM is a member of the Exercise is Medicine (EIMC) National Advisory Council.

Furthermore, we have struck a Health Enhancing Physical Activity Alliance (HEPA Alliance) with other national physician organizations in order to help further promote and improve our physician colleagues’ messaging around and prescription of physical activity to their patients.

5. CJSM: CASEM’s Annual Sport Medicine Symposium (#CASEMCON2018) takes place in Halifax June 6 – 9 2018. What are some of the sessions/events you are most looking forward to as you prepare for this event and get ready to turn the reins of leadership over to your colleague, Dr. Paul Watson?

TJ: As our CASEM Executive Director Ms. Dawn Haworth can attest, my calendar is getting pretty full with different meetings throughout the week.

However, I am hoping to be able to attend as many of the conference’s excellent sessions as possible.

You can check out the program here.

I am looking forward to the AGM, where the Board and I will be able to update our members on the great work being done.

We will also be launching our Mentorship program pilot project during the conference which we are all very excited about.

The Gala will be the icing on the cake – most of my duties will be done by then, so I will get to relax and cut loose with my friends and colleagues on the dance floor.

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Thank you Dr. Jevremovic!

To our readers: be sure to follow #CASEMCON2018 June 6 – 9 for all the breaking news in #SEM coming from Halifax.

Finally, circle 15 – 19 May 2019 on your calendars:  CASEM will be taking its annual symposium cross-country in 2019, hosting the event in Vancouver, B.C.  Don’t miss it.