Montreal, October 5, 2020
Following its annual general meeting, held on September 24, the new Board of Directors of Doctors of the World Canada elected Dr. David-Martin Milot, a specialist in public health and preventive medicine, as President of the organization.
After earning his medical degree from McGill University as a Loran Scholar, David-Martin Milot obtained a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Montreal. He then specialized in public health and preventive medicine at the University of Sherbrooke before pursuing advanced training in Paris, where he studied empowerment through citizen participation, as well as social representations of psychoactive substances and their regulatory models.
Today, he works as a medical consultant at the Montérégie Regional Public Health Directorate and as a professor/researcher in the field of psychoactive substances at the University of Sherbrooke, where he also teaches at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Committed to fighting health inequities
Dr. Milot is particularly interested in health inequities and issues of access to health for marginalized, excluded, and disenfranchised populations, as well as health promotion and prevention strategies more broadly.
In addition to his professional activities, he is the co-founder of Young Doctors for Public Health and has served as a board member of the International Francophone Network for Health Promotion (RÉFIPS) and the Quebec Public Health Association (ASPQ). Furthermore, Dr. Milot has been involved with Doctors of the World Canada since 2008 and has sat on the organization’s Board of Directors since 2012. He has also worked on several international cooperation and community health projects in India, Senegal, Argentina, Colombia, and Haiti.
“For health access to be truly universal, it is essential to consider all facets of the human being that influence their well-being. The health system must therefore enable an approach adapted to the complexity of individuals while contributing to improving their living conditions. Doctors of the World Canada combines these individual and population-based approaches, both in Canada and internationally. In my role as President of the organization, I aim to support its teams in strengthening these complementary approaches to create lasting change in the lives of individuals too often left behind. I had the opportunity to discover the organization at the very beginning of my academic journey. Since then, the values of inclusion, equity, and commitment of Doctors of the World Canada have become part of my personal and professional identity.” – Dr. David-Martin Milot, President of Doctors of the World Canada
Doctors of the World Canada warmly welcomes its new President!
A new Board of Directors
Doctors of the World pays tribute to its outgoing President, Dr. Nicolas Bergeron (a psychiatrist at the CHUM), as well as Dr. Marie-Jo Ouimet, who did not renew her term.
In addition to welcoming a new President, Doctors of the World Canada is pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Michel Welt (obstetrician-gynecologist, medical head of the social perinatality team at the Saint-Laurent Social Pediatrics Center), Prof. Karine Bertrand (clinical psychologist, Scientific Director of the University Institute on Addiction and researcher in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke), and Valérie Martin (Head of Talent and Culture for the LCI Education Network) to its Board of Directors.
“I believe the actions of Doctors of the World are absolutely necessary for those who are poorly or not at all served by current government services. Contributing to them is very rewarding for those who participate. The mission and vision of Doctors of the World align completely with my own commitments.” – Dr. Michel Welt
“The collaboration between research and organizations like Doctors of the World particularly interests me in order to reflect on actions to improve the health of people in situations of vulnerability and influence public policies.” – Prof. Karine Bertrand
“Over the past few years, I have personally been involved in the integration of immigrants and refugees into our society, as well as with people experiencing homelessness. Raising awareness, acceptance, and action regarding mental health also touch me deeply. The mission of Doctors of the World resonates with me and perfectly reflects my purpose and personal convictions.” – Valérie Martin
For more information:
Mélissa Cabana
Senior Communications Advisor
Doctors of the World Canada
Cell: 514 799-8985
melissa.cabana@medecinsdumonde.ca