Canadian Medical Association
The Canadian Medical Association is a national, member-driven professional association of Canadian physicians, founded in 1867, that advocates for the medical profession, publishes peer-reviewed journals (CMAJ), and operates a portfolio of policy, education, and physician wellness services across all 13 provinces and territories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1867
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Canadian Medical Association does
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is a national, member-driven professional association of Canadian physicians, founded in 1867 in Quebec City by 164 physicians and headquartered in Ottawa. It is governed by physicians through an elected board, with members electing the president (most recently Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi, effective May 2026), and operates a portfolio of wholly owned entities: CMA Impact Inc. (business operations), the CMA Foundation (charitable giving), and the CMAJ Group (peer-reviewed medical journals, including CMAJ, Canada's leading medical journal, launched 1911).
The CMA's product surface spans scholarly publishing (CMAJ Group), research and policy repositories (CMA Digital Library, PolicyBase), consumer health literacy (Healthcare For Real), professional development (Physician Leadership Institute, Self-directed Learning, Espace Leadership), physician wellness resources (Physician Wellness Hub), community engagement (CMA Ambassador Program), and policy advocacy (Submissions to Government, Health Advocacy Program, Indigenous Guiding Circle, Patient Voice). It also conducts recurring national surveys, including the National Physician Health Survey (~3,300 respondents in 2025), the Pan-Canadian Licensure Survey, and the Health and Media Tracking Survey.
The revenue model combines biennial membership dues ($195 for practising physicians 6+ years in practice, with complimentary membership for students, residents, first-five-years-of-practice physicians, and retirees), a headline $115 million Affinity Partnership with MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank that funds programs including the $10 million Healthcare Unburdened Grant Program, conference and event revenue (CMA Health Summit, Canadian Conference on Physician Health), and charitable flows via the CMA Foundation. Go-to-market is community-led (member-driven governance and career-stage onboarding), event-driven (flagship summits, town halls, President's Tour), and policy/government-relations-led (formal federal/provincial/territorial submissions, parliamentary committee appearances, and Supreme Court interventions).
Canadian Medical Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Canadian Medical Association
- Legal name
- Canadian Medical Association
- Website
- https://cma.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1867
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Canadian Medical Association is a national, member-driven professional association of Canadian physicians, founded in 1867, that advocates for the medical profession, publishes peer-reviewed journals (CMAJ), and operates a portfolio of policy, education, and physician wellness services across all 13 provinces and territories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Canadian Medical Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Medical Association Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (813920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)
Keywords
Where Canadian Medical Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Canadian Medical Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Biennial membership fees of $195 charged to practising physicians with six or more years in practice. Complimentary membership for medical students (duration of program), residents (duration of residency), physicians in their first five years of practice, and retirees.
- Affinity Partnership Revenue (MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank): $115 million Affinity Partnership with MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank provides significant revenue via financial services and affinity relationships with CMA members.
- Corporate Giving via CMA Foundation: Charitable giving through the CMA Foundation to registered Canadian charities that further excellence in health care and support Canadian physicians and medical learners.
- Conferences, Events and Learning Programs: Revenue from flagship events (CMA Health Summit, Canadian Conference on Physician Health, Annual Symposium of Physician Leaders of Quebec), Physician Leadership Institute courses, and conferences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Complimentary CMA membership for medical students, residents, first-five-years-of-practice physicians, and retirees |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Standard practising physician membership for those 6+ years in practice |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Canadian Medical Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Canadian Medical Association is a national voluntary professional association of physicians that delivers member services, peer-reviewed medical publications (CMAJ), policy research and advocacy (PolicyBase, Digital Library, government submissions), professional leadership development (Physician Leadership Institute), physician wellness resources, and consumer health literacy (Healthcare For Real). Revenue is generated primarily through biennial membership dues and an exclusive $115 million Affinity Partnership with MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank.
Product overview
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is a national professional association rather than a unified software product, but operates a portfolio of digital services and content platforms centered on its core mission of physician advocacy and health system transformation. The CMAJ Group of Publications anchors its scholarly output, supported by the CMA Digital Library and PolicyBase research/policy repositories. Healthcare For Real is its consumer-facing health literacy initiative, while the Physician Wellness Hub, Physician Leadership Institute (PLI), Self-directed Learning, and Espace Leadership deliver professional development. Membership and the CMA Ambassador Program power community engagement, complemented by Health Advocacy tooling, Patient Voice and the Indigenous Guiding Circle advisory groups, the CMA Awards program, and CMA Reports on workforce, administrative burden, and specialty profiles.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CMA Impact Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of the CMA; the CMA Impact board is responsible for overseeing its business and operations in alignment with the CMA's strategy.
- CMA Foundation
- CMAJ Group
- Healthcare For Real
- Physician Leadership Institute (PLI)
- Healthcare Unburdened Grant program
Products and services
- CMAJ Group of Publications A group of peer-reviewed medical publications issued by the CMA, including CMAJ (Canada's leading peer-reviewed medical journal), supporting continuing professional development for physicians.
- PolicyBase An online repository of CMA-developed policies covering a wide range of issues that matter to the medical profession and the health system.
- CMA Digital Library An online repository of CMA-conducted research, reports, surveys, and knowledge products supporting physicians, medical learners, partner organizations, researchers, educators, and governments.
- Healthcare For Real A CMA initiative serving Canadians with trusted information and solutions about the health care system, including sub-initiatives on Healthcare 101, Doctors Decoded, and Get Real! expert advice to fight health misinformation.
- Physician Leadership Institute (PLI) A CMA subsidiary offering leadership programs for physicians and healthcare organizations, delivered in on-demand and live formats for individuals and teams.
- CMA Membership A member-driven organization offering complimentary or biennial membership tiers for medical learners and physicians, providing governance participation, advocacy voice, career development, and networking.
- CMA Ambassador Program A program for medical students, residents, and early-career physicians providing community, exclusive learning and speaking opportunities, sponsored event attendance, and leadership/advocacy development.
- Physician Wellness Hub A CMA resource providing reliable tools and resources to empower physicians, medical learners, leaders, and educators on mental health, wellness, and professional resilience.
- Self-directed Learning A CMA suite of video learning series, panel discussions, concept explainers, and other resources to broaden knowledge of emerging issues and improve medical culture.
- Espace Leadership A French-language offering providing physician leaders with tools to develop leadership skills and improve their practice.
- Healthcare Unburdened Grant Program A $10 million funding program, in partnership with MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank, providing grants for innovative projects to reduce physicians' administrative burden.
Companies that use Canadian Medical Association
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles3 records
Canadian Medical Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Canadian Medical Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Canadian Medical Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- American Medical Association: The AMA is the U.S. national voluntary professional association of physicians, operating the JAMA journal group, advocacy apparatus, and member-benefit programs. It is the closest direct peer to CMA given its identical member-driven association model, peer-reviewed publishing, and federal advocacy function.
- British Medical Association: The BMA is the UK's national doctors' trade union and professional association, publishing BMJ and providing member services and policy advocacy. It mirrors CMA's structure of physician membership, peer-reviewed journal, and government-facing advocacy.
Emerging players
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: The Royal College is Canada's national specialty-certification body for physicians and a CMA partner on the Digital Health Interoperability Task Force. It is a peer in physician professional governance, continuing professional development, and standards-setting.
- College of Family Physicians of Canada: The CFPC certifies and represents family physicians in Canada and partners with CMA on interoperability and workforce initiatives. It overlaps CMA on physician advocacy, CPD, and member services but with a narrower specialty focus.
- Canadian Medical Protective Association: The CMPA is Canada's medical liability protection association for physicians. It is a peer in physician-serving professional services and medico-legal advocacy but is structured around indemnity rather than broad advocacy.
Regional players
- Australian Medical Association: The AMA is Australia's national medical association with comparable membership, advocacy, and publishing functions (e.g., the Medical Journal of Australia). Comparable in model and scale but operating in a different geography.
Others
- Canadian Nurses Association: The CNA is Canada's national professional association for nurses, sharing a member-driven advocacy and policy model. It is an adjacent health-workforce peer rather than a direct competitor to CMA.
- MD Financial Management: MD Financial Management (a Scotiabank subsidiary) is the CMA's $115M Affinity Partner and the financial-services backbone for physician members. It is an ecosystem enabler tightly coupled to CMA's revenue model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Canadian Medical Association social profiles
Digital presenceCanadian Medical Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Canadian Medical Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Canadian Medical Association subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Canadian Medical Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Canadian Medical Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Canadian Medical Association
What does Canadian Medical Association do?
The Canadian Medical Association is a national voluntary professional association of physicians that delivers member services, peer-reviewed medical publications (CMAJ), policy research and advocacy (PolicyBase, Digital Library, government submissions), professional leadership development (Physician Leadership Institute), physician wellness resources, and consumer health literacy (Healthcare For Real). Revenue is generated primarily through biennial membership dues and an exclusive $115 million Affinity Partnership with MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank.
Is Canadian Medical Association a public or private company?
Canadian Medical Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Canadian Medical Association founded?
Canadian Medical Association was founded in 1867. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Canadian Medical Association based?
Canadian Medical Association is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Canadian Medical Association make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are affinity Partnership Revenue (MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank), corporate Giving via CMA Foundation and conferences, Events and Learning Programs.
Who are Canadian Medical Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are American Medical Association and British Medical Association. Emerging players are Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, College of Family Physicians of Canada and Canadian Medical Protective Association. Australian Medical Association is listed as a regional player. Others are Canadian Nurses Association and MD Financial Management.
Does Canadian Medical Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Canadian Medical Association.
What industry is Canadian Medical Association in?
Canadian Medical Association's product category is Professional Medical Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGANAJ, Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE), with a secondary code of EDAAALAC, Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy). Its NAICS code is 813920.