DefenseMD was founded to address critical gaps in legal and financial protection for Canadian doctors, gaps that had long gone unnoticed. From disciplinary inquests to complaints from colleagues or patients, medical-legal challenges were often mishandled in their earliest stages, leaving physicians vulnerable.
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These challenges are rarely, if ever, covered during a physician’s training. Medical education focuses on preventing patient-related errors, but real-world practice reveals a broader spectrum of legal risks. Many of these risks, such as disputes with regulatory bodies or workplace conflicts, are unrelated to patient care yet carry severe professional, psychological, and financial consequences.
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Physicians seeking help from the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) often discovered that its protection was limited to patient-care issues. When faced with non-patient-related legal matters, they were advised to hire their own lawyers, an expensive and isolating process. Attempts to expand this coverage were met with the reality that CMPA, as a non-insurance entity, could not provide such services.
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As a result, many physicians were left to fend for themselves. They drafted their own responses to complaints, represented themselves before disciplinary boards, and navigated complex regulatory processes without adequate support. The consequences were devastating: suspended licenses, prolonged harassment, overwhelming stress, and in some tragic cases, suicide or criminal convictions.
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DefenseMD was created to change this narrative. By empowering physicians with the right knowledge to prevent litigation and providing immediate legal counsel at the earliest stages of a dispute, we aim to protect their livelihoods and well-being.
 
Through collective strength and membership exclusively composed of doctor and healthcare professionals, we offer better information, proactive solutions, and financial protection where none previously existed.
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DefenseMD is more than a service, it’s a lifeline for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.
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