#LetsTalkRCSEM
This week all members of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) will be sent an email asking them to vote on a statement that could result in an historic moment for BASEM and the future of Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) in the UK. The vote will assess whether the BASEM membership would like the BASEM Executive to enter discussions with the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) regarding a potential merger (or equivalent) of the two organisations, with the ultimate goal of forming a Royal College of Sport and Exercise Medicine (RCSEM).
What is this vote all about?
The vote is an ordinary resolution. This means that 50% of ALL FULL BASEM members need to vote yes in order for it to be passed. This means that if you do not vote, your vote essentially counts as a ‘no’. Please note all ‘full’ BASEM members include all members who pay fees apart from undergraduates.
Due to the number of members BASEM has currently, 441 will need to vote ‘Yes’ in order for the resolution to be passed.
- If the vote is in favour of these discussions going ahead, the next steps would be BASEM and FSEM creating a formal proposal for the merger of the two organisations, outlining what the resulting Royal College of SEM would look like. Both organisations will seek input from their members regarding what this proposal would look like, and once a proposal is written, the BASEM Membership would then be asked to vote again to accept or reject it. For this second vote, 75% of ALL BASEM members would need to vote in favour in order for it to be passed.
- If your vote is not in favour of these discussions going ahead, no further discussions between BASEM and FSEM regarding a merger will go ahead. If this is the case, FSEM’s proposal states they might look into forming a royal college independently.
How will people vote?
On the 27th August all BASEM members eligible to vote will be sent an email and a letter from the BASEM office. It will outline the proposal and ask members to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Members need to respond to the vote via email or post. The closing date will be the 18th September.
In conclusion
What a Royal College of SEM would look like is yet unknown. BASEM and FSEM would need to engage in discussions to determine that. This upcoming vote is simply asking for the opportunity to do so.
Author:
Dr Katie Marino
@krmarino1
Please feel free to start conversations with me about this vote and potential merger via Twitter or email!
Conflict of Interest: I have been a co-opted member of the BASEM Executive Board for the last 3 years and have no voting rights on the BASEM Executive. Any views I have are my own and do not represent the views of the BASEM Executive Board.
The BJSM is keen to shine a light on this vote and to use our platform to inform the wider community (who might otherwise be unaware of this process). We are open to publishing viewpoints from both side of the debate. Interested parties can either email their blogs to steffangriffin@gmail.com, or get in touch with us via the usual social media channels.