Nigerian-born dermatologist Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi has become the first Black physician to serve as president of the Canadian Medical Association, 159 years after the organisation was founded.
Ogunyemi formally took office on May 29, 2026, following the CMA’s Annual General Meeting in Ottawa. At 39, he is also among the youngest physicians to hold the position.
His appointment marks a milestone for Black representation in Canadian medicine and caps a career spanning specialist practice, academic leadership, rural healthcare and national health policy.
FROM NIGERIA TO CANADIAN MEDICAL LEADERSHIP
Ogunyemi moved from Nigeria to Canada at a young age and built his professional career in Newfoundland and Labrador.
He studied sociology and medical sciences at Western University before earning his medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he served as president of the Medical Student Society. He later completed his dermatology residency at the University of British Columbia, serving as chief resident.
He returned to Newfoundland and Labrador, where he combined clinical practice with teaching, research, leadership and advocacy. He is now a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Memorial University.
From 2020 to 2023, he served as the university’s inaugural Assistant Dean of Social Accountability, working on health equity, Indigenous health, global health and community engagement.
EXPANDING SPECIALIST CARE IN RURAL CANADA
Since 2018, Ogunyemi has operated a visiting dermatology clinic in Labrador City, providing specialist care to patients in Labrador.
His work addresses the challenges faced by remote communities, where accessing specialist services can require significant travel and expense. He has also used virtual healthcare to extend dermatological services beyond major urban centres.
That experience has shaped his emphasis on making healthcare more accessible to underserved communities.
A HISTORIC FIRST FOR BLACK PHYSICIANS
Founded in 1867, the Canadian Medical Association represents physicians across the country and serves as a national voice on medical and healthcare issues.
For more than 150 years, no Black physician had served as its president. Ogunyemi broke that barrier in 2026.
His path to the presidency began in December 2024, when CMA members from Newfoundland and Labrador selected him as their nominee for president-elect. He became president-elect in 2025 before assuming the presidency the following year.
In the role, he serves as a national spokesperson for Canadian physicians, engaging with governments, policymakers, healthcare organisations, the media and the public.
HEALTH EQUITY AND ACCESS
Ogunyemi’s work has focused heavily on health equity, inclusion and access to care. His background in sociology has informed his interest in the social factors that shape patients’ experiences of healthcare.
He has served on the board of Canadian Doctors for Medicare and participated in federal health policy discussions, including with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Ethics Consultative Group.
His advocacy has earned the Canadian Medical Association Award for Young Leaders, alumni recognition from Memorial University and Western University, and recognition from the Canadian Senate.
PRIORITIES AS CMA PRESIDENT
Ogunyemi has identified primary care, physician workload, healthcare innovation and community-based medicine as key priorities.
He has called for reducing unnecessary administrative demands on doctors so they can spend more time with patients, while strengthening care within communities rather than relying primarily on hospitals and large urban centres.
He has also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence and other technologies to improve diagnosis and treatment. However, he has stressed that these tools must work effectively for diverse populations.
That concern is particularly relevant to dermatology, where differences in skin pigmentation can affect diagnosis and the representation of medical conditions in education and technology.
REPRESENTATION AND THE NEXT GENERATION
Ogunyemi’s rise from immigrant beginnings to the leadership of a national medical organisation has made his appointment significant beyond the CMA itself.
He was the first Black student from Newfoundland and Labrador to train at Memorial University and has since held several academic and professional leadership roles.
For young Black physicians and medical students, his presidency offers a visible example of progress in a profession whose senior leadership has not always reflected the diversity of the communities it serves.
A NIGERIAN-BORN PHYSICIAN LEADING A NATIONAL INSTITUTION
Ogunyemi’s story carries particular resonance in Nigeria and across the African diaspora. Born in Nigeria and raised partly in Canada, he has built a career connecting immigrant experience with medicine, public service and institutional leadership.
As president of the Canadian Medical Association for the 2026–27 term, he will represent Canadian physicians during ongoing debates over access to care, physician workload, technology, health equity and the future of the healthcare system.
His appointment has secured his place in Canadian medical history while marking the latest chapter in a journey that began far from Ottawa and led to the leadership of one of the country’s most influential medical organisations.
