Kalra is one of 175 Canadian physicians with this designation and one of 14 who earned it this year.
The CSPL, founded in 1998, is an organization that provides professional development for Canadian physicians through a peer network of support and education. Earning the designation is recognition for physicians who demonstrate exemplary leadership in their fields, particularly those who have demonstrated long-term influence in health care.
“It is a privilege to be selected and recognized with this honour,” said Kalra a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and faculty representative on the U of S Board of Governors. “To earn this designation, and those that have it are high-calibre physicians, is meaningful to me and my career.”
A former head of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,Kalra’s diverse career has included many leadership roles, something the CSPL looks for in potential candidates.
“Being recognized as a leader by this group motivates me to continue to do what is best for patient care as well as the institutions I serve,” said Kalra, an award-winning clinical researcher, educator, health-care provider, academic leader and community builder.
Kalra has served as national president of numerous medical associations, including Intersociety Council of Laboratory Medicine of Canada, the Canadian Association of Medical Biochemists, the Canadian Chairs of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the Canadian Association of Pathologists, and is on the board of directors the Council of Canadian Academies and served on the board of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Building communities, whether that be a professional community of physicians or the community in which he lives, has also been important to Kalra.
Beyond his professional career, Kalra has dedicated time to serving many local, provincial and national organizations, including Saskatoon Folkfest, the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, the Rotary Club of Saskatoon/Nutana, the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. In 2015, the City of Saskatoon honoured Kalra by naming a street after him. That same year, he was also the recipient of the Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism in the Lifetime Achievement category and CTV 2015 Saskatoon Citizen of the Year.
“Community always comes first,” said Kalra. “This is something I have always believed and something I have always tried to practice in life. The CSPL provides me another opportunity to serve community and to provide some mentorship and guidance to a new generation of physicians.”
Learn more about the appointment here.