These FAQs related to work action updates contain information that is accurate as of the date posted. Dates for initial posting or updates are indicated in each question. The situation is rapidly evolving, and information may change. We will do our best to provide up-to-date information as quickly as possible.

What are the plans for next week? Will I receive a schedule for my next rotation? [Sep 22]

We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves and planning week by week. Plans for the following week, including your rotation schedule, will be provided to you at the end of the current week, as things might change as the week progresses. 

If my rotation is incomplete will it appear on my MSPR? [Sep 22]

An incomplete rotation does not equal a course failure, so it would not appear on your record. You would need to complete the course through a make-up activity. We do not yet know what form the make-up activity will take. 

Do we have contingency plans if the strike endures? [Sep 22]

We have been communicating with both the government and the FMSQ that if the pressure tactics continue they can have tangible impacts on our students, including delaying graduation. We’ve also underlined the real impacts that repeating rotations and graduation delays will have on providing healthcare services to Quebecers. 

What do we do about short-term absences that had been approved for this week?  [Sep 22] 

If a student was told that their supervision was cancelled for the full week, you should: 

  • first complete and submit the appropriate form, depending on your campus of study 
  • then you can cancel your preapproved short-term absences 
Do I need to complete the form each day? In a case where I was supervised, is there a way to report it to ensure it is accounted for? [Sept 22] 
  • We ask that all students complete the Clerkship Clinical Supervision form below (according to their campus), whether or not they are being supervised.  
  • This will help us ensure CAF delivery for students being supervised as well as in planning individualized contingency plans for those not supervised. 
  • The form can be completed once per week.  
     
     
What happens to rotations when the pressure tactics end and clinical supervision resumes?   [Sep 22]
  • When the pressure tactics end, we anticipate that you will resume the rotation that is scheduled in your calendar.  
  • If you cancel a scheduled elective, you will not be able to resume it during the time period when it had been scheduled. During period 4, because of the pressure tactics, students will temporarily not need to give four weeks advance notice to cancel an elective.  
How does this impact classroom teaching for Med-1 and Med-2 students? [Sept 22] 

  • Please make sure to review your one45 schedule, including in the morning before class to verify your room numbers.

  •  Any lectures given by family medicine physicians, non-physicians and tenure track professors will continue as scheduled. Any lectures given by medical specialists will be cancelled and we will post last year’s recordings in their place.  
  • Please consult the message sent on September 19 for specific instructions for Med-1 and Med-2 students.  
What happens if I am forced to miss days on my rotation? [Sept 22] 
  • Students can miss 20% of a rotation (e.g. up to four days of a four-week rotation), before the rotation is considered incomplete. 
  • To evaluate if a rotation is incomplete, we are looking at each case individually.  

  • As of September 22, there is some time between the normal end of the curriculum and the start of residency where rotations can be rescheduled. 

Will this work action delay my graduation? [Sept 22]
  • Delays in graduation are a possibility, depending on the length of the work action and number of rotations that will need to be repeated or prolonged.
  • As of September 22, there is some time between the normal end of the curriculum and the start of residency where rotations can be rescheduled, so we are not yet at the point where graduation would necessarily be delayed.  
I’m in my fourth year. Will this impact my residency applications? [Sept 22] 
  • The Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) has asked its members to continue to do interviews and letters of recommendation for residency admissions (CaRMS). 
  • In other words, these activities are excluded from the work action that FMSQ has requested. 
  • You can also use this time to prepare your CaRMS dossier – tips on how to do so can be found in the email sent to Med-4s on September 19.  
  • The Office of Medical Learner Affairs also has resources to help you plan your career.  
I am a student who is very worried about the impact this will have on my future. Where can I find help? [Sept 15]

Uncertainty caused by this situation can be hard.  The Office of Medical Learner Affairs has resources to help you if you are in distress. Please reach out to them. You are not alone.

Should I go to my clerkship rotation site if I’m scheduled for a rotation? [Sept 15]

That will depend on the type of rotation. 

  • If your rotation is a Family Medicine core rotation or elective: please proceed as planned. 
  • If you are going on a visiting elective outside Quebec: please proceed as planned. 
  • If you will be going on a visiting elective in another Quebec medical school: please verify with the other school's administrative staff or supervisor that you will be supervised. If you do not have the information by the start of your elective, we suggest that you go to the site for the orientation that was scheduled for you.
  • For rotations in all other specialties (core rotations or elective): unless your direct supervisor informs you over the weekend that they will not provide supervision, please arrive at your rotation at the designated time.
What should I do when I arrive for my clerkship rotation?  [Sept 22]
  • When you arrive, please talk to the attending staff to verify that they will supervise you. We are asking attending staff to notify students in advance if they will not supervise you. 
  • Unfortunately, it is possible that students may find out only when they arrive for their rotation that they will not be supervised. If this happens, we expect everyone involved to be collegial and respectful.
  • If the staff informs you that they will not supervise you, then you must return home or go to the library. (Note that this does not count as completing the rotation day).You must inform the UGME Office of the status of your activity for the day via the following online form, according to your campus: or . Note that you are required to login with your ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ credentials to access the form.
If I cannot go to my rotation, are alternate activities being planned? [Sept 15] 

At the present time, there are no alternate activities planned. We are actively considering possibilities and will keep you informed.

Can I still pursue research projects? [Sept 15] 

If you have a faculty mentor willing to supervise extracurricular research, you can pursue this as usual. If your research mentor is a specialist physician, we suggest you verify directly with them that they will continue to supervise your project. The Fall-Winter and Summer Research bursary programs will continue to be offered, as usual.