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Montreal, April 29, 2008 – The four Quebec universities that have faculties of medicine feel positive about the recent discussions with the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Michelle Courchesne, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Philippe Couillard, regarding the admission and supervision of international medical graduates (IMGs).

Note that 68 applicants with degrees from outside Canada and the United States have been accepted in the regular quota for 2008. This is 14 more than last year, and represents a historical peak. Nearly 50% of the candidates for admission in Quebec this year were accepted; this rate is twice as high as the success rate for IMG applicants in other provinces.

It was agreed with Minister Courchesne and Minister Couillard that intense efforts would be devoted to optimizing the residency admission process, with special attention paid to family medicine.

Immediate action will be taken to review the files of the IMG candidates who were not accepted this year to ensure that no candidate who meets the postdoctoral medical training program criteria has been overlooked despite the careful residency admission process.

It was decided that, beginning with 2009 residency admission, all candidates for admission in family medicine will be called to interviews, whether they are IMGs or graduates of universities in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada.

The government authorities and the universities agreed to make various resources available to support the best possible evaluation of the applicants’ files, and especially to significantly improve the residency graduation rate for these interns in order to increase the number of practicing physicians in the medium term.

Everyone agreed to work together quickly, in accordance with the prerogatives of each party, to maximize the joint action to reduce medical staffing problems and to maintain high-quality medical education throughout the process. Equity between Quebec, Canadian and international graduates must be considered at all times.

As pointed out by Dr. Guy Breton, Executive Vice-Rector at the Université de Montréal and Chair of the CREPUQ Medical Affairs Committee (MEDU), “It is very important that we work in a partnership. We are pleased to see that both Ministers are prepared to support us in long-term management of this demanding activity.”

For his part, Dr. Richard Levin, Chair of the Conference of Deans of the Faculties of Medicine in Quebec and Dean of the McGill University Faculty of Medicine, reiterated the willingness expressed many times by the Quebec medical faculties to contribute, insofar as they are able and within their own jurisdictions, to the education of top-notch physicians for Quebec. “Without sacrificing quality of training, we will spare no effort to ensure that these doctors, whom Quebec needs, will enter the labour market,” concluded Dr. Levin.

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For information:
Michel Giguère
Senior Research Officer
514 288-8524 (ext. 208)