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Montreal, December 11, 2006 - The four Quebec universities that have faculties of medicine [1] were pleased to note last Friday that the Essential Services Commission had indeed received their message regarding the urgency of restoring medical training. For several weeks now, the pressure tactics employed by the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec (FMSQ) in its conflict with the Quebec government have seriously disrupted the academic year for the thousands of students and residents registered in our faculties of medicine. The four universities want to ensure that the students and residents receive the training to which they are entitled and were confident that things will be back to normal soon. The Commission has ordered the FMSQ to do its best not to jeopardize the graduation of the third and fourth-year students in clerkships who are most affected by the pressure tactics and currently are not receiving clinical training. “As far as the universities are concerned, the Commission’s decision is a step in the right direction,” said Denis Marceau, Chair of the Medical Affairs Committee of the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities (CREPUQ).

“It was with some consternation that we heard the Federation’s announcement on Sunday of how it planned to submit to this order”, added Mr. Marceau. “We understand that the FMSQ does not consider there is any urgency to take action and, in its opinion, the clerks’ year is not in any danger”. Furthermore, the FMSQ plans to ask the universities (and the Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec) to provide information on clerkships so that it will be able to “manage the risk” that students may not be able to graduate.

“This position is unacceptable. It must be clear to everyone that it is the faculties of medicine, and only them, who have the necessary authority and jurisdiction to decide whether or not university medical training is threatened; the universities and their faculties must uphold program quality standards and programs must meet the strict requirements of the North-American licensing bodies”, stated Dr. Réjean Hébert, President of the Quebec Conference of Deans of the Faculties of Medicine.

In the four faculties of medicine, students’ training has already been jeopardized by the observed cancellation of activities caused by the FMSQ’s pressure tactics. Every hour of class or clerkship not provided to a medical student or resident increases the possibility that the person’s training will be incomplete, not compliant with university standards or those of the licensing organizations. “There must be no more prevaricating or wordplay. To ensure that the clerks’ graduation is not jeopardized, as the Essential Services Commission put it, normal teaching activities must resume now. We appeal to all teaching physicians so that as of tomorrow (Tuesday, December 12, 2006) training will be provided to the clerks. Training has already been jeopardized”, added Dr. Hébert.

“We also consider that far from being limited to third and fourth-year clerks, normal activities must be assured for all medical students and residents. We are concerned about the quality of the training provided not only to our clerks, but to our entire student population. We appeal to the FMSQ to help us provide everyone with the excellent education that they deserve and that they are used to receiving from medical specialists who have always behaved in a most professional manner. The goodwill of these teachers is again requested and the faculties of medicine sincerely hope that when the conflict ends, all the parties will again be able to work in harmony as in the past, with respect all round”, noted Dr. Hébert.

As expressed by the four university heads in a letter sent to the parties concerned on November 23rd, there is no question for the universities of sanctioning incomplete training. In the conflict between the FMSQ and the Quebec government, the faculties of medicine have been held hostage; owing to factors beyond their control, they are being prevented from giving their students and residents the training they agreed to provide. The Essential Services Commission has sent a clear message to the FMSQ that favourable conditions for resuming training must be restored. It is now up to the FMSQ to respond without delay so as not to further disrupt the academic progress of the future generation of physicians that Quebec will really need. “We urge the FMSQ and the Quebec government to resume negotiations quickly and to come to an agreement and definitively settle the current conflict”, concluded Denis Marceau.

For information:

Michel Giguère

CREPUQ, 514-288-8524 (ext. 208)

[1] Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke