In this issue:

Intro from the presi-

dent

2

FMEQ Services 4

CaRMS Translation

Services

6

Residencies Guide 8

CFMS Annual General

Meeting

14

Back to School Party 16

VOLUME 11 NUMBER 1

FALL 2013

Page 2

Dear fellow students and future

colleagues, I would like to wish to all a good

back-to-school season, a successful beginning of your clerkship and a

good CaRMS to our future residents. You are preparing to read the publication of the Fédération

médicale étudiante du Québec, Info-FMEQ. It is a journal containing

articles that concern YOU, and the following text is an introduction from the federation that represents

YOU.

Founded in 1974, the FMEQ represents all students and medical externs in Québec, which means

3700 members (a third of all medical students in Canada!!!). The

primary mission of the FMEQ is to unite the four faculties of medicine

of Québec in order to promote and defend the collective interests that are specific to medical students in

Québec, concerning educational, political and social matters. The

FMEQ also has the mission to encourage communication and collaboration between its member

associations and their members (you!). Last but not least, the FMEQ

has a third mission: to provide services to associative and individual members. Ana-Maria

Copaescu, Delegate for Services and Partners, will explain in detail in her

article the numerous services we offer!

Perhaps you have seen the

members of our execut ive committee and of our executive board in our beautiful Agenda FMEQ,

expected by all for the beginning of the year? We have included in this

journal a presentation of the officers and administrators of the FMEQ that have been elected last May for 2012

-2013.

In this first edition, you will find the details concerning the 2013 version of our popular FMEQ Beginning of

school year party (Party de la rentrée FMEQ), which will happen

next October 11th: not to be missed! You will also have the chance to demystify the mysterious

CaRMS.

If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to write

to us, we will be pleased to help you. We hope you will enjoy your reading!

Valérie Martel

President

Introduction from the president

Page 3

Executive Commitee

Valérie Martel, President

Serge Kerevian, Vice-president

Alex Halme, General Secretary

Jean-Simon Roch-Matte, Delegate

for Finances and Human Ressources

Christian Campagna, Delegate for

Political Affairs

Ana Maria Copaescu, Delegate for

services and Partners

Claudel P-Desrosiers, Delegate for

International Affairs

Michaël Tibout, Delegate for Inter-

nal Affairs

Madeleine Plaisance, Delegate for

Academic Affairs

Administrators

François Rouleau-Fournier

Sébastien Gagnon

Ariane Smith

Florence Grégoire-Briard

David Roy

Bastian Bertulies

Page 4

Hello to all of you,

I hope you have benefited from the beginning of your school year

by making new acquaintances and sharing your views on the

numerous events that have colored your summers. And now,

here we are, back to the good old daily routine. The life of a

medical student often brings

more questions than answers. Today, I will try to inform you on

a highly topical subject: the employment opportunities that

will present themselves to us at the end of our residency. Here

are some questions that maybe you have already heard in your

social environment or that you have asked yourself: what are

my future job opportunities if I choose residency X or Y? Could I

work in Québec at the end of my medical training?

We will begin by making a brief overview of what brings us to

question ourselves on a subject that, not so long ago, was not at

all a hot topic. Then, if you are

not yet acquainted with the

FMEQ Residencies Guide, I will introduce you to this essential

tool that allows you to follow the

evolut ion of employment opportunit ies in different

specialties.

We’ve been hearing it for as long as we can remember: there are

not enough doctors! Well, since about ten years, the number of

admissions to medical faculties has more than doubled. As a

result, larger cohorts of medical students have met the actual

needs in different domains and several residents finishing their

training must now choose

between continuing their training to a superior level or literally

practicing medicine elsewhere in Québec and sometimes outside

Canada.

In order to allow you to make an informed choice, the FMEQ has

put together her first Residencies Guide, which is, above all, a

reliable and easy to consult source of information. In it you

Residencies Guide

will find information collected from multiple sources, whether

specia lt ies associat ions, discussions we have had with

residents via the FMRQ, with doctors, with members of

medical federations, with the Ministry of Health and others.

In this guide, you will find, for each specialty, a description of

future prospects, the opinion of the doctors association of

the specialty when we managed to get it, a record of

the resident spaces and their distribution within the different

Québec universities.

In the dynamic world that is medical administration, the

Guide is certainly not a crystal ball. However, at least you will

know what to expect, and it is

exactly the main goal of the Guide, to give you a scan of

actual prospects. You should know that some journeys are

harder than others, but the most important thing is that

you choose the path that suits

you best and that will allow you to develop fully as an

individual and a professional.

Lastly and in conclusion, I advise you to join the FMEQ

Facebook page, if you haven’t already. Also, do not hesitate

to send me your questions,

comments or thoughts, I will be glad to answer!

Sincerely,

Christian Campagna

Delegate for Political Affairs

Page 5

Page 6

The FMEQ is glad to announce

that its efforts have paid off.

Indeed, it had been working for some years to obtain a

translation service, entirely offered by the CaRMS. In

previous years, the FMEQ directly offered to its student members a

list of translators and their contact details.

However, the externs who

wanted to use this list had to call a translator themselves and it

was also their responsibility to follow up on him. The candidates

to residency this year will have

the chance to benefit from an all-new service on the CaRMS

platform. To get their reference letter, their transcript or their

MSPR (med i c a l s t ude n t performance record) translated,

they will only have to submit

the ir documents in the

appropriate section of the

website. When the document will be ready, they will only have to

pay the translation fees. Consequently, thanks to this new

service, the CaRMS process is a little less complicated.

Madeleine Plaisance

Delegate for Academic Affairs

CaRMS Translation Services

Page 8

Your federation is taking care of you!

That’s our motto and our objective.

This article is a résumé of the services and partnerships proposed by our federation. Good reading and please contact us for more details.

Moreover, the description of these services is on our website. Like our Facebook page to be up to date on everything!!!

For an organized student

Did you receive the FMEQ agenda? Every year, the FMEQ produces and distributes a small agenda that can best meet your needs. Also, do not forget to ask for your constants notebook - an essential for lab coat pockets.

For the clinician in you

The FMEQ maintains relationships with all the companies that visit you at the beginning of the school year to present medical instruments. You should also be aware that a

percentage of the sales are given back to the federation to help us organize for you even more events and activities.

For an erudite practitioner

What exam stresses most medical students? Well, the FMEQ has a special agreement with the questions banks CanadaQBank. At this time of the year, more than 600 members have registered. Nothing is simpler than accessing these banks: visit our website. Contact the representatives of your student associations for more details.

Furthermore, you get discounts on medical applications through Skyscape and Lexi-comp. Once again, you can find all the details on our website.

For a technological student

A new cell phone plan that should better meet your needs (data!) is presently available on our website. To access it, you just have to go on our webpage and to enter the code (available from a representative of your student association). Then, you just have to contact the Roger representatives to fully benefit from the plan.

FMEQ Services

For a responsible student

We offer you discounts on a variety of insurances. Interested by disability insurance (Sogemec) and car and home insurance (DPMM)? Ask now for your quote. For more details, check out our website.

Do you need to do some cleaning in your finances? Our partners at Desjardins and RBC are always available and ready to take your call.

For a relaxed student

Spa agreement to come. Visit regularly your page.

For the eternal traveler

A new agreement has been signed with Via Rail. You and three of your friends can now enjoy a discount for train travel (in addition to your well-known student discount). The discount code is available on our site. Reservations can be made on

the Via Rail site or by telephone. Keep your student card close.

Finally, are you aware of discounts that you could share with your colleagues? Don’t hesitate to share it with us on our Facebook page!

Have a good year!

Ana-Maria Copaescu Delegate for Services and

Partners services@fmeq.ca

Page 9

ADVERTISEMENT ARTICLE

Catherine Felber, financial planner

Sogemec Assurances

Ho’oponopono (or the secret of Hawaiian healers)

Always hungry for new techniques of personal development, one of my neighbors

lent me a book to help me manage my life and especially my stress… It is a

technique of cleaning of the subconscious – without a guru or an association to any

religion or cult. It simply consists in repeating a mantra (word repetition as a

support for meditation) which attracts love, forgiveness and positivity.

That’s all? You understand my skepticism. A mantra that simply evokes love and

corrects everything. Anyways, all solutions are good to liberate oneself from

stress… whether it is a good healthy walk, a good book, physical exercise,

meditation, respiratory exercises, chocolate, yoga, etc….Of course, we all know

tips and techniques that work, that’s why nobody is unhappy…

But I am not the only one who wants to mange this disease of the century that is

stress! So, I have examined the reality of medical students and the journey of our

future doctors in order to better understand them and to try to answer their needs.

Here we must say that the general physical health of doctors is excellent! (1)

Stress Factors

According to an article published in La Presse of June 13th 2012 (2), here is a

compilation of this source of distress and its consequences – some at the academic

level and others not:

They are all in the habit of being the first, the best. Then they begin medical

studies and everything goes wrong… (3)

During their clerkship, this intense period of internship that lasts two years, one

student in five thinks of suicide;

19% claim to have been a victim of harassment or intimidation or having

witnessed it;

10% have to use sleeping pills to sleep;

13% use alcohol to make their day-to-day easier;

17% cry every month because of their studies;

More than 50% reduce their circle of friends outside medical studies;

All reduce their extracurricular activities, including physical activities;

13% live daily conflicts with their interpersonal surroundings because of stress;

Fear of failure;

Long periods of night duty;

Long work hours;

Strain on financial resources or debt;

And I could go on.

Stress and Debt

In fact, a study published in 2010 in Medical Education has revealed that the

median debt burden of medical students in Québec at the end of their studies

was of 30 000 dollars, compared with 90 000 dollars in other provinces (not

that bad)…

However, this debt is incurred under different forms (4):

Credit card debt;

Debt on a line of credit or a personal loan;

Debt towards family or friends.

We might say that financial institutions give credit to encourage the idea that

these students belong to a social group corresponding to their future

occupation, but based on student financial means. When someone feels

attachment to a social group that is not his own economically speaking, he

might have a false impression of his capacity as a consumer, which would

incite him to exceed his credit limit! Which leads to additional stress

problems!

We should mention here that suicide, depression and alcohol abuse rates

among doctors or future doctors are similar to those of the general

population. Fortunately, several initiatives have been implemented to fight

the evil – at the level of your student association or universities:

psychological help offered at convenient hours for the students;

help on a day-and-night telephone line;

university program that offers thirty minutes weekly meditation workshops

where students can relax in a group;

creation by your student association of a well-being charter, which lists the

appropriate conclusions and recommendations;

fight against stigmatization programs;

better awareness from faculties and organisms concerning the well-being of

our future doctors;

mentoring system;

internship environments flexibility.

Let’s face it: the medical domain is demanding, and it has always been that

way. Doctors, students and residents can’t show or share their feelings.

Furthermore, it’s in this spirit that the Quebec Physicians Assistance Program

(PAMQ) has been created. Its main mission is to help all doctors, residents or

medical students that have personal difficulties, while respecting their

confidentiality.

Stress and its Impact on your Insurability

I wouldn’t want to be a prophet of doom and to exaggerate the stress that

accompanies medical studies, but it is a reality. In the actual context of work

overload and stress that students and residents go through, it is frequent for the

latter to have to consult a doctor themselves. The screening questions of many

insurers are based on the existence of a diagnosis or the fact that the client has

sought medical attention. As a consequence, it is very difficult to apply for an

invalidity insurance contract without exclusion for a nervous disorder or burnout.

You will understand that the only way to protect oneself against such an exclusion

is to apply as soon as possible to an invalidity insurance during one’s first years of

study. That’s why the FMEQ has decided, in 2004, to offer an invalidity insurance

protection that will accompany you throughout your career.

Sogemac Insurances, has been offering you since more than 35 years a plan

tailored to your needs and which takes into account the financial well-being of our

doctors. As a doctor, resident or student, you are eligible to our insurance plan.

Do not wait any longer! Consult a certified counselor at Somegec Assurances for

more details concerning the offer of your FMEQ!

(5) Fortunately, the majority of students look after themselves very well

and like what they’re doing! And when times get tough, help is always

offered and easily accessible. What I like most in the medical domain,

beyond the medical and scientific, is the human; help will always be given

to the person who asks for it.

(1) Extracts from La santé des médecins, ça compte. Canadian Medical Associ-ation. February 2010.

(2) Extracts from the survey on the well-being of Québec medical students conducted by the FMEQ in 2011.

(3) Extracts – Médecine: des étudiants en détresse – La Presse, published July 13 2012.

(4) Extracts – L’endettement étudiant: état des lieux, déterminants et impacts – Fédération universitaire du Québec 2011.

(5) Extracts – Détresse chez les étudiants en médecine, n’exagérons pas! Pub-lished, La Presse June 15 2012. Author : Louis-Octave Roussy.

Page 14

This year, like many others, the FMEQ

sent 3 delegates to the Canadian

Federation of Medical Students (CFMS)

Annual General Meeting, which took

place in the city of Vancouver. The

presence of the FMEQ at this event

throughout the years has brought back

tremendous political capital to the

association, allowing the FMEQ to

expand external relations not only with

the CFMS, but also with many national

leaders in medical education, such as

the Association of Facilities of Medicine

of Canada (AFMC) and the Canadian

Medical Match Service (CaRMS) – just

to name a few. In this article, I

highlight some of the key topics that

are of most interest to the FMEQ.

Let’s begin with an essential theme, and

one that is most lacking at the FMEQ:

Political Advocacy. What is political

advocacy you may ask? It is a network

of engaged citizens that voice their

concerns about current political matters

and societal issues, spreading

awareness about their cause and

demanding change at the government

level, with the end goal of influencing

public policy and resource allocation.

What?! Hold on, hold on. Let me give

you an example. Hypothetically

speaking, let’s assume that the FMEQ

had a democratic opinion about the

infamous Quebec Charter of Values, and

that members of the Federation had the

desire to defend this opinion at the

provincial level. One way this can be

achieved is by the organisation of a

Quebec Lobby day, during which

members of the FMEQ voice their

support or opposition to the Charter, by

channelling their energy via the

appropriate legislative procedures. Now

then, what is being done at the FMEQ to

promote Political Advocacy? Well,

during the CFMS weekend, I had the

personal privilege to speak and connect

with the incoming VP of government

affairs, Melanie Bechard. In fact,

Melanie and I had a one-on-one

teleconference thereafter, where we

discussed about the logistics behind

organising our very own lobby-day in

Quebec. That’s right folks, hold on to

your socks, because Lobby day is

coming to Quebec. The idea is still in its

infancy, and there is much work to be

done, but we are very excited about

this project. Moreover, the FMEQ will be

collaborating with the CFMS for the

National Lobby Day in Ottawa and we

are interested in sending delegates

from all four of Quebec’s medical

faculties.

At the other end of the spectrum, let’s

mention a topic in which the FMEQ

excels in and which is of great interest

to our Canadian colleagues: Clerk Well-

Being. Last year, the FMEQ launched its

very own province-wide student survey

to ask questions related to the well-

being of clerks. Are we overworked? Are

we receiving proper education? Do we

work in respectful environments, free of

harassment? How is our mental health?

The results were alarming. Just under

CFMS Annual General Meeting

half of all students reported that

their medical studies had a negative

impact on the other spheres of their

life. One in five students reported

being a victim of or having observed

harassment. Seventy percent – yes

70, that is not a typo – have

reported rethinking their career

choice. The numbers speak for

themselves; it is clear that well-being

during clerkship is a province-wide

issue, and ever since the appearance

of these worrisome statistics, the

FMEQ has taken immediate action by

communicating and negotiating

directly with the medical deans of all

four faculties in Quebec. Throughout

the weekend in Vancouver, our

Canadian friends demonstrated great

interest to conduct a similar survey

(for the very first time) across

Canadian medical schools, which the

FMEQ highly commended. To express

its solidarity for the well being of

medical students across Canada, the

FMEQ has provided its support for

this wonderful initiative.

This weekend is also a great

opportunity to connect with our sister

association, to improve our overall

relations and to build an intricate

network of communication between

the two Federations. Why is this

important, you may ask? Since FMEQ

is an independent federation, one of

its mandates is to represent students

not only at the provincial level, but at

the national level as well. Over the

years, the FMEQ has been

demonstrated its leadership at the

national level, partly due to its

harmonious collaboration with the

CFMS. For example, most recently,

the FMEQ has been granted a

permanent seat at the CaRMS

committee, thanks to the gratuitous

support of our CFMS colleagues –

which in the past were hesitant to

include Quebec representation at this

table.

To state the obvious, the FMEQ is

very motivated to collaborate with

the CFMS, considering that our

primary mission of medical student

representation greatly coincides with

that of our sister organisation. Over

the years, we have developed a very

fruitful relationship with our

Canadian colleagues, which has had

a great impact in the advancement of

our Federation. We look forward to a

long and mutually benefiting

relationship with the CFMS in years

to come!

Serge Keverian

Vice-President

Page 15

Page 16

Once again this year, the FMEQ organizes the now classic beginning of school year party. It is one of the rare events that reaches all medical students from everywhere in the province (the only one before the Medgames!). This special evening allows you to meet your classmates and future colleagues and to celebrate all together! Once again, the event will take place at Lamouche, a famous Montreal club. People from outside Montreal will opt for the discount including the hotel night at the very near Hôtel des Gouverneurs.

Which campus will stand out most at the party? Will U de M, reigning Medgames champion, honor its title? Will Sherbrooke live up to its reputation of tireless party people? Come and find out October 11th!

Back to School Party

Page 17

FMEQ www.fmeq.ca

info@fmeq.ca

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étudiante du Québec