Formation

Students

In Quebec, an undergraduate student must be issued a registration certificate by the Collège, authorizing them to perform, under supervision, the medical activities required to complete their training in accordance with the Regulation respecting professional activities that may be engaged in by persons other than physicians.

Furthermore, the student must perform these medical activities in compliance with the standards applicable to physicians, particularly those relating to ethics and the keeping of records and consulting rooms.

If you are a student in a faculty of medicine outside Quebec and would like to complete clinical rotations (training periods) in Quebec:

• you must be accepted by a faculty of medicine in Quebec;
• the faculty of medicine will confirm your acceptance with the Collège;
• you will receive an email from the Collège inviting you to complete your Application for registration through Online services. You will be given a user code and password so that you can access the form.

The registration certificate will then be issued to you.

If you are a student in a faculty of medicine outside Canada:

Once you have completed the above steps and received your registration certificate, you will also receive a letter of eligibility from the Collège. You will have to show this letter to the Canadian immigration authorities when you enter the country.

Application for registration 

To apply for registration, you must first receive an e-mail from the CMQ inviting you to do so. Registration may be revoked as provided for in the Regulation respecting causes, terms and conditions for issuing and revoking registration in medicine.

Application deadline

Residents/Training card

Any person admitted to a postdoctoral training program in Quebec must be registered and hold a trainee card that indicates the program in which the person is enrolled, as well as their level of education (see also the Fellow section).

International Medical Degrees

If you are an internationally trained medical graduate who wishes to pursue postdoctoral training in Quebec, you must first obtain recognition of equivalence for your medical degree (M.D.).

The trainee card must be renewed each academic year, which runs from July 1st to June 30th. In April of the relevant year, you will receive an email from the CMQ (Collège des médecins du Québec) with instructions on how to apply for your trainee card in the secure section of the CMQ website. Please also refer to the pricing information.

Authorized and Unauthorized Activities for Trainee Card Holders (Residents and Fellows)

Authorized professional activities:

You are authorized to perform professional activities reserved for physicians that correspond to your level of education and are required to achieve the objectives of your training as determined by the training program. These activities must take place:

• In training environments approved and endorsed by the CMQ.
• Under the supervision of competent individuals and in compliance with the rules applicable to physicians, including those related to ethics, prescription issuance, and maintaining medical records, clinics, or physicians’ offices.

Unauthorized professional Activities:

• Practicing medicine outside of approved or CMQ-authorized training environments.
• Writing medical prescriptions outside of the settings where the CMQ has granted you permission to practice

See also

• Practising medicine during training as a resident in Quebec: Avoiding role confusion 
• Information sheet – Professional activities that may be performed by residents and fellows 

Fellows

According to the government decree, "a fellow (remunated by a university, a government agency, a recognized granting agency or a foundation deemed acceptable by the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux) [...] is a person who has completed their medical training leading to a medical degree, doing advanced training in Quebec as part of a host or exchange program approved by a Quebec faculty of medicine, and who is subject to the provisions concerning them in the agreement between the Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec and the Quebec government."

If you have a medical degree and would like to complete a period of advanced training as a fellow (fellowship), you must contact the Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education directly at one of Quebec’s faculties of medicine

The faculty of medicine must send the Collège a letter confirming your admission to a specialty program at a university in Quebec or to a host or exchange program approved by the faculty of medicine or by the government authorities.

Documents to consult:

• Procedures for the admission and supervision of fellows

Requirements:

• You hold a medical degree from a school or university listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER).
• You hold a specialist certificate in the specialty covered by the internship.
  If this certificate is not obtained within 9 months of the start of the internship, or to complete an elective as a resident of a university outside Canada or the United States, you must provide proof of successful completion of one of the required examinations (MCCEE or MCCQE Part I or USMLE/Step 2 CK).
• You have deposited some documents at registrationmed.ca and others at the Collège. See required documents.

When the documents submitted to physiciansapply.ca have the verification status “Passed”, a letter of eligibility will be sent to your personal page at the earliest 9 months before the beginning of the training. A copy will be sent to the faculty of medicine by email.

In April of the same year, you will receive an email from the Collège’s “Training cards” section that will tell you what you need to do to complete your application for a training card through Online services and the applicable Fees.

As a trainee card holder, you will be authorized to perform professional activities reserved for physicians that are required to complete your postdoctoral training (see the Residents/Trainee Cards section above)

Faculties of medicine

In Quebec, the medical program is offered by four faculties:

• Université Laval in Quebec City
• McGill University (Montreal and Outaouais campuses)
• Université de Montréal (Montreal and Trois-Rivières campuses)
• Université de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke and Saguenay campuses)

These universities are responsible for selecting and admitting students, residents and fellows to their programs. The Collège is responsible for registration and for issuing training cards and permits to practice.

If you are an international medical graduate, you may submit an application for admission to the undergraduate medical program at one of Quebec’s four faculties of medicine.

Please contact the faculties directly to find out their respective admission requirements.

Useful links

• Documents required and other conditions
• Fee schedule
  
• Services en ligne
  
• Guide du rôle et responsabilité de l'apprenant et du superviseur
• Regulation respecting causes, terms and conditions for issuing and revoking registration in medicine
• Regulation respecting professional activities that may be engaged in by persons other than physicians
• Règlement sur les normes relatives aux ordonnances faites par un médecin (in French only)
• Code of ethics of physicians