FMSQ Members' Pressure Tactics
Watchword on Resident Teaching
September 12, 2025
You may be aware of the pressure tactics announced by the FMSQ, asking its members to cease all administrative activities and all teaching of medical students and clinical clerks. Contrary to rumors circulating for several days and premature announcements made by some leaders in your circles, teaching, evaluation, and supervision of resident doctors will continue.
Let us recall here that the FMRQ supports the FMSQ and the FMOQ in their difficult negotiations with the Quebec government, and we deplore the fact that the situation was created from scratch by the Legault government with its bad-faith negotiating tactics. With Bill 106, introduced last spring, the government attempted to use members of the National Assembly to decree the conditions of practice for physicians, and therefore, your future conditions.
We understand the situation our colleagues at the FMSQ find themselves in, but the fact remains that the measures they have announced could, if they unfortunately persist over time, have significant repercussions on the next generation of doctors, and in particular, on our fellow medical students.
Teaching clinical clerks in the field by residents: the FMRQ's watchword
It might be tempting for some of you to want to support your FMSQ colleagues by refusing to teach clinical clerks and students, but we are not in the same situation as the FMSQ in terms of negotiations. For our part, we have a signed agreement in principle and a new collective agreement that now only requires the official signature of Minister Dubé. We are therefore asking members to maintain the status quo (business as usual) regarding teaching activities by resident physicians. This means that we will not stop performing the teaching tasks that we usually do and for which we are paid a teaching premium. However, we ask members not to perform teaching tasks that are normally performed by practicing physicians, so as not to hinder the pressure tactics of our colleagues at the FMSQ. If in doubt, we invite members to contact their program director.
This whole unfortunate situation could be resolved if the government were to negotiate in good faith to reach negotiated agreements with the medical federations.
The Federation will obviously monitor the situation closely. We are in close contact with all other partners involved, including our four medical schools, to protect your rights in the current context.
Your Federation