Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Association of Residents of McGill (ARM) represents McGill residents by managing their collective interests in education, working conditions, and wellness. It conducts its affairs through elected representatives and an executive committee, ensures the application of the collective agreement, provides input on educational matters, and represents residents at the provincial federation (FMRQ) for union matters.

  • Our executives and delegates represent your interests on committees of the following groups:

    • Faculty

    • PGME

    • FMRQ

    • Royal College

    • CMQ

    • CaRMS

    • AFMC

  • All members of the ARM are encouraged to attend our Board of Representatives meeting where most decisions are made.

  • Please refer to our calendar on the front page of our website where you will find an updated schedule of our meetings.

  • You can schedule a meeting with the VP Finance — please email treasurer.arm@mail.mcgill.ca

  • Any resident well-being oriented activity or project can receive a financial support of up to 50$ per resident per day, up to once per program per year.
    The application period will be early 2026, and funds can be asked for prospectively and retroactively, as long as all other criteria are met (see full document). Briefly : excluded expenses are those related to alcohol, research projects, conference attendance and gift baskets. All receipts and resident proof of attendance must be provided.

  • Well being activities (eg. chalet, outing), resident lounge appliances (excluded are things the hospitals are mandated to provide according to the collective agreement - eg. beds), resident wellness initiatives.

  • You must contact your hospital payroll agent to know your Dental plan certificate number (eg. for MUHC affiliated residents, it is your employee number preceded by 5 leading zeros = 00000XXXX). You then simply need to provide this number and the group number Q1090 (Desjardins Insurance) to your dentist during payment. For more details.

  • While an academic half day is considered a workday and not showing up is a breach of professionalism which can be marked on the resident’s file. Leave docking is a significant disciplinary measure and the establishment, if they so choose, can hand down a disciplinary measure assuming they follow procedure outlined in article 17.
    Long story short, residents must show up to AHD by virtue of professionalism and the fact that it is a workday or else expose themselves to professionalism violations and disciplinary measures. By that same token, programs cannot unilaterally take away leave days without going through the appropriate procedure and actually handing down a disciplinary measure, which even then may not work.

  • Chief residents and program directors are the first go-to’s. If you feel there is a conflict of interest, you can reach out to us at VP Academics or Union Affairs and we will be happy to guide you.

  • Email us (caps.arm@mail.mcgill.ca or family.arm@mail.mcgill.ca) with any questions, we will be happy to provide a detailed answer.

  • Yes, stat days are excluded from the 75% rule. Any period with two or less stat days will not count towards the 75%. The rule is different for period 7 (4 stat days).

  • You can contact us at any time, we will re-direct you to the best person according to your needs. In brief, pedagogical affairs is for anything to do with academics, and Union is for anything related to work conditions.

  • You have 14 days to accept/contest the evaluation. Accepting will result in remediation (FLeX). Duration and modalities of the FLeX will be organized with the resident and the program director; both parties must be in agreement. If you decide to appeal, you will be invited to provide justification to the Faculty.

  • You have 14 days to accept or contest the evaluation. Each situation is unique, we are available to guide you through the process.

  • The accreditation process is a Canada-wide process that occurs every 7 years. McGill will be accredited in 2027. Royal college representatives will visit each program individually. During the accreditation, meetings are held with residents, residency training committees, and program admins. Examiners will be interested in knowing what works well and what can be improved in your program. This is an opportunity for programs to improve and aims to insure uniformity and quality across the country.

  • Some examples of events that are organized during the year include the beginning of year social, the Halloween party, and the formal gala in the spring! We also aim to have smaller casual events throughout the year, and this year, we will be experimenting with having smaller (cheap/free!) events throughout the year instead of larger events. Stay tuned to the newsletters and our social media pages for more information!

  • Have any ideas for other events? Please contact me at events.arm@mail.mcgill.ca!
    We are also looking for members on the Events, Wellness and Communications Subcommittee! If interested in learning more, please e-mail me

  • We try to ensure that all of our events are accessible and inclusive (venues being physically accessible, food options for all dietary needs, alcohol and non-alcohol options).
    If you have any specific requests or requirements, you can always contact me and I will do my best to ensure that there is an option for you!

  • Graduates or final year residents transitioning to practice and looking forward to starting their independent practice.

  • “Plan d’effectifs médicaux”, or hospital/institution physician resource plan, is basically the number of doctors authorized by the ministry to practice in a hospital within Quebec. Once you finish your training and you want to work in any institution; you should apply for a PEM at the institution desired.

  • For family medicine PEMs please visit: https://fmrq.qc.ca/postes-pem-ptem/medecine-familiale/

    For PEMs in other specialties: https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/sante/documents/Systeme_et_services_de_sante/travailler-reseau-sante-services-sociaux/PEM-en-specialite_2025-10-01.pdf

  • Yes, (1) in special circumstances when the hospital needs manpower even if all of its PEMs are filled, (2) private setting, (3) to fill in for an MD who has an emergency (maximum of 3 months), (4) returning from service in a remote region (5) research post: the title designated to your will be a research scientist.

  • Yes. The hospital/ institution offering the PEM will discuss with you the details of the fellowship you want to do before joining them as a staff. Once done with the fellowship; you are required to work at the hospital where you obtained the PEM for a minimum of 3 years.

  • RAMQ. In fact, no fellowship not paid by RAMQ may be carried out in Quebec by resident doctors having completed residency in Quebec.

  • Yes, in remote areas, or in non academic settings where the hospital does not mandate it.

  • Yes. You need to hold a permit and be covered by the liability insurance CMPA.

  • Yes. These are mandatory to keep your permit of practice valid. Check the CMQ website for the requirements for your specialty. The proof should be uploaded to your portal on the CMQ website.

  • Please visit the FMRQ website: https://fmrq.qc.ca/postes-pem-ptem/

  • The FMRQ has zero tolerance for psychological harassment (bullying). The first thing to do if you believe you are the victim of psychological harassment is to:

    ➔ make detailed notes of the events (dates, locations, individuals involved, words spoken, gestures made, emails exchanged, etc.).

    ➔ contact the FMRQ at info@fmrq.qc.ca to discuss your situation and find out what recourse you are entitled to. The FMRQ is there to advise you in your efforts.At the McGill level, the Office for Respectful Environments receives, responds to and monitors reports of mistreatment in the Faculty's learning environments. In order to initiate a report or learn more about the reporting process, click here: https://www.mcgill.ca/medhealthsci-respectful-environments/report-mistreatment/postgraduate-residents-fellows

  • Yes, various mental health resources are available for free during residency. Here is a comprehensive list, which can be found on the FMRQ website: https://fmrq.qc.ca/en/wellness-support/psychological-support/
    A comprehensive list of McGill resources is also available on the ARM website: https://arm-mcgill.com/wellness-1
    You can always reach out to your     wellness representative and to our sentinel residents any time to be oriented towards these resources and guided through the process.

  • Various resources are available and detailed on the FMRQ website as well as the ARM website, namely the free subscription to the Headspace meditation app for all members: Wellness support - FMRQ