English
Français
16/10/2025
Hi everyone,
As you all know, yesterday evening, the FMOQ decided to start a teaching strike and join the FMSQ in their pressure tactics. I think I can speak for all of us when I say this was a shock to discover that, entering week 6, the negotiations are still stalling.
In my last email, I shared a survey to reassess the position of the MSS: at the time of analysis of answers, 61% of students preferred to keep our position unchanged. The response was similar across all faculties in Québec, meaning that the FMEQ did not change its position. However, considering the new pressure tactic, the news that negotiations are stalling after a 3rd round, and that we are about to enter week 6, here is a new forms to collect your opinion and see if the MSS should change its positioning. This will decide the stance we will defend in our meetings with the FMEQ and in media communications. Please take a moment to fill this survey as it is very important for us to ensure we represent adequately our student body. It is not constitutional for us to only consider the opinion of the most affected cohorts; therefore, I encourage all to take a moment to think about medical students as whole when answering the questions.
English version: https://forms.office.com/r/JkEJ9WiC07
French version: https://forms.office.com/r/E2sQtcY6KG
The faculty should be sending out an email tomorrow with more transparent and detailed information on how they have been advocating for us and the steps that they have taken.
With the FMEQ, we sent a letter to the media and the government yesterday, in a similar fashion to the letter of the Deans that was sent week 2. It essentially detailed the position that we have been holding until today and emphasized that we need to go back to teaching to graduate on time, encouraging the government to negotiate in good faith with the federations so that pressure tactics can be removed. It has not been published in the news yet.
The FMEQ also has regular unofficial phone calls with the presidents of the FMSQ and FMOQ (Dr. Oliva and Dr. Amyot) where they have the opportunity to receive information but also express concerns from students.
To the students who were supposed to start their rural rotation next week or are currently in their rural rotation, from what I understood, you should be contacted individually by the faculty. As for students supervised by FMs in an urban setting, similar to the specialists, it is on a per staff basis for the strike, not per unit, meaning that individual staffs can decide to supervise you. Ask directly to your supervisor if they will.
I am seriously wishing for this situation to end very soon and for us all to be able to talk about it as a distant memory.
If you have any academic question, you can refer to your cohort presidents as they are as informed as I am: our next meeting with Dr. Mondou is Monday, this is a time where we can bring up concerns, issues, or ask for another Townhall, if it is expressed as needed to cohort presidents by their class. For advocacy ideas, please reply to this email, I am open to all of them: let’s work together. This is a team. we all have the same goal: receive teaching.
Enjoy the good weather,
Ryan Kara
Montréal Campus Executive President | Président exécutif du Campus Montréal
Medical Students’ Society of McGill University | Association des Étudiant(e)s en Médecine de l’Université McGill
M.D.,C.M. Class of 2027