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First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program of Quebec (FNIFMPQ)

The First Nations and Inuit of Quebec Faculties of Medicine Program (FNIFMPQ) (Programme de formation de médecins des Premières Nations et Inuits de Québec; PFMPNIQ) was established in 2008. Under this program, four positions for medical training in any of the four Quebec faculties of medicine are available for eligible applicants. Eligibility requirements:

1. The applicant must be a member of the First Nations or Inuit, under the Indian Act (RSC, C1-5) or in the Inuit registry.
2. The applicant must be a resident of Quebec.
3. The applicant must have a minimum R Score of 28 or equivalent university CGPA.

The four PFMPNIQ spots are available for all of Quebec's faculties of medicine (Université Laval, Université de Montréal, ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ, and Université de Sherbrooke). The choice of university is based on the candidate's preference and the available spots in the faculties.

Applicants with First Nations or Inuit status may choose whether or not to declare their status. If they decide to declare and confirm their status as a member of the First Nations or Inuit of Quebec, they will be considered as part of the regular Quebec contingent (evaluation of application according to the regular selection process for this contingent, with participation in the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ bilingual multiple mini-interviews (MMI) based on academic record) as well as part of the First Nations and Inuit contingent. It is thus possible for a candidate's application to be processed for both contingents in parallel.

Applicants who elect not to declare their First Nations or Inuit status will be considered along with every other applicant in the regular Quebec contingent.

For more information on the First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program of Quebec (FNIFMPQ), please contact:

• Yves Sioui
• FNI Faculties of Medicine Coordinator FNQLHSSC
• Université Laval FNQLHSSC
• Office: 418-842-1540, ext. 235
• Université Laval Office: 418-656-2131, ext. 3641
• Email: yves.sioui [at] cssspnql.com
• Website:

Candidates in this category with a university degree or partial completion of a university program can apply for the M.D.,C.M. program. The ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Committee may require a preparatory year as a condition of admission. Candidates who have not started university-level studies must apply for the Med-P program. A bachelor's degree is required for application to the joint programs. Assessment of academic strength is based on the academic record in conjunction with the curriculum vitae.

Non-Traditional Pathways University-Level Applicants

A select number of positions are available to residents of Quebec who have pursued a non-traditional pathway in their journey to the career choice of medicine. Applicants to these positions are generally mature students who have spent a period of time in the workforce.

Eligibility requirements:

1. Québec residency status fully established by the application deadline (November 1);
2. Applicant must hold a complete undergraduate (bachelor's) degree by July 31 of the entering year of medicine per the educational requirements WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION:
   • the undergraduate degree used as the basis of admission may have been completed on a part-time basis.
3. Applicant is not eligible to apply in any other applicant category;
4. Applicant meets all other admission requirements and conditions for medical programs WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS:
   • NTP applicants may apply for admission with partially complete (minimum of four of seven required prerequisite courses) and/or out-of-date (more than eight years from the date of application) basic science prerequisites. Any or all of the four required courses could be out of date.

Successful NTP applicants will be admitted to a Qualifying year to be undertaken chiefly in the Faculty of Science. NTP students in the Qualifying year must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5, with no grades lower than a B in order to continue on into the four-year M.D.,C.M. program.

For more details, please consult the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ, Equity and Diversity Office website.

International Medical Graduates (with Advanced Standing)

The Faculty of Medicine accepts applications from international medical graduates (IMG), i.e., applicants who have obtained a recognised medical degree outside Canada or the United States, who are also residents of Quebec. Applications will be accepted from qualified international medical graduates (from a University outside of Canada or the U.S.) in September 2015, for May 2016 entry.

Successful IMG applicants will enter the program at the Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP) component, starting in May and will continue into the clerkships and graduate with an M.D.,C.M. degree from ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ.

The number of positions available is contingent on the number of attritions from previous years and will vary; there may be years when no positions are available.

To be eligible, applicants must hold a medical degree from an accredited medical school recognized by the World Health Organization, must successfully complete the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam Part 1 (MCCEE1), must provide a Medical Student Performance Record together with an academic transcript, and must provide proof of English or French proficiency (see Proof of Proficiency in English and/or Language Requirements for Professions). Applicants must meet the basic science requirements and meet all other essential requirements listed. Competitive applicants will have MCCEE 1 scores that are at least 50 points higher than the passing grade.

Applicants who do not meet these conditions of eligibility or are seeking alternative options should contact the Collège des médecins.

Interviews are by invitation only and are conducted in a multiple mini-interview (MMI) format.

For more details, please consult the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ, Equity and Diversity Office website.

The provincial government, by decree, determines the number and distribution (by residence) of available places for medical training in Quebec. Each applicant must submit proof of citizenship at the time of application. Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must confirm the applicant category (set out below) to which they belong to at the time of application.

Applications for admission to the Faculty of Medicine are considered and assessed according to the following residence-based applicant categories:

1. Quebec Resident: Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is a recognized resident of the province of Quebec. This category is subdivided into:
   • a) Quebec – University: candidates holding an undergraduate (or higher) degree;
   • b) Quebec – Med-P: candidates applying directly from CEGEP to the Med-P program;
   • c) Quebec – NTP: Quebec residents applying via the Non-Traditional Pathway.
2. Canadian (Out-of-Province): Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is not a recognized resident of the province of Quebec.
3. International: Candidates who do not hold Canadian citizenship or residency and who require a permit to study in Canada (including U.S. citizens).

Applicants accepted under the Canadian (Out-of-Province) or International categories are subject to the admission rules and obligations of their assigned category for the duration of their medical studies, regardless of any subsequent change in citizenship or residency status.

The Minister of Health and Social Services of Quebec requires that Canadians (Out-of-Province) and foreign nationals holding a study permit (International applicant category), who are admitted to and wish to register for medical school in Quebec, sign a contract which stipulates a return-of-service obligation or a fine if, upon completion of medical training, they choose to stay in Quebec to practice.

The following applicant categories are for positions supernumerary to those set out in the categories listed above:

1. Quebec First Nations or Inuit: Residents of Quebec who are status members of a First Nation (according to the Indian Act) or a registered Inuit beneficiary, applying via the First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program of Quebec (FNIFMPQ).
2. Quebec – IMG: Quebec residents who are International Medical Graduates (holding a medical degree from outside Canada or the United States) applying for admission with advanced standing.

Please consult Eligibility Requirements for further information and requirements for all of the above categories.

Undergraduate Degree Performance

The assessment of academic performance for M.D.,C.M. applicants holding university degrees (excluding Quebec Non-Traditional, Quebec First Nations and Inuit, and Quebec International Medical Graduate) is based on the following:

1. Undergraduate degree cumulative grade point average (DegGPA);
2. Academic performance in the basic sciences (science prerequisites);
3. Overall academic context.

The primary basis of the assessment of undergraduate degree performance is the degree cumulative grade point average (DegGPA) used for the basis of admission. Successful applicants have historically demonstrated DegGPAs above 3.5 (average approximately 3.8). Applicants with a DegGPA below 3.4 are rarely considered to be competitive.

The ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Committee reserves the right not to consider those who do not have a minimum of 60 consecutive undergraduate graded credits (i.e., two full-time academic years) at the time of application.

For information on degree requirements, consult Eligibility Requirements.

Performance in Basic Science Prerequisites

The average of GPA scores in Basic Science Prerequisite courses as undertaken either in college, university, or acceptable pre-university alternatives (SciGPA) is also considered, separately from the DegGPA. Advanced studies in the basic sciences may also be considered in this assessment.

Successful applicants tend to have a SciGPA above 3.5 (average approximately 3.8). Applicants with a SciGPA below 3.2 are rarely considered to be competitive.

For information on Basic Science Prerequisites, consult Basic Science Prerequisites.

Consideration of the MCAT

Where valid MCAT results are submitted (whether required or not), results will be considered in conjunction with the SciGPA (50/50 weighting). Where the MCAT is optional, students are counselled to submit MCAT scores only if they are confident that these scores provide stronger evidence of their abilities in the basic sciences than their SciGPA would independently.

Where valid MCAT results are submitted for the 2014 MCAT and earlier, the Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Verbal Reasoning sections will be used.

Results in all categories from the 2015 MCAT will be considered.

Academic Context

Consideration is given to the overall academic record as represented in the DegGPA, as well as the distribution of course levels, graduate studies, and pursuit of professional programs, as evidenced in the official academic records.

Students are encouraged to pursue challenging and diverse topics, to have a progression in their course selection, and are generally expected to pursue a full course load in each of their regular sessions.

CEGEP Performance for Med-P Applicants

Academic performance in CEGEP for candidates applying to the Med-P program is assessed with the overall R-score (Cote R; cote de rendement collégiale) and the science R-score. Successful applicants generally have an R-score above 34.0 (average approximately 35.5). Applicants with a R-score below 32.0 are rarely considered to be competitive.

The ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Committee attends not only to academic performance, but also to non-academic qualities. For the preliminary screening of candidates (short listing for interviews), non-academic qualities are assessed by way of the combined curriculum vitae and personal narrative. For candidates selected for interviews, non-academic qualities are assessed according to their performance in the multiple mini-interviews. These qualities include, but are not limited to:

1. compassion, empathy, care
2. insight, judgment, common sense
3. integrity, honesty
4. adaptability, tolerance, flexibility
5. creativity, innovation
6. respect for others
7. intellectual curiosity
8. reliability, dependability
9. responsibility, teamwork
10. ability to deal with conflict or stressful situations
11. leadership, initiative
12. sense of assurance despite ambiguity or self-confidence
13. community involvement, social activism
14. level of professionalism, respect for the public at large
15. personal development

Positions to train in medicine in Quebec are determined by governmental decree; please see Catégories des postulants. Students within each cohort compete with each other for a pre-determined number of positions within the particular cohort.

Each year, the Office of ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ, Equity and Diversity determines the number of interviews that will be held for each cohort. When an application is received, it is ranked among others in the same cohort according to academic performance. There is no strict GPA threshold; rather, ranking is based upon the relative strength of academic performance of a given application in comparison to others in the same cohort. On the basis of this preliminary academic performance ranking, a review of the supporting documents for competitive candidates within a given cohort is carried out. Supporting documents are reviewed for approximately four to six times the number of candidates that we anticipate interviewing; i.e., if we intend to interview 50 people in a particular cohort, an evaluation of supporting documents for the top 200-300 files is conducted in order to determine which 50 candidates will be invited to interview.

For those applicants who are invited to attend the multiple mini-interviews, note that a final rank order list (which includes those who will receive an offer of admission and those who will be placed on a waiting list) is calculated as follows:

• M.D.,C.M. applicants:
• Multiple Mini-Interviews: 80%;
• Basic Science performance: 20%.

• Med-P, IMG, and NTP applicants:
• Multiple Mini-Interviews: 100%.

(Note that these formulas are guidelines only and are subject to review and change by the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Committee at any time and without notice.)

The waiting list remains active for as long as is feasible and necessary; sometimes until the beginning of classes.

Selected candidates will be invited by the Faculty of Medicine for an on-site interview session. Attendance is by invitation only, sent via electronic mail by the date published according to the applicant category. Candidates cannot be admitted without interviews. Interviews are an important tool for the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Board to evaluate those strengths and qualities that cannot be evaluated in a transcript or a writing sample.

Interviews are in multiple mini-interview (MMI) format and are conducted in-person at the Faculty of Medicine. These mini-interviews consist of multiple stations that can be task-oriented, simulation- or scenario-oriented, or discussion-oriented. Stations are designed to evaluate the various qualities, abilities, and skills that form the basis of the Physicianship curriculum component. Interviews are offered in English and French.

Interview sessions are scheduled for a half-day. Applicants are expected to keep their calendar open for interview dates. It is the applicant's responsibility to be available for the scheduled interview and to plan travel accordingly. No repeat interview sessions or special accommodations are available to those who do not attend their originally scheduled time. Therefore, if candidates are not present for their interview for any reason, the file will no longer be considered.