In the Pulse column in the Sept 7 issue of CMAJ Lynda Buske provided a thorough comparison of 1998 tuition fees for medical residents across the country.1 I would like to clarify the history behind her statement that "in Quebec, government grants help defray a large portion of the tuition fee."
From the time that resident tuition fees at the 4 medical schools in Quebec (namely Laval, Sherbrooke, Montreal and McGill) increased substantially about 4 years ago, the Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec (FMRQ) has been waging a battle with the universities and the government of Quebec. The universities have been unyielding in their determination to maintain the tuition fees. However, after several years of efforts (including strike days) on the part of the residents, in June 1999 the provincial government agreed to finance a portion of the tuition fees. A new article (article 13.08) was added to the residents' collective agreement: as of 1999/2000 the residents will pay $700 in tuition fees and the balance will be paid by the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux directly to the universities. The government will also reimburse residents for the same fraction of their 1998/99 fees retrospectively. The collective agreement can be downloaded from www.fmrq.qc.ca/a-index.htm (available in French only).
This was a major victory for medical residents in Quebec. I hope residents in other provinces will achieve similar success in their negotiations.
Reference
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