Medical students fear their training is being compromised by the latest pressure tactic from the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists (QFMS) in its continuing dispute with the provincial government over controversial Bill 37.
The QFMS counselled members to suspend all activities for which they're not paid — including teaching duties — in an effort to force the government to rescind the bill, which imposed a pay settlement and working conditions on Quebec's 8000 medical specialists until 2010 (CMAJ 2006;175[11]:861).
“It's one of the only means we have to show our anger,” says QFMS Vice-President Dr. Louis Morazain. “Of course, students are suffering the collateral effects of that.”
Thus far, the brunt has been borne by first-and second-year medical students at l'Université de Montréal. Only 2 specialists showed up Oct. 24 to supervise 30 first-year students in interactive tutorials. The normal ratio is 4:1.
“The hospital told us not to come back,” says Josée Larochelle, vice-president of external affairs for the Quebec Federation of Medical Students. One-third of students are “missing out on that real-life training.”
Faculty and students have since worked out a compromise: second-year students facing exams are given priority access to the few specialists defying the QFMS edict, while first-year students are receiving condensed lectures.
Morazain believes most students “understand” that the protest measure is in their long-term professional interest, but Larochelle finds that patronizing. “Why can't we decide what's good for us?”
A similar withdrawal of services in 2002–03 resulted in the students unsuccessfully seeking an injunction against the specialists. With no legal redress now available, Larochelle fears the current dispute will drag on indefinitely. “This is being imposed on us and we have no recourse except to complain. We are absolutely caught in the middle.”
Footnotes
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Loreen Pindera is a reporter for CBC Radio-Montréal.