Key Steps
- Last updated: December 2, 2025
This information is taken from the MSSS’s Management Guide for Regional Physician Resource Plans in Family Medicine for 2024-2025 (Guide de gestion des plans régionaux d’effectifs médicaux en médecine de famille 2024-2025). The 2025-2026 Management guide will soon be available on the MSSS website.
Important Dates
Effective date of PTEMs
The 2026 PTEMs will be in effect from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026.
- Initial PTEM application period: December 1-15
- Initial period for processing of compliance notice applications: December 16 to February 27 the following year
First come, first served, from February 28
Spring
- Get the ball rolling!
- Contact the heads of DTMFs to find out their regions’ needs.
- Travel to visit practice sites (establishment, department, clinic).
- Make yourself known!
Fall
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) releases the table of territorial physician resource plans (PTEMs), i.e., the number of positions per region, and the list of priority needs (PEMs in establishments).
Obtaining a PTEM in family medicine
*The videos below were made before PREMs became PTEMs. So whenever you hear PREMs, assume they are PTEMs.
(Videos in French only)
Applying for a compliance notice
The initial period of reception of applications for a PTEM compliance notice runs from December 1 to 15 of the current year, inclusive. All applications received during that period are deemed to be received on December 15.
The application must be made on this appropriate electronic form : Demande d’avis de conformité aux PTEM 2026 – Médecins omnipraticiens – Santé Québec (in French only). This form (to come) is the sole document to be sent in.
Candidates may not submit their compliance notice applications for the following year’s PTEM before December 1 of the current year.
Santé Québec sends each applicant an acknowledgment of receipt.
Any response to an applicant from a DTMF following the submission of a compliance notice application has to be sent by email.
Starting December 16, Santé Québec forwards to the DTMFs the PTEM compliance notice applications.
Applications received between December 1 and 15 inclusive are processed between December 16 and February 27.
When the number of positions available in the PTEM of a sub-area which candidates have marked as their first choice is lower than or equal to the number of applications received for that sub-area, no selection is carried out, and the DTMF has to issue the compliance notice.
When the number of applications received for a sub-area exceeds the number of positions available in that sub-area’s PTEM, all applications are evaluated by the DTMF. This evaluation must comply with the following selection process.
Examples
1. The number of applicants is equal to or lower than the number of positions — automatic selection – all applicants receive their PTEM:
- 6 candidates apply with RLS de Verdun as their first choice
- RLS de Verdun has 7 PTEMs available
- All 6 candidates receive their PTEM automatically
2. There are more applicants than positions – selection by interview:
- 15 candidates apply with RLS de Verdun as their first choice
- RLS de Verdun has 7 PTEMs available
- ALL candidates are interviewed
- December 16, 2025 to February 27, 2026
- From December 16, Santé Québec relays the applications received to the DTMFs of the regions selected by the candidate.
- On January 30, 2026, all DTMFs respond to applicants in writing, confirming the area corresponding to their first or second choice, offering another sub-area that has remained vacant, or informing them that their application has been denied.
- Candidates must have responded to the DTMF in writing within a maximum of 5 days. Candidates failing to respond within this period are deemed to have refused their compliance nofice.
- From February 28, and for the rest of the current PTEM year, candidates who are offered a place in a region’s PTEM must respond within 10 days.
- The interview period is from January 5 to 30, 2026.
All candidates are interviewed. These interviews are conducted in person, but could in exceptional cases be carried by videoconference , if the candidate is unable to attend in person.
The objectives of the interview are the following:
- Evaluate the level of knowledge of special regional features, approach carried out, reason for this choice;
- Evaluate experience acquired, career path, achievements, challenges, and goals;
- Find out intentions in terms of professional interests and activities envisaged;
- Evaluate the level of knowledge of the healthcare system;
- Evaluate personality, capabilities and behaviour through scenarios whereby the candidate can show his qualities;
- Provide relevant information on the region;
- Answer the candidate’s questions;
- Interviews must be conducted in keeping with the hiring conditions established by the provincial human rights and youth rights commission.
WARNING! Questions should be asked about your interest in patient management, and not about your interest in a specific clinic. The choice of clinic where you perform your patient management will be left up to you.
When positions are available in the PTEM, the first come, first served principle is applied.
- Candidates who accept the compliance notice offered by the DTMF are removed from the process.
- A candidate who refuses the compliance notice offered by the DTMF continues the process.
A candidate who first accepted and then withdrew from his compliance notice will have to submit a new application if he wants to receive a PTEM compliance notice again. These new applications will be processed in the order in which applications are received at Santé Québec after February 27.