To know at the beginning of the practice
Obtaining a permit to practise
To obtain a permit to practise in Quebec, you must apply to the Collège des médecins du Québec. The permit is accessible once you have received your specialist certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and completed the minimum number of months of postgraduate education required for your specialty. You must also have attended an ALDO Quebec information session given by the Collège, and have passed the Medical Council of Canada exam (MCCQE Parts I).
Steps to follow:
- Visit the Collège des médecins du Québec site
- Complete the application online for a regular permit to practise
- Once you have received the permit, register online on the membership roll of the Collège. At this point, you will pay your yearly membership fee
Once you have obtained your permit:
- Take out malpractice insurance with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)
- Register online with the Quebec Health Insurance Board (RAMQ) for billing purposes
Access the permit section of the Collège des médecins du Québec site.
Pay
The Ministry grants financial incentives to doctors practising in remote and isolated regions. These incentives can go as high as 145% of the initial rate, depending on the region. Information on the increased pay is available on the Ministry site.
Parental Leave
Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec and Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec members benefit from financial compensation programs with respect to parental leave.
Find out more about the FMOQ’s maternity and adoption leave benefits program for general practitioners (in French only).
Find out more about the FMSQ-MSSS parental leave program (in French only) for other specialist physicians.
Billing agencies
For billing agency names, we advise you to consult your colleagues in your service/department. You can also consult the list of billing agencies on the RAMQ website.
Joining the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec
You do not technically have to do anything to join the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec. We do, however, strongly recommend that you send a valid email to the FMSQ at info@fmsq.org or to your medical association before you start practising in a medical specialty, in order to ensure that your personal information is up to date.
You will automatically be enrolled as a member of the FMSQ as soon as you practise as a specialist physician in the Quebec public system and are paid by the Quebec Health Insurance Board (RAMQ). In fact, the moment you start billing medical acts as a specialist physician, RAMQ will deduct and forward your dues to the FMSQ. Be aware, though, that there is a one-month waiting period between when you start billing and when the FMSQ receives your first dues. So you will become an active member of the FMSQ only the month following your first dues payment.
To find out more:
Consult the information kit for future FMSQ members (in French only) to prepare for your official entry into the world of specialty medicine. It contains a host of useful information to facilitate your transition and help you take your first steps as an FMSQ member, along with answers to many of your questions, such as:
- What is the FMSQ’s role?
- Who are its members?
- How do I become a member?
- How are union dues determined?
- What services does the FMSQ offer its members?
Maintenance of proficiency
All practising physicians must follow a continuing professional development program. Specialist physicians may join the Collège des médecins du Québec’s Continuing professional development self-management plan.
For further information on continuing professional development requirements, you may consult the Collège’s self-management form in that regard.
A similar program is also available at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
Insurance/Financial services
Most financial services and insurance services offered to resident doctors can be converted upon completion of residency, on request. So we invite you to get in touch directly with our banking services partners and with our financial management partners to agree on the terms and conditions that best suit you at that time.
Income tax
Throughout residency, income tax has been withdrawn from your salary through source deductions. When you are in practice, you will be paid on a different basis, and will have to gauge the amount of tax to be paid on your income. We advise you to make an appointment with an accountant or financial advisor as soon as you start your practice.