Le magazine de La Fédération des médecins spéciaListes du

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LE
SPÉCIALISTE
Le magazine de la Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec
Vol. 14 no. 1 | March 2012
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Summary
7
LE SPÉCIALISTE IS PUBLISHED 4 TIMES PER YEAR BY
THE FÉDÉRATION DES MÉDECINS SPÉCIALISTES DU QUÉBEC
EDITORIAL Committee
Dr. Bernard Bissonnette
Dr. Raynald Ferland
Dr. Paul Perrotte
Maître Sylvain Bellavance
Nicole Pelletier, APR, director
Patricia Kéroack,
communications consultant
DELEGATED PUBLISHER
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RESPONSIBLE FOR
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LEGAL DEPOSIT
1st quarter 2012
Bibliothèque nationale du Québec
ISSN 1206-2081
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11 DID YOU KNOW...
14 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
15 LEGAL ISSUES
18 DOSSIER
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• Women in Specialized
Medicine19
• Ten Years Later
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The authors of signed articles are sole responsible for the opinions expressed
therein. No reproduction without previous authorization from the publisher.
The mission of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec is to defend and
promote the economic, professional, scientific and social interests of the medical
specialists who are members of its affiliated associations.The Federation des médecins
spécialistes du Québec represents the following medical specialties: Adolescent
Medicine; Anatomical Pathology; Anesthesiology; Cardiac Surgery; Cardiology (adult or
pediatric); Clinical Immunology and Allergy; Colorectal Surgery; Community Medicine;
Critical Care Medicine (adult or pediatric); Dermatology; Diagnostic Radiology; Emergency
Medicine; Endocrinology and Metabolism; Forensic Pathology; Gastroenterology;
General Pathology; General Surgery; General Surgical Oncology; Geriatric Medicine;
Gynecologic Oncology; Hematological Pathology; Hematology; Infectious Diseases;
Internal Medicine; Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Medical Biochemistry; Medical Genetics;
Medical microbiology and infectious diseases; Medical Oncology; Neonatal-Perinatal
Medicine; Nephrology; Neurology; Neuropathology; Neurosurgery; Nuclear Medicine;
Obstetrics and Gynecology; Occupational Medicine; Ophtalmology; Orthopedic Surgery;
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Pediaric Hematology/Oncology; Pediatric
Emergency Medicine; Pediatric General Surgery; Pediatrics; Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation; Plastic Surgery; Psychiatry; Radiation Oncology; Respirology (adult or
pediatric); Rheumatology; Urology; Thoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery.
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CCAB audits the medical specialists and residents database
(11,505 copies audited for December 2011) The FMSQ also
distributes around 1,000 copies to Researchers and
Professors of the 4 Medical Faculties in Quebec, as well as managers and leaders
of the Québec healthcare system.
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IN THE NEWS
EDUCATION
Fédération des médecins
spécialistes du Québec
2, Complexe Desjardins, porte 3000
C.P. 216, succ. Desjardins,
Montréal QC H5B 1G8
Telephone: 514-350-5000
REVISION
Angèle L’Heureux
T oday and Tomorrow
8
TO JOIN US
EDITION WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
34 REAT NAMES IN QUEBEC MEDICINE
G
r. Alice Chan-Yip, pediatric
D
35 FINANCIÈRE DES
PROFESSIONNELS
36 SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
38 LE MOT DU PRÉSIDENT
Le présent et l’avenir
39 SERVICES AUX MEMBRES
A vantages commerciaux
LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 No. 1 | MARCH 2012 | 5
www.fprofessionnels.com
Montréal 1 800 361-3794
Québec 1 888 705-1112
Sherbrooke 1 866 564-6021
WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dr. Gaétan Barrette
Today and Tomorrow
A Special Delegates Assembly was held on February 16, and it was nothing less than historic
in nature. It, of course, followed on the Agreement reached with the government in June
2011. It, of course, allocated the sums negotiated between the various associations. And, of
course, it caused discussion. But, above all, it ended a 10-year cycle during which you asked
two things of your Board of Directors: to obtain parity with the rest of Canada’s average and
reduce the differentials between the associations.
A
s far as parity is concerned, I will leave it up to you to
contact your association so that you can fully appreciate
the extent of the gains made for your particular specialty.
We have significantly decreased the gap in parity in all cases,
and can be proud of the work accomplished. In all cases, our
motivation in 2016 must, at the very least, be to maintain our
position. It would be a lack on our part if we did not do so. Ten
years to partially recover a disparity of 30 years. That deals with
that part of the “history”.
Then, there is the other part, the one that “historically” has also
undermined the Federation to the point where it had become
ineffectual with regard to negotiations. I am obviously talking
about the “gaps” between the specialties. We had promised
that, ultimately, these gaps would decrease; that an “AAI”
effect (adjusted average income, called RMA in French) would
be both felt and seen. This is now fact, based on parameters
understood and agreed to by a strong majority of delegates.
A real AAI based on reason and not on the emotions and
arbitrary decisions of the past. And, finally, for the first time in the
history of the Federation, the difference in remuneration between
the two ends of the scale is now 2:1. Furthermore, this gap
is determined on a daily basis, net of any costs. In short, no
remuneration plan will ever have been so objective or so effective.
Because, to be frank, it would be senseless to require that
the remuneration of all medical specialties be the same.
A neurosurgeon’s remuneration will never be the same as that of
a biochemist. But, we also have to appreciate the significance
of the result: 35 medical specialties, all different from each other,
whose average income falls within a ratio of 2:1. As different
as each specialty may be from the others, the gaps between
them are minimal. Take time to test it! Take any 2:1 interval and
divide 35 evenly-spaced groups within it! This is completely
new and, in many regards, way beyond the wildest dreams of
some associations.
Hence, the strong majority vote at the Delegates Assembly
on February 16. We have now definitely delivered the goods
announced in 2007!
I must nonetheless issue a word of warning. Our collective
success also contains many dangerous seeds, including the
ultimate danger: a clinical slowdown.
Unfortunately, the history of both medical federations is eloquent
on this subject. After successful negotiations, some subgroups
chose time over money. In other words, they decided to work
less for less money than planned or, even worse, to work far less
for an income similar to that received before the negotiations.
That has happened and it is an “error” that must be avoided
at all costs, both with respect to access to care and our future
ability to negotiate.
We should remember that we have got this far through
teamwork, the desire to stand up to the other party and a
readiness to act that the Federation had not seen for decades.
The result was a balance of power that was exercised wisely
– i.e. by taking into consideration the other party’s needs and
positions, while making it clear that we would not retreat and
would always be ready to act in a coherent manner. In short, the
art of compromise is strength! With, as the finale, a satisfactory
conclusion for both parties. The success of the next round of
negotiations will take place in another context, but we will win
using the same logic. The words may be different, but your
readiness to act will be even more necessary.
In fact, one thing is very clear to me: we must do everything to
prevent the FMSQ from regressing into passivity once again. Stay
alert, and always remember that your individual preparedness
will give rise to victory.
Yours in Solidarity !
L
S
LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 No. 1 | MARS 2012 | 7
IN THE NEWS
Can Our Healthcare
System Recover?
LE
SPÉCIALISTE
Le magazine de La Fédération des médecins spéciaListes du Québec
Vol. 14 No. HS-1 | January 2012
Can Our Healthcare
System Recover?
The Special Issue of Le Spécialiste,
published on January 24, raised a
great deal of reaction. It was in fact
the result of a lot of thought and
considerable research. The editorial
team, composed of Dr. Barrette
and three team members from
the Federation’s Public Affairs and
Communications directorate, spent
more than a year preparing this
major overview.
The Special Issue was well received
by the media: within two days,
the President gave no less than
15 interviews. It came out at the
same time as the launch of the Federation’s new Internet
portal, thus creating an interesting synergy. As a result, the
portal was kept quite busy: some 750 visitors used it to read
the Special Issue on line. And speaking of synergy, more than
160 visits to the portal were directed there by tweets from both
the Federation and our President. Several links were placed on
the portal to allow Internet users to read articles or listen to
Dr. Barrette’s interviews. The Federation also wanted to know
what its members thought by asking them to fill out a short,
non-scientific opinion poll. Some 665 members responded that
they had read the magazine. Even though some of them did not
reply to all the questions, we can say with assurance that the
issue was very well received.
SPECIAL ISSUE
Compiled results showed that positive appreciation of the
articles reached or surpassed the 85% mark, as illustrated by
the following:
• If We Compared Ourselves (87.9%)
• Editorial (86.6%)
• If We Imitated Them (86.6%)
• A Trip Through Time (86.5%)
• A Persistent Headache (86.2%)
• Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way (84.6%)
On the cover page of the Special Issue, we asked whether
the public healthcare system could recover. In response, our
readers (86.5% of them) indicated that the healthcare system
could work if major changes were made to how it is managed,
while 12% of them said that, in their opinion, the healthcare
system is past hope. Finally, 75.6% of readers stated that the
public healthcare system can recover.
8 | LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 No. 1 | MARCH 2012
Federation year-end
wishes aired
On behalf of all medical
specialists in Quebec,
Dr. Barrette, the President
of the FMSQ, offered his
wishes for the New
Year in six messages
aired on Radio-Canada
in programs leading up
to 2012. One message was addressed to Quebecers, inviting
them to take advantage of the holiday season to visit someone
close to them, a relative or someone who was ill.
The messages were shot in one of the FMSQ conference
rooms, decorated with a Christmas tree, a cloth, table centre …
and three chairs borrowed from the St. Hubert restaurant in
Complexe Desjardins!
The cost was minimal, but the impact was considerable. The
Federation had an outstanding credit (in advertising messages)
as a result of its association with the program Les Docteurs.
The Bye Bye 2011 line-up formed part of the time slots available
from Radio-Canada. This was a unique opportunity to pass on
warmest wishes and also reach more than half the people in
Quebec at the same time!
Are you registered?
The FMSQ’s new internet portal has been on line since
January 16. This is a “must see”, particularly the secure
area reserved for members of the FMSQ.
If you have not already done so, register right now.
A temporary access code was e-mailed to you on
January 13. If you have not received it, or if you are having
problems registering, please e-mail the following address:
[email protected].
CPD now compulsory
in France
Starting January 1, 2012 continuing professional development
(CPD) has become compulsory for all health professionals
in France, whether they are physicians, dentists, midwives,
nurses, pharmacists, aides or others. Participants can select
the educational programs they wish, which must be free of
any influence by pharmaceutical companies. All programs
must comply with national guidelines: they will be evaluated
on a regular basis by an independent scientific commission
composed of health professionals at arm’s length with the
pharmaceutical industry.
IN THE NEWS (SUITE)
CRC_specialiste3.375x9.5AD_Layout 1 12-02-01 9:33 AM Page 1
On the Political Scene
The National Assembly resumed work on February 14.
The Federation will be paying very particular attention to
certain elements.
Bill 36, an Act to amend the Act respecting health services
and social services as regards joint procurement should pass
through the system during the current session. The Bill was
tabled on November 15, 2011 by the Minister, Mr. Bolduc. The
Explanatory Notes to the Bill specify that “This bill proposes a
review of the rules applicable to joint procurement of goods and
services for health and social services agencies and institutions,
in particular by introducing the notion of ‘joint procurement
centre’ to replace that of ‘joint procurement group’”.
26 – 28 avril 2012
The 2012-2013 budget should be tabled some time in March. The
annual exercise of studying the budget credits of government
departments and organizations before a parliamentary
commission will then take place. Some 200 hours are spent
on this statutory exercise, 25 of them devoted to Health and
Social Services.
On the federal level, Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth
wants to reopen the debate on abortion. He considers that
the definition of “human being” should also be applicable to
unborn children. In the spring of 2008, the FMSQ publicly
took a position against Bill C-484, which had similar aims. The
Federation is on the alert!
Because of the significant sums associated with it and
amendments that have been both announced and are
expected, the Federation is following the subject of federal
health transfers very closely. It should be remembered that the
Master Agreement between the federal government and the
provinces expires in 2014.
Prix et bourses du CQDPCM 2012
EXPLORONS, INNOVONS ET PARTAGEONS !
Prix de la recherche
Prix de l’innovation pédagogique
Bourses de recherche en
développement professionnel continu
Pour participer, consultez notre site au www.cqdpcm.ca
Date de clôture : le 1er mai 2012
S
L
Hôtel Westin Bayshore
Vancouver (Colombie-Britannique)
CONGRÈS CANADIEN SUR LA SANTÉ RESPIRATOIRE
Another Bill is expected during the present session relating to
Electronic Health Records (EHR). Unlike the current legislation,
this Bill will permit the sharing of patient information between
establishments. The use of EHRs cannot become fact without
an umpteenth amendment to the legislation. You will recall
that the initial project leaned more towards the construction
of a central data bank to which the various “caregivers” would
have to be connected. This aspect was finally abandoned by
the MSSS.
IN THE NEWS
Building the new UHCs of Montreal
Since September 2010, we have been reporting photographically on how construction work is advancing on the new university
hospital centres being built in Quebec. As a picture is worth a thousand words, what better way to keep track of these projects!
The new McGill University Health Centre will open its doors in the fall of 2014, while the CHUM is expected to open in 2018.
CHUM
Picture taken on February 6, 2012
Research Center Construction Work
MUHC
Picture taken on February 6, 2012
S
L
DID YOU KNOW...
Prizes and Awards
New Member of the Order of Canada
The Right Honourable David Johnston,
Governor General of Canada, has announced
66 new appointments to the Order of
Canada. Among these, Dr. Jean Deslauriers,
a thoracic surgeon and researcher at the
the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et
de pneumologie de Québec, has been
appointed a Member of the Order to mark
his contribution in the field of thoracic surgery,
both in Quebec and elsewhere. The induction ceremony will
take place later this year.
Two orthopedists honoured
The Association d’orthopédie du Québec
awarded the Laval-Leclerc Prize for 2011 to
Dr. Benoît Morin of Sainte-Justine Hospital
Centre, to mark his achievements throughout
his career.
r. Robert Adam of the Centre hospitalier
D
d’Amos, received the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Prix
d’excellence in recognition of his
commitment, professionalism and humanity.
D r. A d a m i s o n e o f t h e p i o n e e r s o f
orthopedics in Abitibi. A special presentation
of this prize was made in front of his
colleagues during the AOQ annual
general meeting.
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Dr. David H.A. Nguyen, a radiooncologist at
Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont had barely
returned from a fellowship at the BC Cancer
Agency when he received the Merit Award of
the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
This award recognizes the contribution of
outstanding young researchers in the fight
against breast cancer.
American Heart Association
Dr. Ernesto Schiffrin, an internist and the
physician-in-chief of the Department of
Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital,
has been awarded the Excellence Award for
Hypertension Research by the AHA. This is
the most prestigious award conferred by the
Council for High Blood Pressure Research,
and recognizes researchers who have had a
major impact in the field of hypertension and
whose research has contributed to the improved treatment and
greater understanding of high blood pressure.
International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium Prize
r. Jack Puymirat, a neurologist and
D
researcher at the Centre de recherche, Centre
hospitalier universitaire de Québec, received
the 2011 Hans Steinert Award to mark his
work on myotonic dystrophy (also known as
Steinert’s disease), a condition which is very
prevalent in the Saguenay–Lac-SaintJean region
LE
LESPÉCIALISTE SPÉCIALISTE | | VOL.
VOL.14
14 No.
NO. 1 1 | MARCH
| MARS 2012 | 11
DID YOU KNOW... (SUITE)
CHUQ awards its Sirius grand prizes
For a seventh year, Sirius Grand Prizes were awarded by the Centre
hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ) in recognition of the
excellence, passion and devotion that drives the people working
at this health facility.
The Rayonnement Prize was
given for the planning and
development of pediatric
palliative care rooms, in
which pediatricians Drs. Julie
Laflamme and Hélène Roy
participated.
The Services cliniques Prize was awarded to
Dr. Annie Tremblay, a psychiatrist, and her
team for implementing the program entitled La
détresse en oncologie, le 6e signe vital.
Dr. René Pelletier, a microbiologist and
infectious diseases specialist, received the
Enseignement Prize for creating a permanent
collection of fungal strains for the purpose of
teaching medical mycology.
The prize for Organisation du travail was
awarded to a team that included Dr. Marie
Maud Couture, an emergency specialist,
for work on introducing the lean approach to
identifying solutions to problems encountered
in the emergency room at Hôpital SaintFrançois d’Assise.
Dr. Michel Vallières, an
inter nist, received the
CHUQ Foundation Tribute,
while psychiatrist Dr. Guy
Tremblay was awarded the
Great Builder Tribute.
World Sleep Federation
he World Sleep Federation awarded its Senior
T
Investigator Award to Dr. Jacques Montplaisir
to highlight his exceptional contribution to the
development of our knowledge of sleep and
sleep medicine, to collaborative research, to the
establishment of guidelines for sleep medicine
and to the training of many researchers and
clinicians who will ensure the future of research
and of sleep medicine in the world.
Je décide où je pratique
Au Bas Saint-Laurent
Je prends soin
des autres, de mes proches, de moi...
Choisissez une qualité de vie exceptionnelle
Majoration de la rémunération de 25 à 30 %
Kamouraska | Témiscouata | Rivière-du-Loup | Les Basques
Rimouski - Neigette | La Mitis | La Matapédia | Matane
www.agencesssbsl.gouv.qc.ca
[email protected]
DID YOU KNOW... (SUITE)
New publications
Vendredi 9 novembre 2012
Médecine publique, médecine privée : un choix de société
Palais des congrès de Montréal
Published by Éditions du CHU Sainte-Justine,
under the direction of Dr. Fernando Alvarez, a
pediatrician at Sainte-Justine Hospital, and Gilles
Bibeau, a specialist in medical anthropology, this
publication contains a collection of texts dealing
with the medical, administrative, socioeconomic,
anthropological and philosophical perspectives of
the problem surrounding the management of our
health system.
Détails à venir
LE PRINTEMPS ARRIVE,
C’EST LE TEMPS DE PENSER AU GOLF
Fidèle à la tradition, voici la première invitation à
participer à la 7e édition du Tournoi de golf des
fédérations médicales au profit de la Fondation
du Programme d’aide aux médecins du Québec
(PAMQ). Notez donc la date à votre agenda :
23 juillet 2012.
Anesthésie pédiatrique
Three anesthesiologists – Dr. André Saint-Pierre,
Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de
pneumologie de Québec, Dr. Bernard Dalens,
Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, and
Dr. Francis Veyckemans, a Belgian colleague –
have published the 4th edition of the Anesthésie
pédiatrique par spécialités médicales guide
(éditions Sauramps Médical). This work is
designed to assist anesthesists in achieving
optimal management of anesthesia and the
s u r g i c a l re s u l t s i m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w i n g t h e m a j o r i t y o f
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Les formulaires d’inscription seront disponibles sous peu au
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que la précédente, nous vous rappelons l’importance de vous
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S
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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
By Gilles Hudon, MD
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH POLICIES AND THE OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Good News Regarding CPD
Under a new FMSQ–MSSS agreement, a program has been set up to encourage medical
specialists’ continuing professional development (CPD) by providing resourcing allowances
for all eligible physicians every day of the week.
Eligibility: how and when?
All medical specialists in active practice who are paid on a fees for
service basis will, in future, be entitled to resourcing allowances.
This measure will also apply to physicians who have opted for
mixed remuneration: they are already entitled to resourcing
allowances but only for activities held during the week. However,
many development activities take place on Saturdays and
Sundays, making it impossible to claim resourcing costs during
these periods. From now on, resourcing days or half-days planned
annually in the agreement will be valid every day of the week.
Eligibility: what kind of professional
development activities?
Certified group learning activities. As resourcing allowances will
be in the form of half-days, eligible certified group learning activities
will last a minimum of 3 consecutive hours and must comply with
the accreditation standards of a certified provider. This would be
any organization evaluated by a recognized accreditation body,
acting as guarantor of the quality of the training offered. Recognized
accreditation organizations are the Collège des médecins du
Québec (CMQ) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada (RCPSC).1 In Canada, therefore, any activity lasting
three hours or more and recognized as meeting requirements by
the CPD centre of a faculty of medicine, a national association of
specialists or the FMSQ Office of Professional Development will
enable resourcing costs to be claimed from the RAMQ. A onehour presentation given during a dinner would not be covered.
The RCPSC has established reciprocal agreements with other
accreditation organizations. For the United States, mutual
recognition exists with the Accreditation Council for Continuing
Medical Education;2 and, for the European Union, there is an
agreement with the European Accreditation Council for Continuing
Medical Education (UEMS). The practice of formal accreditation
has not been developed everywhere. Consequently, educational
activities provided by national societies of medical specialists for
which accreditation may not have been requested (e.g., scientific
congresses) could nonetheless be eligible and should be evaluated
on a case by case basis. The same applies to any other activity
that does not fall within the regulatory framework.
Practical or advanced training. This refers to planned activities,
in collaboration with a mentor or supervisor, and generally deals
with the acquisition of new knowledge or skills. These sessions are
justified by the identification of a need or objective (for instance,
relating to practice environment). The training period includes an
individualized learning plan, with peers or mentors. The specialist
practises under the direction of a mentor or supervisor who
provides feedback on the learning objectives. The session lasts for
half a day, a full day or more. Eligibility for the period in question will
be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Relationship to financing of CPD activities
According to the Conseil québécois de développement
professionnel continu des médecins, CPD is a personal/individual
commitment and responsibility. But this responsibility comes at a
cost: who must pay – the industry, the employer, the physician?
CPD is based on the need determined by the specialist concerned,
not by the industry. The latter must not be a financial backer,
particularly since it is gradually withdrawing, of its own volition,
from financing professional development. This means physicians
do not find themselves in a real or apparent conflict of interest
with regard to their patients, and they retain their full professional
independence. So, does the employer pay? In Quebec, the law
requires that employers invest 1% of their payroll each year in
training their employees. In the Basle Declaration (2001), the UEMS
points out that CPD forms part of a physician’s remuneration.
Consequently, in medical care systems covered by agreement
such as ours, it is the government that must pay the bill, as it
is our employer. That is the route the Federation has followed.
Rather than negotiate amounts of money to directly finance
activities or learned societies (the Canadian Medical Association
Journal has already advocated the creation of a central subsidizing
organization, and France is preparing to follow), the Federation
has decided to provide physicians with monetary assistance in the
form of resourcing allowances so that they can pay educational
activity attendance fees themselves. The allowances are intended
as both compensation and an incentive. We encourage you to
take advantage of them.
1
http://rcpsc.medical.org/opa/moc-accreditation/providers/providers_e.php
2
ttp://www.accme.org/index.cfm/fa/home.popular/popular_id/66be063a-8081h
40f2-9615-042a733485d8.cfm
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LEGAL ISSUES
By Maître Sylvain Bellavance
DIRECTOR, LEGAL AFFAIRS AND NEGOTIATIONS
Parental Leave: Now A Reality
Medical specialists, in particular medical specialists who are mothers, will have had to wait
patiently for a number of years before being able to benefit from an adequate parental leave
program. In fact, negotiations with the government unfortunately postponed the implementation
of this benefit several times. But, thanks to the determination of your representatives, and
especially that of Dr. Josée Parent, the issue has finally been resolved to our satisfaction.
Appendix 43 dealing with the new parental leave benefit for medical specialists came into effect
on October 1, 2011.
The parental leave program for medical specialists consists of two
parts: a maternity leave and an adoption leave. The Federation
would have liked to also include a paternity leave, but this was not
possible because of the Treasury Board’s refusal. We do, however,
intend to address the subject again shortly.
We will not, in this article, present the details of the various conditions
of the parental leave program included in the Agreement. We have
had the opportunity to provide various explanations on the subject,
specifically in the INFOnégo bulletin sent out last November 9th.
The latter, as well as the program itself, can be consulted on the
Federation’s new internet portal, under «Physicians», «Tools»,
«New Parents». Instead, our intention here is to deal with some
of the main questions addressed to us by medical specialists who
wish to take advantage of this type of leave. To start with, however,
here are a few statistics on the application of the program since it
came into effect.
A Few Statistics
Summary
Parental leave programs
FMSQ
Number of
weeks
Period during which allowance
can be paid
Maternity
(mother only)
12
From 12th week before birth to
12th week after
(includes day of birth)
Adoption
(can be shared
between
specialist
spouses)
6
From 6th week before date of
taking charge to 6th week after
(can include day of taking charge)
RQAP
Number of
weeks
Period during which allowance
can be paid
Maternity (mother only)
Basic
18
Individual
15
From 16th week before the week
during which birth is expected up
to 18 weeks after
Paternity (father only)
Since October 1, 2011, 61 medical specialists have sent in
applications for parental leave. Fifty-nine of them involved maternity
leave while only two concerned adoption leave.
Basic
5
Individual
3
During the parental leave negotiations with representatives of
the MSSS, we had estimated that approximately 155 medical
specialists could benefit annually, for a total cost of approximately
$4 million per year. When we were evaluating the costs of the
program, we compared the fertility rate of Quebec physicians to
that of the population in general. The results of this comparison
show that the fertility rate of Quebec physicians is higher than that
of the population as a whole. Congratulations! The female medical
population thus contributes significantly to the growth (or at least
to the maintenance) of Quebec’s population.
Basic
From week of birth up
to 52 weeks after
Parental leave (shareable between spouses)
Individual
32 (7 + 25) *
25
From week of birth up
to 52 weeks after
Adoption (shareable between spouses)
Basic
Individual
37 (12 +25)*
28
From the week during which the
child arrives up to 52 weeks after
(date of arrival varies according
to type of adoption in Quebec or
outside Quebec)
(*) Based on percentage of earnings
Thus, according to data from the MSSS, the fertility rate in the
population of Quebec is around 1.7 child per woman. To compare
with data on physicians, we also examined the data from the general
practitioners’ maternity leave program as well as that of medical
residents. This comparison gave us an average of 2.2 children per
woman for general practitioners.
LEGAL ISSUES (SUITE)
We then attempted an extrapolation for medical specialists
only, in particular by comparing data from medical residents
in family medicine and in specialties. Taking into account the
greater number of years as residents, we have estimated
that the fertility rate of medical specialists should be around
2.02 children per woman. Projections were then made to
determine the proportion of births after residencies. As you can
see, evaluating the negotiated measures involves numerous
calculations for the Federation’s actuaries. It will no doubt be
interesting to look at these statistics again after the program
has been in effect for a few years. When we look at the number
of applications received over a period of four to five months, we
can conclude that our starting hypotheses are highly valid and
that we should reach or exceed the estimated annual number
of 155 applications.
In such situations, we request a specific extraction of data
from the Régie in order to establish the physician’s practice
earnings for the period closest to his or her application. Such
gains are then annualized and divided by 44 weeks to establish
the amount of weekly allowance. Take for example a new
physician who has only practiced for 4 months before applying
for parental leave and who has $40,000 in practice earnings.
Annualizing these gains brings them to a total of $120,000 and
thus an allowance of $1,827 per week ($120,000 x 67% / 44).
Finally, let us look at a scenario where an analysis of a physician’s
practice earnings during the last available 12-month cycle
shows a period of prolonged absence because of illness or
maternity. It is possible for both negotiating parties to agree to
other exceptional adjustments in order to calculate the amount
of allowance payable.
A few more details regarding the most
frequent issues
The Régime québécois d’assurance parentale
Since the program first came into effect, the main questions
sent to us by medical specialists concerned how to calculate the
allowance and the link between this program and that forecast
for the Quebec parental insurance plan (Régime québécois
d’assurance parentale or RQAP).
The November 9, 2011 INFOnégo already explained in detail
the links between the FMSQ’s parental leave program and that
of the RQAP. The general rule is that the physician can take
advantage of both programs, but not during the same weeks.
Otherwise, the allowance paid by the Federation’s program will
result in a reduction of the one paid by the RQAP.
Calculations
In order to maximize the benefits that can be drawn from both
programs, it is important for the physician to adequately plan
when each will apply. In order to help you, the table above
indicates the period during which the benefits of each of the
programs can be paid. As a general rule, we can conclude
that it is more advantageous to first draw on all the weeks of
compensation provided for by the Federation’s program and
this, as soon the physician suspends his or her activities for
a birth or an adoption. Then, the weeks of the maternity or
adoption leave provided for by the RQAP can be added as well
as the paternity or parental leaves.
The Federation’s program provides for the amount of the
allowance payable to correspond to 67% of the physician’s
average weekly practice earnings, up to a maximum of $2,400
per week. For the physician in private practice, an additional
allowance applies representing 33% of average weekly office
earnings, up to a maximum of $1,000 per week. This is the
case as long as the earnings amount to a minimum of $25,000
per year.
For calculation purposes, we take into account all of the
physician’s practice earnings over the last available 12-month
period preceding the application. Usually, this period
corresponds to the last cycle of annual data treated and verified
by the Federation and the MSSS. At present, this involves
invoicing information for the period April 1, 2010 to March 31,
2011. In order to take vacation time into account, we establish
the amount of the weekly allowance by dividing the annual
practice gains by 44 weeks. As you can see, as soon as a
physician has annual earnings of more than $157,612, he or
she is entitled to the maximum allowance of $2,400 per week
(i.e. $157,612 x 67% / 44 = $2,400). We then proceed with
the same calculations for office earnings only. The maximum
allowance of $1,000 per week is thus reached as soon as the
physician has annual office earnings of more than $133,334.
When a physician has just recently started practicing as a
medical specialist, data from the last cycle does not provide us
with sufficient information.
Physicians who practice within a corporation can find
themselves in an even more advantageous situation. According
to the latest statistics provided by the Collège des médecins du
Québec, more than 3,500 medical specialists presently practice
their profession via a corporate structure. According to the
agreement signed between the physician and his corporation,
the allowance paid by virtue of the parental leave program
could belong to the corporation. If the corporation does not
remunerate the physician during his or her parental leave, the
physician could apply for the benefits allowed by the RQAP for
the duration of his or her leave.
It can be useful to obtain advice prior to planning for the
consecutive or concurrent application of the Federation’s and
the RQAP’s leave programs. In this regard, be advised that the
Professionals’ Financial can offer you certain services. If you
are already a client of the Professionals’ Financial, please get in
touch with your financial consultant. If not, you can nevertheless
reach them through the good offices of Mme Louise Harvey.
S
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16 | LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 NO. 1 | MARCH 2012
Nouveau partenariat TELUS-FMSQ
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D’autres forfaits et types d’appareils sont disponibles. Des conditions s’appliquent.
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Nous croyons que cette nouvelle entente saura répondre parfaitement à vos besoins
en matière de téléphonie mobile, en plus de vous faire bénéficier des ressources technologiques
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* Selon une comparaison des réseaux HSPA/HSPA+ nationaux : « le plus rapide » selon les vitesses de transmission de données testées dans des grands centres urbains du pays;
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logo Apple, iPhone et iPad sont des marques de commerce d’Apple Inc. © 2011 TELUS.
DOSSIER
MD
Women today are visibly present in medicine
and throughout society. Typically masculine
occupations no longer exist. Since the
beginning of the twentieth century, women
have won the right to vote, equal rights and
better working conditions. Women can now
aspire to all existing professions, but this
didn’t happen overnight nor did it happen
easily. It required courage and the relentless
voicing of their demands by women pioneers
and visionaries to pave the way.
This year will mark the 35th anniversary
of the official designation by the United
Nations of March 8th as Women’s Rights
and International Peace Day (now known
as International Women’s Day): a day during
which, all around the world, women’s
a s s o c i a t i o n s a n d a d v o c a c y g ro u p s
traditionally take stock and participate in
popular demonstrations and various other
celebrations.
Le Spécialiste wishes to highlight this
anniversary by leaving the stage to a few
women of passion who have forged a path
within the FMSQ with a view to advancing
specialized medicine in Quebec.
18 18 | | LE
VOL.14
14 No.
No.1 1 | | MARCH
MARCH2012
2012
MD
By Patricia Kéroack
A Portrait of the Situation
Women in Specialized Medicine
Women are working in every sphere of activity. They are more and more numerous in medical
practice and clinical research. In faculties of medicine, we are no longer surprised that young
women are substantially more numerous than young men.
Women in medicine
In November 1972, the Corporation des
médecins de la province de Québec
(today, the Collège des médecins du
Québec) had 9,041 physicians on the
roll, of which 8,459 were men (93.5%)
and 582 were women (6.5%).1
neoreviews.aappublications.org
It wasn’t until the beginning of the 20th
century that women were freely allowed
to register for medical studies in Quebec.
The only exception was Bishop’s
University, the first to open its doors to
women and to officially grant a medical
degree to Grace Ritchie-England in 1891.
Maud Elizabeth Abbott, a Quebecker
from Saint-André-Est, also received her
diploma from this university. In 1900,
the Faculty of Medicine of Bishop’s
University was merged with that of
McGill University where women were
formally forbidden access. But, in 1910,
McGill University, while maintaining its
interdiction regarding women, granted an
honorary doctorate to Dr. Maude Abbott
whose work in pathology was already
garnering international recognition. A few
years later, McGill opened the doors of its
Faculty of Medicine to women.
For many years, Dr. Abbott’s reports and writings had to
be presented under the names of male colleagues. «No
woman can reason like a man,» was the prevailing mindset
in those days!
Forty years later, the Collège includes
in its ranks 20,464 members, of which
8,076 are women (40.4%) and 12,388
are men (59.6%).2
IF THE TREND IS MAINTAINED,
IN A FEW YEARS WE COULD
HAVE MORE WOMEN THAN MEN
IN MEDICINE.
Number of medical specialists
Distribution of medical specialists by sex and by age (as at January 24, 2012)
180
160
Women
140
Men
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
26
31
36
41
46
51
56
61
66
71
76
81
86
91
Age
Some specialties have had a net increase in
female representation: diagnostic radiology
(+20%), rhumatology (+20%), endocrinology
(+18%), geriatrics (+16%) and neurosurgery
(+15%). There has been a decrease in the
proportion of women among the ranks only
in radio-oncology where, in 2002, women
represented 41% of physicians while today
women make up 36%.
In the case of the FMOQ
On March 31, 2011, of the 8,176 general
practitioners who had billed $1 and more to
the RAMQ, 4,076 were women (49.9%).
Women MD
% Women
Increase
Has the situation changed
over the last decade?
In 2002, the FMSQ had
7,244 members of which
2,108 were women (29%).
Although membership
has increased by 20%,
the presence of women
has only gone up 8% (see
statistics opposite).
Total MD
In the 35 to 45 age group,
the proportion of individuals
in each of the sexes is
approximately the same.
However, starting with age
46, the graph shows there
are clearly more men than
women in active practice.
2012
% Women
ACCORDING
TO CURRENT
INFORMATION
IN THE FMSQ’S
DATABASE,
THERE ARE MORE
WOMEN MEDICAL
SPECIALISTS IN
ACTIVE PRACTICE
THAN THERE
ARE MEN AMONG
THOSE UNDER THE
AGE OF 35.
2002
Women MD
According to current information in the FMSQ’s
database, there are more women medical
specialists in active practice than there are
men among those under the age of 35 (see
graph on page 19). The number of women is
not substantially higher than that of men, but
the developing trend is already perceptible.
When we combine the distribution of women
in medical residencies with those registered
in faculties of medicine, we come to the
conclusion that the trend is confirmed (more
information to follow).
Detailed statistics on medical specialty membership
Total MD
The situation at the FMSQ
Allergology and
Immunology
46
12
26%
62
21
34%
8%
Anesthesiology
522
159
30%
641
230
36%
5%
Medical Biochemistry
47
9
19%
53
11
21%
2%
Cardiovascular and
Thoracic Surgery
56
4
7%
59
5
8%
1%
Cardiology
338
44
13%
429
84
20%
7%
General Surgery
432
81
19%
516
144
28%
9%
Orthopedic Surgery
274
28
10%
332
43
13%
3%
Plastic Surgery
99
18
Dermatology
179
79
Endocrinology
136
42
Gastro-enterology
159
23
Medical Genetics
18
6
Geriatrics
45
19
Hematology-oncology
190
51
Emergency Medicine
72
Internal Medicine
377
Nuclear Medicine
81
Infectious Microbiology
7%
DÉCOUVREZ COMMENT
44%
178
93
52%
8%
VOS ASSURANCES
31%
150
73
49%
18%
POURRAIENT
ÉVOLUER
14%
203
56
28%
13%
AU
MÊME
RYTHME
33%
28
11
39%
6%
QUE
STYLE
VIE
42% VOTRE
62
36
58%DE 16%
ET
BESOINS.
27%VOS
247
90
36%
10%
18%
113
28
25%
8
11%
106
28%
120
21
18%
6%
450
157
35%
14
7%
17%
93
17
18%
150
63
1%
42%
186
85
46%
4%
Nephrology
128
36
Neurosurgery
53
4
28%
164
67
41%
Neurology
208
41
Obstetrics and
Gynecology
362
148
Ophtalmology
264
73
Oto-rhino-laryngology
165
30
Pathology
180
68
38%
220
100
45%
8%
Pediatrics
528
260
49%
591
335
57%
7%
Physiatry
74
24
32%
70
29
41%
9%
POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS :
8%
71
16
23%
1 800 361-5303
13%
15%
20%350-5070
248 / 418
76 990-3946
31%
11%
514
41%
446
233
52%
11%
Par courriel ou Internet :
28%
312
103
33%
[email protected]
18%
204
53
www.sogemec.qc.ca 26%
5%
8%
Pneumology
174
28
16%
226
67
30%
14%
Psychiatry
1002
372
37%
1094
497
45%
8%
Radiology
489
145
30%
112
56
50%
20%
Radio-oncology
56
23
41%
565
202
36%
-5%
Rhumatology
73
20
27%
108
51
47%
20%
Community Health
135
54
40%
169
80
47%
7%
Urology
132
16
12%
158
21
13%
1%
3191
37%
8%
TOTAL
7244 ASSURANCES
2108
29%
8680
SOGEMEC
filiale de la
Sources: FMSQ, Data on specialized medical manpower 2002 and FMSQ web portal, January 24, 2012.
�
Medical Genetics (39%)
�
Qu’il s’agisse d’assurance professionnelle
ou personnelle (vie, invalidité, auto, habitation),
le service Préférence
de(46%)
Sogemec Assurances
�Infectious
Microbiology
sait répondre à toutes vos attentes.
Geriatrics (58%)
�
Nephrology (41%)
�
Obstetrics and Gynecology (52%)
�
Pathology (45%)
�
Information published by The Association of Faculties of Medicine
of Canada (AFMC) does indeed confirm the feminization of the field
of medicine. In Canada, as early as 1993, the number of women
admitted to first year medical school was already greater than the
number of men.3 In 1979, 201 women earned a medical diploma
in Quebec. They were 526 in 2010.4 One fact deserves to be
highlighted: it is in Quebec that the female cohorts were the most
numerous in 2010 (see table below). It is also on the francophone
side that the greatest number of diplomas are granted to women.
The average percentage of women graduating in Canada is 58.4%.
It should be noted that McGill University grants fewer diplomas to
women (55.9%) than the Canadian average5.
Medical diplomas granted in 2010 by Canadian universities
according to university and sex
Province
Pediatrics (57%)
�
Physiatry (41%)
�
Psychiatry (45%)
�
% Women
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
ÉVOLUE AVEC VOUS
Endocrinology (49%)
Dermatology (52%)
�
Evolution of the female student body in
medical faculties
Total
Today, the FMSQ numbers in its ranks 8,680 medical
Grâce
au practice, of which there are 3,191
specialists
in active
SERVICE
PRÉFÉRENCE
women
(37%) and 5,489
men (63%). Fourteen medical
specialties have a higher percentage of women than the
Federation average:
MD
Women
BESOINS D’ASSURANCES
Men
XXXXXXXXXX
Titre
à venir
University
POUR TOUS VOS
Par Xxxxxx
Newfoundland
Memorial U.
25
36
61
59.0
Nova Scotia
Dalhousie U.
42
63
105
60.0
Rhumatology (47%)
Univ. Laval
58
144
202
71.3
Community Health (47%)
Univ. de
Sherbrooke
59
130
189
68.8
Univ. de Montréal
84
152
236
64.4
McGill U.
79
100
179
55.9
Diagnostic Radiology (50%)
�
�
�
Quebec
How many women are there in
the FMSQ? On the Board of Directors
Of the nine members, two are women (22%)
Ontario
At the head office
Three of the six directors are women (50%)
Three-quarters of employees are women (76%)
Association administrative personnel is
exclusively female.
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
filiale de la
280
526
806
65.3
53
94
147
63.9
Queen's U.
47
52
99
52.5
U. of Toronto
95
128
223
57.4
McMaster U.
68
88
156
56.4
U. of Western
Ontario
74
65
139
46.8
Northern Ontario
School of Medicine
23
29
52
55.8
Ontario
360
456
816
55.9
Manitoba
U. of Manitoba
52
53
105
50.5
Saskatchewan
U. of Saskatchewan
31
26
57
45.6
U. of Alberta
74
65
139
46.8
U. of Calgary
60
83
143
58.0
Alberta
134
148
282
52.5
U. of British
Columbia
95
121
216
56.0
Total Canada
1019
1429
2448
58.4
ANGLOPHONE UNIVERSITIES
818
1003
1821
55.1
FRANCOPHONE UNIVERSITIES
201
426
627
67.9
In the associations
Four of the 35 associations have a woman
President (11%) and 30 of the 136 Delegates
to the FMSQ assemblies are women (28%).
Quebec
Univ. d'Ottawa
Alberta
BC
Source: Canadian Medical Education Statistics, AFMC 2010.
First-year registrations in Canadian faculties of medicine
according to sex, from 1968 to 2010
Year
Men
Women
Total
% Women
1968/69
1,134
243
1,377
17.6
1969/70
1,189
274
1,463
18.7
1970/71
1,159
293
1,452
20.2
1971/72
1,242
359
1,601
22.4
1972/73
1,318
445
1,763
25.2
1973/74
1,288
485
1,773
27.4
1974/75
1,263
516
1,779
29.0
1975/76
1,211
596
1,807
33.0
1976/77
1,225
594
1,819
32.7
1977/78
1,224
602
1,826
33.0
1978/79
1,164
665
1,829
36.4
1979/80
1,171
683
1,854
36.8
1980/81
1,133
754
1,887
40.0
1981/82
1,144
737
1,881
39.2
1982/83
1,072
810
1,882
43.0
1983/84
1,067
820
1,887
43.5
1984/85
1,077
781
1,858
42.0
1985/86
1,016
796
1,812
43.9
1986/87
1,023
780
1,803
43.3
1987/88
929
815
1,744
46.7
1988/89
1,010
776
1,786
43.4
1989/90
1,012
768
1,780
43.1
1990/91
976
815
1,791
45.5
1991/92
969
806
1,775
45.4
1992/93
828
776
1,604
48.4
1993/94
824
859
1,683
51.0
1994/95
847
804
1,651
48.7
1995/96
771
842
1,613
52.2
1996/97
791
807
1,598
50.5
1997/98
798
779
1,577
49.4
1998/99
770
811
1,581
51.3
1999/2000
790
844
1,634
51.7
2000/01
809
954
1,763
54.1
2001/02
784
1,137
1,921
59.2
2002/03
830
1,198
2,028
59.1
59.2
2003/04
856
1,240
2,096
2004/05
916
1,277
2,193
58.2
2005/06
1,007
1,373
2,380
57.7
2006/07
1,037
1,423
2,460
57.8
2007/08
1,094
1,475
2,569
57.4
2008/09
1,127
1,533
2,660
57.6
2009/10
1,170
1,572
2,742
57.3
Source: Canadian Medical Education Statistics, AFMC 2010.
Women medical residents
According to the information published on its web site, the
Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec (FMRQ) numbers
some 2,500 members in its ranks of which close to 60% are
women. The percentage of men in the 2010-2011 cohort is
38% while women represent 62% of the medical succession.6
In addition, the FMRQ indicates that 74% of residents are
pursuing their studies with a view to being certified in one of the
35 medical specialties.7
Editor’s note: The FMRQ published this data before the new medical
specialties were recognized in Quebec. Today, this should be understood
to mean that 74% of residents pursue their studies in one of the
53 medical specialties, with the exception of family medicine.
What about medical research?
Women are also very present in all spheres of clinical medical
research. However, information is too often partial or impossible
to compile. Various organizations offer financial support to
research fellows (Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé
(FRQS), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),
universities, private funds, etc.).
According to a study published by the Fonds de la recherche
en santé du Québec (today known as the Fonds de recherche
du Québec – Santé), in 2007, women occupied a very
advantageous position compared to men at almost all levels.8
In fact, women represented more than 60% of recipients of
educational, master’s and doctoral grants. They also represented
more than 50% of individuals at the post-doctoral level.
When it came to recipients of career fellowships, junior research
fellows 1 and 2 (regular J1 and J2), more than 50% were
women. The trend is reversed when we look at the senior level
where women represent less than half the number. The study
also underlines that: «It is within the group of research fellowsclinicians that the representation of women is the weakest. It has
continued to go down over the last three years which seems to
indicate that women clinical researchers are faced with particular
challenges.» The study does not identify these challenges.
Since then, the FMSQ has negotiated budget appropriations
for research fellows-clinicians. Has this Federation initiative had
an impact on the problem? Impossible to establish since the
FRQS modified its monitoring tool in 2008 2009. However, in
its 2010 2011 annual report, we can read: «Results for the year
2010 2011 do not reveal any notable differences compared to
the average of the last nine competitions. The representation of
women in the FRQS fellowship and grant programs is very stable
from year to year.»9
Par Xxxxxx
XXXXXXXXXX
MD
Titre
à venir
Dr. Hélène Boisjoly, first woman dean of a faculty of medicine in Quebec
Although at times too seldom or too slowly,
more and more women today are assuming
important positions.
Dr. Hélène Boisjoly has become the first woman
physician named to the position of Dean of a
faculty of medicine in Quebec. And, according to
her, she will certainly not be the last one to do so.
The proportion of women among physicians has increased rapidly
over the last few years. Although one third of current holders of
medical diplomas are women, the number has reached two thirds in
classes at the faculty of medicine of the Université de Montréal. «With
the increasing number of women in medicine, it was normal that one
of them should accede to the position of Dean. Society had reached
that point and the moment was right,» she admits. Her access to
the position was both planned and circumstantial. The position of
Dean had long seemed stimulating to her and her profile was ideal:
she had extensive experience in the clinical side, teaching, research
and management.
Since her arrival in the position, Dr. Boisjoly and her team, of which
she speaks with pride, have had numerous challenges to face. While
in certain areas, women have to do more to assume their place, from
the start she was able to have her way of doing things, her vision
and her objectives accepted by her entourage. «The dynamics here
are not much different from what I’ve known elsewhere, whether it’s
in a hospital environment, in research or in teaching,» she told us
with assurance.
Has the teaching of medicine changed with the massive arrival of
women? «No, we simply adjust the teaching to the needs of society,»
she answered. «The curriculum is constantly modified to better
respond to the realities of today’s society such as multiculturalism,
hospital organization and others.»
When it comes to clinical research, Dr. Boisjoly is of the opinion
that women have also assumed their place there. However, based
on her comments, this sphere of activity is above all a real vocation.
«Women researchers are not very numerous. It’s a personal choice
and few statistics are available on the subject.» In reality, it is difficult
to draw an exact portrait of the number of women involved in
medical research since all women researchers are not supported by a
recognized organization like the FRQS or the CIHR. The difference in
remuneration for a clinical researcher can have an impact: «An hour of
work in research is not remunerated at the same rate as clinical work.
The new lump sum remuneration for clinical researchers has helped,
but it is only applicable to a certain number of them. These lump sums
are very interesting for those who have access to them, whether they
are men or women. We know that these days men and women have
the same needs and that they are looking for balance and quality in
their lives. Does this mean there will be fewer clinical researchers in the
future?» Dr. Boisjoly rather believes that we need to think of innovative
solutions that will allow us to reconcile a demanding profession and
a quality of life.
Sources :
Contandriopoulos AP et al. L’activité professionnelle des femmes médecins
au Québec, CPMQ 1976 ; 16 (1) : 14.
1
http://www.cmq.org/Medias/CopyTravailObligations/Copy%20of%20
Statistiques2010/RepartitionMedecins.aspx, consulté le 16 février 2012.
2
Statistiques relatives à l’enseignement médical au Canada, AFMC 2010,
Vol. 32. Tableau 14.
3
Id. Tableaux 30c et 33.
4
Ibid. Tableau 33.
5
http://www.fmrq.qc.ca/formation-medicale/info.cfm ?noPageSiteInternet=2
2&cfgsection=lafmrq&cfgsoussection=profil-du-medecin-resident, consulté
le 23 janvier 2012.
6
Id.
7
Pautel C, Poinsier B. Répartition femmes/hommes dans les concours de
bourses de formation et de bourses de carrière de 2005-2006 à 2007-2008.
Études et analyses (FRSQ) 2007 (2).
8
F
RQS. Rapport annuel 2010-2011, p. 20, disponible au : http://www.frsq.gouv.
qc.ca/fr/publications/rapports_annuels/pdf/FRSQ_rapport_2010_2011.pdf.
9
By Dr. Francine Mathieu-Millaire
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE FMSQ, 2001-2003
A Bit of History
ÉDITO
Dre Francine Mathieu-Millaire
Vice-présidente et neuro-ophtalmologiste
Ten Years Later
la « DéMASCULINISATION »de la médecine :
un brin d’histoire,
quelques statistiques et réflexions
UN BRIN D’HISTOIRE
Nos pionnières
LE SPÉCIALISTE
L
A decade has gone by since this article was first written by Dr. MathieuMillaire and published in the March 2003 issue of Le Spécialiste under
the title La démasculinisation de la médecine (Demasculinizing Medicine).
The author agreed to revisit it at our request.
• McGill University, opened in 1829, awarded its first diploma
in medicine to a woman in 1918;
• The Université de Montréal, opened in 1919, awarded its first
diploma in medicine to a woman in 1930;
• Laval University, opened in 1850, awarded its first diploma in
medicine to a woman in 1940;
• The Université de Sherbrooke accepted women in medicine
from its beginnings in 1960.
The twentieth century saw the arrival
of the first women with medical
diplomas in Quebec.
6
e docteur James Barry (1790-1865), diplômé
en médecine de l’Université d’Edinburgh
(Écosse), fut nommé Inspecteur Général des
hôpitaux du Bas et du Haut Canada en 1857. À son décès, après 40 ans
de pratique médicale, on découvrit lors de l’autopsie que le docteur
Barry était une femme. Elle avait dû cacher toute sa vie son identité
biologique pour pouvoir pratiquer la médecine.
Emily Stowe (1831-1903) fut la première femme à pratiquer au
Canada. Comme plusieurs femmes médecins de son temps, elle était
d’allégeance Quaker, religion qui prône l’égalité entre les femmes et les
hommes. Ses deux sœurs deviendront aussi médecins et sa fille Augusta
sera la première femme diplômée d’une école de médecine au
Canada en 1883.
La Faculté de médecine de l’Université Bishop (de 1871 à 1905) remet
le premier diplôme de médecine à une femme, Grace Ritchie-England
(1868-1948), en 1891. Celle-ci devint ainsi la première femme à
obtenir un diplôme en médecine dans la province de Québec.
À la suite d’une donation en 1885, l’Université McGill doit se résigner
à accueillir des femmes. C’est ainsi que Maude Abbot entre à la faculté
des arts, la seule qui les accepte. Elle doit cependant aller à Bishop
pour obtenir son diplôme en 1894. Elle enseignera au Women’s
Medical College of Pennsylvania. En 1898, elle revient à McGill,
comme professeur à la faculté de médecine, à une époque où aucune
femme n’y est encore admise. Elle eut une réputation internationale
en pathologie et est encore reconnue de nos jours.
L’Université M Gill, qui ouvre ses portes en 1829, donne son premier
diplôme en médecine à une femme en 1918.
c
Irma LeVasseur (1877-1964) est la première femme médecin spécialiste francophone au Québec. Elle obtint son diplôme en médecine
de l’Université St-Paul au Minnesota. En 1903, à sa demande, une loi
de l’assemblée législative du Québec lui permettra de devenir membre
du Collège et de pratiquer dans la province. Entre-temps, elle pratique
la pédiatrie à New York, spécialité inconnue à cette époque au Canada.
En 1908, elle fonde l’Hôpital Ste-Justine de Montréal avec Mme Justine
Lacoste Beaubien.
L’Université de Montréal, fondée en 1919, donne son premier diplôme
en médecine à Marthe Pelland en 1930. Elle décroche tous les prix et
poursuit ses études en neurologie.
L’Université Laval, ouverte en 1850, décerne, en 1940, son premier
diplôme en médecine à une femme. Et finalement, l’Université de
Sherbrooke accepte les femmes en médecine dès son ouverture en 1960.
En cinquante ans, les femmes médecins ont dû s’adapter à d’importants
changements de vie. Avant 1940, elles n’avaient même pas le droit de
voter au Québec (qui fut d’ailleurs la dernière province à reconnaître
le droit de vote des femmes). Il y a trente ans, les femmes étaient
l’exception en médecine et maintenant près de 80 % des candidats
acceptés en médecine sont des femmes.
Jusqu’aux années ‘60, le Québec était la société qui opposait le plus
de résistance à la présence des femmes en médecine. L’influence de la
religion catholique, très réductrice pour les femmes, y est sûrement
pour beaucoup.
Au Canada, au milieu des années ‘70, l’application d’une loi sur
les droits de la personne ainsi que, au Québec francophone, la
Révolution tranquille des années ‘60 et l’implantation d’un système
d’éducation universel ont sans doute contribué à une présence accrue
des femmes en médecine.
QUELQUES STATISTIQUES
Diplômes en médecine décernés aux femmes
dans les universités canadiennes
1940
4%
1970
12 %
1980
32 %
1990
44 %
2000
50 % – (Québec = 60 %)
Au Québec – Femmes médecins spécialistes :
% du total
1990
15 %
1995
20 %
2000
29 % de femmes en spécialité
(2052 femmes, 5050 hommes)
exemple :
orthopédie = 10 % de femmes
neurochirurgie = 8 %
chirurgie cardiaque et thoracique = 7 %
gynécologie-obstétrique = 40 %
radio-oncologie = 40 %
pédiatrie = 49 %
suite
Présence des femmes à la FMSQ en 2002
2/9 au conseil d’administration de la FMSQ
1/34 femme présidente d’association
10/120 délégués
41/265 (15 %) femmes aux conseils d’administration/
comités exécutifs des associations
Faculté de médecine Université de Montréal
The twenty-first century witnesses a
feminine surge, not to say a tsunami,
in Quebec’s faculties of medicine.
Then, they were the exception; now,
they are the majority.
Histoire
1970
20 % de femmes
2002
20 % d’hommes
RÉFLEXIONs
Les femmes choisissent de plus en plus la médecine. Pour la première
fois, elles sont plus nombreuses que les hommes. L’alarme sonne de
toute part. Ce qu’on en dit depuis quelques années tient du tragicocomique.
La porte est grande ouverte aux femmes en médecine, les hommes ne
s’y inscrivent plus. Pourquoi désertent-ils cette extraordinaire
profession ? Une réflexion devra être faite pour en analyser les raisons.
Les femmes ont de meilleures notes parce qu’elles y sont, en quelque
sorte, programmées. Toutes petites, elles savent déjà que pour entrer
dans un monde d’hommes, elles doivent être meilleures qu’eux. Doiton reprocher aux femmes leur performance scolaire ? Ce n’est qu’une
question de détermination.
D’autre part, le système de sélection en médecine est-il défaillant ?
En changer les processus modifiera-t-il à la hausse l’admission des
garçons ?
Les femmes sont entrées peu à peu et difficilement dans ce monde
d’hommes, n’ayant pas de modèle et tentant d’harmoniser pratique
médicale exigeante et responsabilité familiale. Elles sont moins
présentes en début de carrière puisque, en majorité, elles se consacrent
à leur(s) enfant(s), pour ensuite revenir en force. Elles ajoutent des
heures, une fois libérées de leurs responsabilités familiales, et ainsi
prennent la relève de leurs confrères qui s’essoufflent. Les statistiques
démontrent qu’au cours des dernières années, le nombre moyen
d’heures travaillées par les femmes médecins a augmenté alors que
celui de leurs confrères a diminué. Nous devons donc en tenir compte
dans la gestion de la planification des effectifs médicaux.
Les générations précédentes, travaillant sans cesse au détriment de
leurs besoins personnels et familiaux, ont fait preuve d’un manque
d’équilibre. Les femmes vont probablement influencer la façon de
pratiquer la médecine. Les jeunes, hommes et femmes, ont compris
qu’il y a une vie en dehors de la médecine et tiennent à la préserver.
Ne vous inquiétez pas. Les femmes vont se répartir peu à peu
uniformément dans toutes les spécialités, y compris dans celles qui sont
dites masculines. Tout comme les hommes se sont dirigés vers des
spécialités dites féminines. Ce n’est qu’une question d’ouverture,
d’information, d’encouragement. Les femmes sont actuellement
présentes dans toutes les spécialités. Leur nombre augmentera à mesure
qu’il y aura des modèles féminins. Il suffit d’ouvrir les domaines où
elles sont moins nombreuses pour que les femmes s’y intéressent.
Cessons les pratiques dissuasives lors des entrevues d’admission des
candidates au sujet, par exemple, de leurs projets de maternité, ce qui
tend à favoriser ainsi les hommes dans certaines spécialités.
C’est sous-estimer les femmes que d’avancer gratuitement qu’elles sont
moins agressives en négociations et acceptent plus facilement un
traitement moindre. Elles n’ont pas eu la chance de prouver leur
compétence n’étant pas présentes, sauf en de rares exceptions et depuis
peu, aux tables de négociations. Ne vous inquiétez pas, elles vont se
battre, étant elles-mêmes des pourvoyeurs dans leur famille.
Il est urgent de former davantage de médecins. Croyez-vous vraiment
que la pénurie soit due à la féminisation ? La féminisation est un
problème théorique. La société évolue et on doit s’y adapter.
Il y a bien d’autres priorités dont on devrait se préoccuper : améliorer
nos conditions de travail ainsi que maintenir notre autonomie
professionnelle et notre liberté de pratique. Le problème, ce n’est pas la
féminisation, mais la bureaucratisation à outrance, les contraintes
budgétaires, qui nous empêchent d’offrir des soins de qualité, et les
conditions précaires.
En somme, l’égalité des chances existe. Cessons d’opposer l’homme
à la femme !
Que les femmes choisissent davantage la médecine, c’est une normalisation et non une révolution. On doit planifier l’organisation des soins
afin de profiter au maximum de cette belle complémentarité. Vive la
différence !
Les jeunes s’inquiètent des contraintes à venir liées à leurs conditions
de pratique bien plus qu’à la féminisation. Attaquons-nous plutôt aux
problèmes réels : conditions de travail, organisation des soins, valorisation de toutes nos tâches (enseignement, administration), etc. Ce
sont là nos combats. Notre mobilisation récente a unifié femmes et
hommes, jeunes et moins jeunes. Maintenons cette solidarité !
La médecine au féminin est une aventure extraordinaire et illimitée. Il
ne faut pas la condamner, mais l’apprécier et l’encourager.
Références bibliographiques :
1. GUAY H. Les femmes médecins : vision historique. Colloque femmes
médecins; 1994.
2. Corporation professionnelle des médecins du Québec. Femmes et
médecine : rapport de recherche, mars 1993.
3. DEDOBBELEER N. Comportements professionnels des femmes et
hommes médecins du Québec; mars 1991.
_______________
Si vous avez des commentaires au sujet de cet article, vous pouvez nous les transmettre par
courriel à l’adresse suivante : [email protected]
Extracts from text published in 2003
Our pioneers
Doctor James Barry (1790-1865), with a diploma in medicine
from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) was appointed
Inspector General of Hospitals in Upper and Lower Canada in
1857. When he died, after 40 years of medical practice, it was
discovered during the autopsy that Dr. Barry was a woman.
She had had to hide her biological identity all her life in order to
practice medicine.
Medical diplomas
awarded to women in
Canadian universities
1940
4%
1970
12%
1980
32%
1990
44%
2000
50%
(Québec = 60%)
Emily Stowe (1831-1903) was
the first woman to practice in
Canada. Like many women
physicians of the day, she
was a Quaker, a religion that
preaches equality between men
and women. Her two sisters
would also become physicians
and her daughter, Augusta, was
the first woman to receive a
diploma from a medical school
in Canada in 1883.
In 1891, The Faculty of Medicine of Bishop’s University (from
1871 to 1905) granted the first diploma in medicine to a
woman, Grace Ritchie-England (1868-1948). She thus also
became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the
province of Quebec. As a result of a donation, in 1885, McGill
24 24 | | LE
VOL.14 No.
14 No.1 1 | | MARCH
MARCH2012
2012
University had to resign itself to admitting women. This is how
Maude Abbot found herself at the Faculty of Arts, the only
one to accept women. However, she had to go to Bishop’s
to obtain her diploma in medicine, in 1894, and eventually
taught at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. In
1898, she returned to McGill, as a professor at the Faculty of
Medicine, at a time when women were still not admitted there.
Her reputation in pathology reached international heights and
is still recognized today.
McGill University, whose doors were opened in 1829, granted its
first diploma in medicine to a woman in 1918. Irma LeVasseur
(1877-1964) was the first francophone female medical specialist
in Quebec. She received her diploma in medicine from the
University of Minnesota at Saint Paul. In 1903, at her request, a
law passed by Quebec’s National Assembly would allow her to
become a member of the Collège des médecins and to practice
in the province. Until then, she practiced in New York in the
field of pediatrics, a specialty unknown in Canada at that time.
In 1908, with Mrs. Justine Lacoste Beaubien, she co-founded
Montreal’s Ste-Justine Hospital.
The Université de Montréal, founded in 1919, granted its first
diploma in medicine to Marthe Pelland in 1930. She won all the
prizes and pursued her studies in neurology. Laval University,
opened in 1850, awarded its first diploma in medicine to a
woman in 1940. And, finally, the Université de Sherbrooke
accepted women in medicine from the moment its doors were
opened in 1960.
7
Par Xxxxxx
XXXXXXXXXX
MD
Titre
à venir
Discrimination against women Aspiring to management positions
Unfortunately, it still exists and maternity leaves worry colleagues.
Women have gradually entered every specialty, including those
known as masculine ones.
A number of years ago, certain dissuasive practices were used
against candidates during admissions interviews for residencies
in some specialties. Today, it’s when it comes to accepting
women doctors into a practice that questions are asked: who
will pay the costs? Or, in specialized hospital departments: who
will be on call?
The generation shift
Do you really think that the dearth of physicians is due to the
feminization of the profession?
Previous generations sometimes sacrificed their personal and
family needs to the benefit of a time-consuming practice.
Younger people, both men and women, aspire to a betterbalanced life outside of medicine. The only choice will be to
adapt medical staffing and the organization of care to this
behavioural evolution.
They are less present in management positions at the start of
their careers, mainly because of family responsibilities; but they
return in force once their children are grown to take over. Over
the next 10 to 15 years, they’ll be as numerous as men, at the
head of associations, federations and even medical faculties.
For example, Dr. Hélène Boisjoly has just been named (the
first woman) Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the Université
de Montréal.
MEDICINE, AS PRACTICED BY WOMEN,
IS AN EXTRAORDINARY AND LIMITLESS
ADVENTURE THAT WE MUST APPRECIATE
AND ENCOURAGE.
History
In fifty years, women doctors have had to adapt to important life
changes. Before 1940, they didn’t even have the right to vote
in Quebec (it was, in fact, the last province to grant the right to
vote to women). Thirty years ago, women were the exception
in medicine; while now, close to 80% of candidates accepted
in medical school are women. Until the nineteen sixties,
Quebec was the society that showed the greatest opposition
to the presence of women in medicine. The influence of the
Catholic Church, which diminished the role of women, certainly
contributed to this.
In Canada, in the mid 1970s, the passing of a law on human
rights as well as the revolution tranquille in the 1960s in
francophone Quebec, along with the deployment of a universal
education system, no doubt contributed to the increased
presence of women in medicine.
A few statistics
Presence of women at the FMSQ in 2002
• On the FMSQ’s Board, they are 2 out of 9 Directors
• There is one women association President (out of 34).
In Quebec – Women Medical Specialists (% of total)
1990
15%
1995
20%
2000
29% of women in a
medical specialty
Example of Distribution of Women
Orthopedics
10% women
Neurosurgery
8%
Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery
7%
Obstetrics and Gynecology
40%
Radio-oncology
40%
Pediatrics
49%
At the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine
• In 1970, of the total 20% were women.
• In 2002, of the total 20% were men.
• Out of 120 Delegates, 10 are women.
• T
here are 41 women on Association Boards of Directors
or Executive Committees (15% overall).
LELE
SPÉCIALISTE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL.
| VOL.
14 No.
14 No.
1 1 | MARCH
| MARS 2012 | 25
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Interviews and texts by Patricia Kéroack
MD
Titre
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What do they have in common?
They were the first!
A few women have carried the unionization torch and defended the interests of medical
specialists, whether as President of their own medical associations or at the Federation.
Le Spécialiste met the first five women elected to the Board of Directors of the FMSQ.
Dr. Guertin-Larochelle was the first
woman elected to the Board of
Directors of the FMSQ. She had
worked within her own medical
association under the presidency
of Dr. Pierre Ricard (she was VicePresident from 1978 to 1983
and a Director for a few years).
Her interest in the subject of
remuneration took her to the presidency of the committee
working on tariffs (a very important file at the time), a position
she held for several years. To make sure some of her ideas
were accepted, she provided a complete mathematical
demonstration for every physician profile. Convinced of
the validity of her arguments, she based herself on logical
demonstrations instead of on individual persuasion.
It was at the request of Dr. Paul Desjardins that she submitted
her candidacy to the Board of Directors. Her objective was
to pursue and advance the issue of tariffs. Once elected, she
also accepted the position of Treasurer. Dr. Guertin-Larochelle
remembers that, in 1983, the place of women in a world of
men such as medicine was not a given. Her place, she made
it, she even imposed it.
Dr. Suzanne Lamarre,
Psychiatry (1991-1993)
Dr. Lamarre was invited to join
the Board of Directors of the
Federation by a colleague who
w a n t e d t o s e e p ro p o r t i o n a l
representation within the group of
physicians. As a woman who was
interested in FMSQ matters as well
as being a graduate of McGill, she
had all the desired qualifications.
A wave of important changes was
washing over the Board of Directors, in particular with regard
to new rules governing internal procedures.
Dr. Lamarre took part in the work of the committee studying the
issue of integrating the private sector into the organization of
the public healthcare system. The committee was charged with
establishing whether or not there were advantages to building
a system where both types of offerings could work together.
Already, at the start of the 1990s, we wanted physicians to
take part in organizing healthcare services, a subject about
which Dr. Barrette has, for some time now, often been talking.
As she says, «If physicians were involved in the distribution
of healthcare services, patients would benefit from a more
integrated approach to treatment… rather than having it
parcelled out as it is today.»
Dr. Hélène Fortin, Psychiatry
(1993-1997)
Ever since she started in medicine,
Dr. Fortin has been concerned
with various questions of ethics
and conditions of practice. She
knew she would be able to,
at some point, help improve
specialized medicine. She started
out by becoming involved with
certain issues within her medical
association’s executive committee.
Then, upon receiving an invitation from Dr. Robert Marier, she
carried on with these reflections for the Federation as a whole.
She was elected to the Board of Directors of the FMSQ for the
first time in 1993, then for a second mandate until 1997.
© Jean-Sébastien Cossette
Dr. Suzanne GuertinLarochelle, Dermatology
(1983-1984)
Dr. Fortin is concerned with the issue of medical staffing. She
identified a link between staffing and medical ethics. At the time,
there was a serious lack of physicians in addition to which, the
government wanted to impose a system of remuneration based
on fixed appropriations. Staffing reductions have an impact on
working conditions, on the practice of medicine and, ethically
speaking, on the quality of care given to patients.
Today, Dr. Fortin is of the opinion that the face of medicine
has considerably changed: physicians are too often battling
administrative contingencies that go against medical
common sense.
Dr. Suzanne Michalk,
Anesthesiology (1993-2001)
Already involved with the Association
des anesthésiologistes du Québec,
Dr. Michalk participated in the
Federation’s activities. At the time,
she revolted against the fact that the
President addressed men with the
title of «Doctor» and used «Madam»
for women. She went to meet the
ruling President, Dr. Robert Marier, to
tell him she had come to the meeting
in the same capacity as her male colleagues and she wanted to be
called «Doctor» just like them. Her comments pleased Dr. Marier
who, one week later, invited her to join the members of the Board.
Dr. Michalk was the first woman to take part in meetings of the
Board of Directors… while breastfeeding. In fact, she was pregnant
twice during her mandates on the Board of Directors and never
hesitated to come to the Board meetings with babies under the
age of three months. She put in a lot of work to implement the
right to maternity leave, an issue, she said, that took more than
15 years to settle with the government.
Dr. Michalk has fond memories of her time on the Board: «Respect
was expected at all times. There were no denigrating remarks
between the two sexes while on the Board,» she confided.
According to Dr. Michalk, if we compare physicians to other
groups within the general population, we can say they are a class
apart since, in medicine, women are no different from men. There
are no issues linked to pay equity or other similar subjects. The
tariffs are identical, the work to be done is the same, no matter if
you’re a man or a woman.
Dr. Francine Mathieu-Millaire,
Ophthalmology (1997-2003)
Dr. Mathieu-Millaire was the first
woman elected President of the
Association des ophtalmologistes
du Québec, an association that
joined the ranks of the FMSQ when
her father was its President (in fact,
he worked closed with Dr. Robillard,
when the Federation was created).
As far as she is concerned, union
work was passed on from father to
daughter. She was elected to the Board of Directors for the first
time in 1997, then a second time in 2001. Dr. Mathieu-Millaire was
the first woman elected Vice-President of the FMSQ.
She has been a fervent defender of the right to parental leave,
an issue that could not be settled during her time on the Board,
but was in the summer of 2011, within the framework of the last
negotiations. During her mandate, she was also responsible for the
file dealing with relocating physicians, during the massive closings
of hospitals, as well as for the mobilization of physicians. The latter
was, in her view, an important event because the dynamics and
relations with the government were substantially modified from that
point onwards: for the first time in the history of the Federation,
physicians agreed to speak openly of their remuneration.
Would she have liked to carry on at the Federation? Without a
doubt. Several association Presidents had already foreseen her
in the role of President of the Federation. In Dr. Mathieu-Millaire’s
opinion, we can already predict that, in coming years, there will
be as many women as men holding the position of President in
the associations.
Today, more than fifteen women have taken the reins of their
medical associations. As for others, they have chosen to aspire
to a position within the Federation. They have been Counsellors,
at times Treasurer or Vice-President of the FMSQ. Who are they?
Elected to the Board of Directors of the FMSQ
(in chronological order)
Dr. Suzanne GuertinLarochelle, Dermatology
1983-1984
Dr. Suzanne Lamarre
Psychiatry , 1991-1993
Dr. Marie-Laure Brisson
Pathology, 2001-2005
Dr. Hélène Fortin
Psychiatry , 1993-1997
Dr. Diane Francœur
Obstetrics and gynecology
2009-
Dr. Suzanne Michalk
Anesthesiology, 1993-2001
Dr. Francine Mathieu-Millaire
Ophthalmology, 1997-2003
Dr. Josée Parent
Gastro-enterology
2005-2011
Dr. Lucie Opatrny
Internal Medicine, 2011-
They were President of their respective
medical associations
(in alphabetical order)
Dr. Chantal Bolduc
Dermatology, 2006Dr. Thérèse Côté-Boileau
Pediatrics, 2004-2010
Dr. Louise Duranceau
Plastic Surgery
1993-2003
Dr. Diane Francœur
2006-2008
Dr. Pascale Hamel
Pediatrics, 2010Dr. Marie-Paule Jammal
Urology, 2009-2011
Dr. Marie Lambert
Medical Genetics
1997- 2002
Dr. Corinne Leclercq
2008-2010
Dr. Emmanuelle Lemyre
Medical Genetics
2008Dr. Élaine Letendre
Medical Biochemistry
2005-2010
Dr. Pascale Marinier
Dermatology
2004-2006
Dr. Francine Mathieu-Millaire
Ophtalmology
1994-1996 and 2003-2005
Dr. Josée Parent
Gastro-enterology, 2011Dr. Vyta-Marya Senikas
1996-1998
Par Xxxxxx
XXXXXXXXXX
MD
Titre
à venir
In a Position to Speak...
Le Spécialiste has asked some women Presidents (past or present) of FMSQ affiliated medical
associations to comment on certain subjects drawn from the major issues dealing with the
status of women prioritized by global organizations like the United Nations (UN), the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), etc. Questions have been
restated to lean toward specialized medicine.
Do women medical specialists prepare
themselves to retire earlier or differently from
their male colleagues?
Retirement, a fateful period of life…
Does it have a gender? I don’t think
so. Retirement marks the end of an
«active life» in a person’s career. In
medicine, we have to ask ourselves
when and how this career ends
and what motivates us to make this
decision. Retirement, for some people,
can involve reducing one’s activities, whether it’s no longer being
on call or finally being able to choose activities we prefer to do
part-time. This reminds us of the concept of «semi-retirement»
which is very attractive to many of us with grey hair since it
allows us to gently separate ourselves from our previous way of
life. For others, it can mean a clean break with the medical field
as a whole. This is rarer. I believe that most physicians remain
somewhat attached to their profession, even in retirement,
whether they are men or women.
Do women come to this decision in a different way from men?
Maybe there are different reasons. If the work environment still
provides a lot of positive aspects and if health permits, I do not
believe that being a man or a woman will make a difference
in the desire to remain implicated in this field. However, if
constraints are numerous and finances allow it, the wish to live
in a more pleasant environment will surely be a good reason to
retire earlier. In addition, it all depends on what is waiting for
us after we stop working. If the social environment and family
life with a spouse, children and grand-children are enriching,
they will increase the attraction of stopping work and becoming
involved in something else. All these reasons to stop working
can apply as much to women as to men and the fear of losing
one’s internal sense of value through performance will be based
on individual personalities rather than gender.
Dr. Thérèse Côté-Boileau
President of the Association des pédiatres du Québec
from 2004 to 2010
Are women’s groups in specialized medicine
important?
When I was asked to participate in this issue of the Spécialiste
dealing with women in medicine, I was truly excited! An article
on reconciling the work of a medical specialist with that of a fulltime mother and how to achieve this? Guilt… But the question
was about the need to form groups or not. Upon reflection, for
a pediatrician, the question is difficult as the specialty already
numbers a majority of women. Should men form groups to talk
about their experiences?
One of the oldest associations on
the international scene, the Medical
Women’s International Association
was founded in 1919. In Canada,
the Federation of Medical Women of
Canada was created, among others,
by Dr. Maude Abbott, a pathologist
and a great friend of Dr. Irma Levasseur,
founder of Sainte-Justine Hospital and Hôpital de l’Enfant‑Jésus.
The latter was the first French-Canadian woman to practice
medicine in Quebec, although she had to exile herself for
a few years to New York since her peers did not accept her.
The situation has changed since then… There are more of us
women on university benches and in several specialties as well!
Do we still need to form groups? I don’t think so; to do so would
simply show that we believe there still are differences with our
colleagues other than those that are specific to our gender
(pregnancies, giving birth, maternity leaves, breast-feeding). We
work just as hard.
I also got in touch with a few colleagues in essentially male
specialties and the answer was even starker: to form a group
would only weaken us, since in practice there is no difference
between men and women! We are all members of the same
group, the FMSQ.
In conclusion, in medicine, women’s associations and groups
helped a lot at one time, but this is no longer the case in 2012!
Dr. Pascale Hamel
President of the Association des pédiatres du Québec
since 2010
How to make a place for oneself in a world of men?
Jammal, where does that come from? Why urology?
These two questions have dogged my steps since my
years in residence. To the first, I inevitably answered:
from the Lower St. Lawrence region. To the second,
my answer depended on my mood: because I like
surgery; because this branch of surgery is more
varied; or even, because I like to play in water. In a
more serious vein, I am well aware that this second
query was but rarely addressed to my male colleagues,
just as patients rarely asked them for the bedpan or even:
«Are you a doctor then, Nurse?» It is, of course, a mainly
masculine specialty. However, even 25 years ago (I was then
the 6th woman to choose this specialty in Quebec), I have
only rarely felt out of place. In this, however, Quebec was and
still remains an exception. I am a fervent advocate of equality.
At present, there is an imbalance in admissions to medical
school. Although they existed long ago in medicine,
especially in surgery, I believe that professional ghettos
have to be banished. Although the scales seem to weigh
in favour of women today, we have to be more careful and
avoid recreating this kind of imbalance. Men and women
have different visions of medical practice that complement
one another very well and that deliver a better
service to the population. But, even more do
I believe that we work better when we work
together. We serve a population where the
ratio of men is still close to 50% and it seems
reasonable to me that our profession, just
like others serving the public, should reflect
this ratio.
After 20 years of practice, I still love my profession a lot.
I am proud to say that my urologist colleagues, in Quebec,
have made me President of their association, thus proving
they have no preconceived idea as to a woman’s capacity
to do the same work as a man. Their open-mindedness and
their faith in me allow me to affirm that women specialists
have a place that no one can dispute. This legitimacy should
encourage us to look for ways to fill the lack of young men
in our faculties.
Dr. Marie-Paule Jammal
President of the Quebec Urological Association from
2009 to 2011
With better-informed patients, are women medical specialists better doctors? If so, are they
more successful in getting patients to follow a treatment plan or not?
I don’t believe that, in the 21st century, women medical
specialists are better doctors than their male colleagues.
However, I do believe that our approach, as women, to
women patients is different. Some will be more motherly,
warmer while others may be more «controlling.»
©www.lanouvelle.net
Women patients also interact differently with a physician.
They sometimes have the impression that, because
we are women, we will «finally
understand better than anyone
what is happening to them.» That’s
when I remind them that it’s not
necessary to have had a heart
attack to be a good cardiologist…
It is true that we find it easier to
understand their reality: metro-workmama-homework-bed!!!!... It is possible that some women
specialists who had to keep their noses to the grindstone
to get to where they are may be more demanding and
intransigent towards their patients; in other words, no pity,
no complaints, roll up your sleeves and get moving!
All the same, it is a fact that women are more inclined to
verbalize and thus, I believe, our communications with
patients are improved. Does this mean that patients are
more inclined to respect the follow-up requirements of
their treatment? I rather think that each patient will follow
his or her doctor’s advice in line with the chemistry, the
degree of confidence and empathy that has grown between
them. Some patients will prefer the sometimes expeditious
manner of male physicians and others will tolerate it when
women physicians are late for their appointments because
they know that, when their turn comes up, they will be
allowed to take all the time they need and benefit from a
good listener.
Whatever the case may be, I think that we need equilibrium
in the world of medicine so that each of us, patient and
physician, can find his or her place. Previously, we had
the very patriarchal male model; now we are faced with
a medicine that is becoming more and more feminine…
The pendulum will have to swing back to its rightful place.
Dr. Corinne Leclercq
President of the Association of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists of Quebec from 2008 to 2010
Par Xxxxxx
XXXXXXXXXX
o women in positions of power
D
manage conflicts differently in a
medical environment?
Every physician who has gravitated around power
would be able to bear witness to the fact that
women physicians have a somewhat different
approach than that adopted by their male
colleagues. Although it’s impossible to generalize,
it is evident that certain common characteristics
can be identified.
To start with, we have to
mention the element that
seems to me to be the
most important: we are
more inclined to privilege
the common good, to
ignore any political agenda
and, even at times, to go
against our own personal interests. Our concern
for details also allows us to adopt a more
rigorous approach and take advantage of a more
discriminating view of the facts. Thus, an approach
combining conciliation and compromise does not
scare us nor is it associated with a fear that our
authority will be questioned. For us, success does
not rest in the adoption of our solution when faced
with a problem, but rather in the resolution of the
problem itself.
Every woman who has assumed a position
of power will be able to attest to the fact that
managing conflicts is often a gratifying, albeit
difficult, experience. Although we are fully capable
of facing confrontation, it is a context that does not
suit us and that is particularly difficult for us. Men
are generally less sensitive than are women to an
atmosphere of dispute. Nevertheless, our aversion
to conflict is probably what gives us the energy and
willpower to rapidly arrive at a compromise that is
acceptable to all parties involved.
The approach adopted by women can thus be
characterized as a benevolent firmness as opposed
to an authoritarian approach. We take the issues to
heart and we put our hearts into resolving them.
Dr. Élaine Letendre
President of the Association des médecins
biochimistes du Québec from 2005 to 2010
MD
Titre
à venir
Why should women become involved
with labour unions?
If we want our working environment to be more
dynamic, more productive and better organized, we
have no choice but to become involved! We cannot
just simply stand there and wait for things to get better
on their own... and then blame our male colleagues for
not having defended our interests. Today, more than
35% of medical specialists are women; tomorrow, we’ll be even more numerous.
I think that, no matter where or how, women will really benefit from involving
themselves in advancing our profession, at the hospital just like at the FMSQ.
That being said, I’m worried about our succession. I think that certain changes
in career profiles blamed on feminization were influenced to a greater degree by
generations X and Y. Unfortunately, within these cohorts, we observe an indifferent
attitude towards the question of labour unions or any form of involvement in
the management of hospitals. This disaffection involves important stakes and
will continue to do so as long as we do not succeed in adequately financing
these activities. When it comes to filling vacant positions within professional
associations or finding candidates to head up departments, we face difficulties of
Herculean proportions. Although they do not directly concern patient care, these
activities are crucial, while they are still inadequately compensated. If we don’t
manage to backtrack and interest the next generation in taking on such activities,
our interests will be defended by the wrong representatives. The healthcare
budget will not keep on growing indefinitely. In the short term, it is inevitable that
attempts will be made to impose drastic changes in our working conditions. We
are the only ones who will be able to defend the profession we have chosen from
the hazards it faces.
Several years went by before medical specialists were able to obtain compensation
for maternity leave. This battle is now behind us, but we mustn’t relax our guard.
The conditions of practice for women medical specialists are not always easy,
especially within smaller teams. Changes from one generation to the next must
allow us to consolidate our gains. Becoming a manager or «labour organizer»
demands an ongoing investment over time. Understanding ancient battles and
gains negotiated with difficulty will be achieved over the long term.
Becoming involved in a labour organization does not imply abandoning our
children! Becoming involved means having a well-organized schedule, making
use of every available outside resource to manage our families’ basic needs
and, especially, taking pride in ensuring our profession’s value is appreciated by
society. The easy excuse of «looking after the children» is no longer valid. Each
generation faces its own personal challenges: whether it’s athletic performances,
managing children, divorce, illness or financial worries!
Becoming involved requires time, but everything is a question of balance. Today,
in most families, both spouses look after the children and manage family life. I
don’t know many women medical specialists who are ready to sacrifice their
careers to stay at home … The balance between work, family and labour union
does exist. My specialist husband and I celebrated the 25th anniversary of our
busy family life this week, without forgetting to take time off when pedagogical
days come around!
Welcome, ladies! The world of labour unions is expecting you!
Dr. Diane Francœur
Vice-President, FMSQ
For women in
medicine, what’s
missing?
Having undertaken my
medical studies in the
1990s, I have to thank
all the women physicians
who blazed the path for us. I am also taking the
liberty of thanking all my male supervisors who, for
the vast majority, have truly been gentlemen. This
being said, we still have some way to go. Today,
several stereotypes are still alive and it isn’t rare
for a woman physician to be addressed first as a
nurse or another type of health worker, a kind of
confusion that is rare for our male colleagues. The
greatest challenge for most women, whether it’s
in medicine or elsewhere, is probably to find the
happy middle between the role of mother and that
of a career woman. Even if times have changed, it
is still true that, even with equivalent occupations,
a real sharing of responsibilities at home between
spouses is far from being the reality for all. We will
gain a lot over the coming years from increasing
numbers of women physicians who are involved
and committed and who will serve as both models
and guides.
Dr. Chantal Bolduc
President of the Association des
dermatologistes du Québec
Why do girls today choose to study medicine
rather than nursing, as they did in the past?
Several factors in society have influenced career choices for
women over the years. At the time of my parents, girls who
had the chance or who wanted to pursue higher studies aimed
at either teaching or nursing. The medical profession was not
very accessible to them. These stereotypical choices reflected
the role attributed to women at that time. Since then, society
and women have both travelled a long road leading to equal
access for women to higher studies and
to the workplace. Access to higher studies
becoming more democratic, young women
are offered more choices. Today, they have
models in all spheres of endeavour and
they can make real choices according to
their aspirations. Women have developed
greater self-confidence and no longer fear
careers where they will need to demonstrate leadership or that
require a great degree of autonomy. As a result, the medical
profession is attractive for an increasing proportion of young
women who have an interest in medical care. We have to admit
that the practice of medicine, in most cases, allows a better control
over working conditions and a greater financial independence.
Society needs both of these complementary professions and we
will need to stimulate anew the interest of young women for the
nursing profession so as to make up for the serious shortfall we
are experiencing.
Dr. Emmanuelle Lemyre
President of the Association des médecins généticiens
du Québec
Are there organizational problems with regards to maternity?
To start with, I don’t like the question! And yet, anyone who knows me also knows how much I’ve fought for women medical
specialists to have parental leave. I led this battle because it wasn’t normal that general practitioners had such a right when
medical specialists did not.
A physician is a physician no matter what kind. The work is the same, the studies needed to get there are
the same. What is more, women do the same work as men and sometimes they do it better. Above all,
we have to know how to organize ourselves, whoever we are and whatever we do. A man who wants to
pursue a career as well as excel in a sport finds ways to combine physical training and career. A woman
who chooses to have children has to face the challenge of organizing her professional schedule to tether
it to her family’s needs. Today, women have the advantage of being able to do anything they want and
they have to avail themselves of it. You’d be surprised to see the number of women medical specialists
who easily combine a clinical career with other demanding functions such as a teaching load, clinical
research activities or medico-administrative activities at the same time as they also have three, four, or five children. Now, that’s
a good example of how specialized medicine is the prerogative of organized women.
Dr. Josée Parent
President of the Association des gastro-entérologues du Québec
By Dr. Isabelle Girard
OBSTETRICIAN-GYNECOLOGIST
MD
Reasonable Accommodations
I work in a multiethnic neighbourhood, in the middle of the Côte-des-Neiges area of
Montreal, where the United Nations seem to have settled over the last 25 years.
I adore walking down the street and feeling as if I’m in a foreign
country. I sometimes find myself the only Quebecker in a group
of people waiting for the green light to cross the street. When
time permits, I take advantage of where I am to explore dishes
from around the world. In this neighbourhood, you can taste
food from Lebanon, Armenia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Mexico, India,
China, Thailand, Greece, etc. You can browse in a Russian
bookstore or take classes in an exotic cuisine... Here, people
mingle and seem to get along together while, if they found
themselves elsewhere, they might be enemies. In addition, of
course, children are everywhere, running, crying, sleeping in
their strollers...
What strikes me the most is the fact that people are polite.
Tolerance and mutual respect are expected and everyone
makes concessions. Contacts are always polite and pleasant.
My work consists, among other duties, of following all of these
people during their great adventure: pregnancy and the birth of
their children. Yes, I mean children, plural, because during the
course of 12 years practicing in this neighbourhood, I’m often
called upon for a 3rd or 4th baby!
I remember my first on-call shift in 1999: I had come from
a francophone environment and had worked in rural Quebec
where the most exotic inhabitants of the area were a black
family that spoke French. I was called to look after an Indian
patient who spoke neither French nor English; I found this very
difficult and reached a point where, when I got home the next
day, I told my husband: «I don’t think I’ll be able to adapt!»
And yet, today, I wouldn’t go back because I’ve visited the
whole world. Over the past 12 years, I’ve discovered a whole
slew of new religions, new cultures, new dress codes. In
particular, I have learnt that, no matter what our origin, children
unite us in the love our families, that the pain of losing a baby
is the same for everyone and that the joy of welcoming these
little ones is miraculous.
A few years ago, there was quite an outcry concerning
reasonable accommodations. I often found myself on the
front line to bear witness to the problems encountered when
dispensing health care. In fact, it had happened (and it still
does!) that patients demanded male or female healthcare staff.
I said it then, and I repeat: this is just as serious as refusing
care offered by a black person, by a person speaking English
or by one speaking French. In all these examples, we do not
recognize the competence of the person in front of us and we
practise discrimination. That I be chosen as treating physician
because I am a good doctor, quick-witted, up to date in my
reading and a competent surgeon is simple common sense.
If my gender is the sole reason that makes me incompetent in
the eyes of certain people, as far as I am concerned, that is
insulting me, both as a person and as the good physician I am.
It is rare to meet patients who refuse the services of a
physician because he is a man or she is a woman. Every
time it happens, as healthcare professionals, it is essential
we refuse to place the life of the person involved in
jeopardy, in particular by delaying when it’s an emergency...
We all know that, in obstetrics, such a delay can have very
serious consequences.
The solution lies in communications; we have to know that such
religious or ethnic conflicts are possible and we have to discuss
them in advance. It is important to understand and to be open
to differences. But, just like the people who want to impose
limits on us by making such demands, we have the right and
duty to respect who we are as a people and as a culture and
to refuse limits that go against our principles of equality.
The Commission on Reasonable Accommodation has helped
in this respect. Although very little came from it, it allowed
spokespeople to exchange views publicly and, I believe, gave
us the chance to better understand each other. I’ve noticed
that conflicts seem to occur less often in my work environment.
We have better defined our limits and have learnt to say no to
unreasonable demands, while being capable of recognizing the
diversity and richness offered to us.
In conclusion, I have adapted to multiple ethnicities and, today,
I have the impression I am travelling every time I go in to work.
Each day at work teaches me something new. I have come
to understand that I can modify my way of offering healthcare
services in order to respect others, within limits that allow me
to respect myself first.
LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 NO. 1 | MARS 2012 | 33
GREAT NAMES IN QUEBEC MEDICINE
By Patricia Kéroack
A Life Dedicated to Improving
that of Her Peers
At a very young age, Alice Chan-Yip already knew what she would do in life. Her father and
mother were both doctors and it never crossed her mind she would do anything else. Her
childhood memories were punctuated by the Second World War and the death of her father.
So it was her mother who looked after her education, while
practising medicine in Hong Kong, Macao and Canton. In 1949,
when China became communist, her mother sent her and her
brother to Hong Kong, joining them later.
Alice Chan-Yip’s mother taught her early on about the somatic
effects of psychological disorders and other types of emotional
imbalance. These lessons have served her throughout her life
and medical practice. In fact, it was her mother’s empathy for her
patients that inspired Dr. Chan to pursue her calling.
Student visa in hand, she came to Ottawa to study biochemistry (B.
Sc. 1958). Then, determined to become a physician, she enrolled at
McGill University, where she noticed there were only 10 women in a
group of 110 men –very few compared with what she had expected
when she arrived. She became the second woman of Chinese
origin to obtain her medical degree from McGill. With her degree
firmly stowed in her pocket, she interned at Kingston and did her
residency at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. She then decided to
do a fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, followed
by another at Sainte-Justine. She also decided to stay in Canada,
and became a citizen in 1967.
Very early on during her initial years of practice, her empathy for
and patience with young patients and their families, regardless
of their origin, was noted. Dr David Lin, a surgeon at the Royal
Victoria and president of a Chinese association, invited her to
work with the Chinese community. It was at that point that she
realized there were no services specifically adapted to members of
the Chinese population in Montreal. Adapted services, translation
or interpretation, integration, delivery of medical services as well
as psychological support were totally unavailable. Finding how to
transcend linguistic barriers and gain access to health and social
services became a priority for her.
She therefore became interested, on a volunteer basis, in the
multiple problems experienced by Chinese immigrants. She acted
as a community representative vis-à-vis Services sociaux VilleMarie, and formed a group known as Chinese Family Services
of Greater Montreal. She gave courses and presentations and,
in particular, set up programs to enrich participants’ knowledge,
teach a second language and help children experiencing
learning difficulties.
Dr. Chan-Yip is the mother of two children and, despite a very heavy
work and clinical teaching schedule; she has developed a part-time
community pediatric practice at the Montreal Chinese Hospital.
For 25 years, she was the only pediatrician in this institution. Using
subsidies from government and private foundations, she developed
a research program focusing on the Chinese population of Montreal,
and discovered that health problems very often arise from cultural
beliefs and psychosocial factors. Her particular interest is the low
rate of breast-feeding (8%), the prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia
(12%), caries in infants, learning difficulties, etc. Through her work,
she has set up specific programs for this clientele, and the results
have rapidly proved very convincing.
Dr. Alice Chan-Yip
Pediatric
She then studied the development of a hepatitis B awareness
program: this condition is very common in Asian populations. She
is also working on developing and revising manuals, guides and
folders for Chinese populations, giving advice on prevention and a
healthy lifestyle. She has travelled the world giving presentations on
various subjects, including the specific requirements of multicultural
groups, nutrition, education and the influence of the mind in
holistic medicine.
Dr. Chan-Yip has received many awards for her work and her
commitment to her community. The Canadian Paediatric Society
awarded her the Noni McDonald Prize in 2005 and, last June, she
received the distinction of being named a Member of the Order of
Canada. Each year, the McGill Faculty of Medicine awards the Chan
prize for multiculturalism and international medicine to a student
who takes part, for at least four weeks, in a multicultural community
health project.
Dr. Chan-Yip’s passionate approach to her work has allowed her to
determine the needs of the Chinese community and understand the
influence traditional medicine has on these expatriates.
L
S
FINANCIÈRE DES PROFESSIONNELS
By Alain Doucet, B.Sc., A.S.A., Pl. Fin.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL PLANNING
How To Choose Your Financial Advisor
We often spend longer on choosing our next new car than on
selecting the person to whom we will entrust our life’s savings!
In view of this, we believe it might be very worthwhile for you
to take a few moments to read the following lines: they contain
practical advice to help you make a good choice of financial
advisor or confirm your present choice.
Firstly, we should underline the importance of your advisor’s
skills. Appropriate training in finance and sound experience are
essential; the title of Financial Planner is an obvious asset. To
check on the competence of your advisor, you should know
that since December 1991 no one can hold the title of Financial
Planner unless they are certified by the Institut québécois de
planification financière (the IQPF) and take the courses required
to maintain their title. All you have to do is consult the IQPF
site at www.iqpf.org to ensure your financial planner is in
good standing.
What is your advisor’s role with regard to your personal
finances? He/she must help you define your short-, mid- and
long-term objectives, and suggest a plan of action whereby
you can achieve them. Your financial plan will be based on
your investments, and also on your insurances, estate and tax
plans and, above all, the development of a sound budget. Your
advisor is a professional with an overall view of your situation
and is responsible for orchestrating the action to be taken to
achieve your objectives. If he considers it might be beneficial
for you to meet a specialist or, alternatively, to consult one on
your behalf, he will do so. Whether you require the services of
a notary, tax expert, actuary or financial security consultant (an
insurance specialist), your advisor will be able to refer you to
the appropriate resource person.
However, the question still remains: how to pick the best
advisor for you. Word of mouth is often the most effective
method. Your colleagues at work are definitely your best
source of reference, because they are in a socioeconomic
bracket similar to yours. You must also differentiate between
a competent advisor and someone who is simply selling
products. An individual who wants to sell you a product at all
costs as of your first meeting may not be the type of advisor
you are looking for. A good advisor will take the time to get to
know you, so that he can gain a clear idea of your needs before
suggesting the product that, in his opinion, will suit you best.
You should also ask him questions, as you would during
an interview. Following is a non-exhaustive list of potential
questions for your advisor:
1.Determine what kind of relationship you want with
your advisor:
a.How many times will you meet each year?
b.How frequently will he review your financial plan to ensure
that you are always on the right road?
c.If you have to be away, does he have an assistant?
d.Is your profile compatible with that of his typical clients?
e.Are there courses or conferences that you can attend upon
occasion in order to improve your own knowledge?
2.Evaluate his skills and the products he can offer you:
a.How many years’ experience does he have in the field?
b.What kind of experience does he have with clients
like you?
c.Does he work with in-house or external specialists (tax
expert, notary, actuary, insurance company, etc.)?
d.What professional titles does he hold?
e.What products and services is he authorized to supply?
3.Know how he is paid.
a.How iFs he paid (commission, salary, bonuses, etc.)?
b.Does he have any monetary agreements with external
professionals he may refer you to (accounting firm, notary,
insurance company, etc.)?
A number of other criteria should also be taken into account to
avoid any unpleasant surprises.
1. He works for a recognized company.
2. He encourages you to participate; he listens to you.
3. He has a range of advice.
4. He gives you time to think things over.
Lastly, make sure he is in good standing and really holds the
permits that he claims. Consult the Autorité des marchés
financiers register at www.lautorite.qc.ca.
The Financière des professionnels has been listening to its
clients for more than 34 years. Its consultants on financial
solutions are carefully selected based on their competence
and experience in the financial field. You can therefore have
full confidence in them and ask their advice without worrying.
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
By Maurice Giroux
GENERAL DIRECTOR
Medical Specialists, Sogemec and The Personal Insurance Company
The Right Combination for 10 Years
Ten years ago, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (the FMSQ) and
Sogemec Assurances chose the Personal Insurance Company as their automobile, home
and business group insurer. Over the years, a solid partnership has been formed, one that
has proved very beneficial to FMSQ members.
Today, we are proud to say that more than 4,500 FMSQ
members have insured their property with The Personal and
more than 99% renew their contract year after year.1 We would
like to thank you for having contributed to the success of this
long-standing relationship, because it is the strength represented
by our group that enables us to offer you worthwhile insurance
products, perfectly tailored to the needs of medical specialists.
The Personal for your leisure activities
We would also like to take the opportunity to invite other FMSQ
members who are not yet insured with The Personal to take
advantage of this group plan, which is outlined below:
Are you a fan of recreation vehicles? The Personal has created
a specific insurance for motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV),
snowmobiles, travel trailers and pleasure boats. To the basic
coverage, we add optional protections that you can choose
according to your needs and priorities. For example, the Value
Plus OptionTM to protect your vehicle against depreciation; or
the coverage for loss of use in case of a theft or accident, here
or on the road, with reimbursement of most of your additional
travel expenses (meals, housing).2
Exclusive coverage for medical specialists
The No.1 group insurer
One of the foremost types of protection The Personal offers
FMSQ members is endorsement 25c. This allows the amount
of insurance coverage for certain specific or valuable items to be
increased. For example:
Established in 1974, The Personal’s expertise in automobile,
home and business group insurance is without peer, making it
the largest insurer in this field in Quebec and one of the leaders
in the country as a whole.
• Items related to your activities (e.g., reference books, laptops,
specialized instruments). Home insurance normally covers
such goods to a very limited extent. With The Personal’s
endorsement 25c, you can increase your protection to
$10,000.
Therefore, whether you are insuring your home, car or clinic,
or your business, The Personal can offer you all the protection
you need to preserve the value of your property – as well as
very attractive group premiums. Your spouse/partner and your
dependents are also eligible.
• W
orks of art. Obtain $100,000 worth of protection in case of
the loss or theft of your works of art.
Service is provided by a highly considerate team. If a disaster
occurs, The Personal’s claim experts can be reached 24/7. They
know your time is valuable, and will do everything possible to
sort out matters as quickly as possible. A survey has shown that
more than 9 out of 10 insured declared themselves satisfied after
having had to make a claim.2
• Deductible. If you have to make a claim, normal coverage
provides that there is no deductible to be paid, but only in
the case of total loss. Under endorsement 25c, you have no
deductible to pay for any claim of $50,000 or more, whether
the loss is total or not.
These are just a few examples of the augmented protection
provided by endorsement 25c, which is available to medical
specialists only.
To find out more about The Personal, the FMSQ’s close partner
for the past 10 years, ask for a quote today.
1 866 350-8282
sogemec.lapersonnelle.com
1 Internal report CAT-03M, November 30, 2011.
Survey on the Quality of Claim Service – The Personal, 4th quarter 2010.
2 36 | LE SPÉCIALISTE | VOL. 14 No. 1 | MARCH 2012
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
By Christine Laurendeau
FINANCIAL SECURITY CONSULTANT
Mortgage Insurance or Personal Insurance?
When you negotiate a mortgage with a financial institution, their
personnel will offer you mortgage insurance. They have the
right to require that you insure your mortgage; however, is the
mortgage insurance they are offering your best option?
Life Insurance: Mortgage
Only covers the decreasing
balance of the mortgage.
Coverage decreases, but
premiums can remain the same.
The following table compares mortgage and personal life
insurance policies. You can see that personal life insurance is
more advantageous and has greater flexibility.
The financial institution is the
automatic beneficiary.
Your financial institution will offer you life insurance, disability
insurance and serious illness coverage. You should be aware
that you can obtain all three types of protection on an individual
basis, and it may very often provide you with higher benefits for
less cost.
What about insurance provided for your credit margin? Mortgage
insurance and loan insurance are exactly the same product. The
same remarks therefore apply when comparing loan insurance
and personal insurance.
POUR TOUS VOS
BESOINS D’ASSURANCES
If you change your financial
institution, you will have to take
out new mortgage insurance with
the new institution.
The mortgage insurance does
not belong to you. You will lose
it once your mortgage is fully
paid up.
Personal Life Insurance
Your can cover all your insurance needs
under a single contract.
Coverage remains the same, unless you
decide to change it.
You designate the beneficiary, and that
person can use the death benefit as
they see fit.
Your insurance belongs to you. You can
change financial institutions without
worrying about your insurability.
Personal life insurance belongs to you.
It remains in effect provided you pay
your premiums. You can convert your
insurance into a permanent contract.
Contact a Sogemec Assurances consultant today!
To contact us:
www.sogemec.qc.ca
Montréal: (514) 350-5070
Quebec City: (418) 990-3946
Toll-free: 1-800-361-5303
Grâce au
SERVICE PRÉFÉRENCE
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
ÉVOLUE AVEC VOUS
Avec le SERVICE PRÉFÉRENCE de
Sogemec Assurances, toutes vos
assurances sont pensées en fonction
de votre style de vie et de vos besoins.
POUR EN SAVOIR PLUS :
1 800 361-5303 / 514 350-5070 / 418 990-3946
Par courriel ou Internet :
[email protected] / www.sogemec.qc.ca
SOGEMEC ASSURANCES
filiale de la
LE MOT DU PRÉSIDENT
Dr Gaétan Barrette
Le présent et l’avenir
Le 16 février dernier, a eu lieu une Assemblée des délégués spéciale que l’on doit qualifier
d’historique. Bien sûr, elle suit l’entente qui a été conclue avec le gouvernement en juin
2011. Bien sûr, elle détermine la répartition, entre associations, des sommes négociées.
Et bien sûr, elle a été l’objet d’un débat. Mais, surtout, elle termine un cycle de 10 ans durant
lequel vous aviez demandé à votre conseil d’administration de faire deux choses : obtenir la
parité avec la moyenne canadienne et diminuer les écarts entre les associations.
C
ôté parité, je vous laisse le soin de vous enquérir auprès
de votre association pour apprécier l’ampleur des gains
obtenus pour votre spécialité médicale. Dans tous les
cas, nous avons comblé l’écart de parité de façon significative.
Dans tous les cas, nous pouvons être fiers du travail accompli.
Dans tous les cas, la motivation, en 2016, devra viser au moins
le maintien de notre position. Nous serions faibles de ne pas le
faire. Dix années pour récupérer en partie 30 ans de retard. Voilà
pour cette partie de l’« histoire ».
Il y a l’autre partie. Celle qui a tout aussi « historiquement »
miné la Fédération au point de la rendre inopérante sur le plan
des négociations. Je parle évidemment des « écarts » entre
les spécialités. Nous avions promis, qu’à terme, ces écarts
diminueraient, qu’un effet « RMA » se ferait sentir et se verrait.
C’est le cas. Ça l’a été sur la base de paramètres entendus et
convenus par une très forte majorité des délégués. Un vrai RMA
basé sur la raison et non sur les émotions et sur les jugements
arbitraires du passé. Au final, pour la première fois de l’histoire
de la Fédération, l’écart de rémunération entre les extrémités
est réduit à deux pour un. Qui plus est, cet écart est déterminé
sur une base quotidienne, nette de frais. Bref, jamais une
rémunération n’aura été aussi objective, ni aussi efficace.
Car, qu’on se le dise, il serait insensé d’invoquer que la
rémunération de toutes les spécialités médicales soit la même.
Non, la rémunération du neurochirurgien ne sera jamais égale
à celle du médecin biochimiste. Mais, en même temps, il faut
apprécier l’importance du résultat : 35 spécialités médicales,
toutes aussi différentes les unes des autres, qui se retrouvent
avec une rémunération moyenne incluse dans une fourchette
dont le rapport est de deux pour un. Aussi différentes que
puissent être les spécialités les unes des autres, les écarts
entre elles sont minimaux. Amusez-vous ! Prenez n’importe quel
intervalle d’un ratio de deux pour un et distribuez-y 35 groupes
également espacés ! Du jamais vu et, à bien des égards, au-delà
des rêves les plus fous de certaines associations.
D’où le vote largement majoritaire lors de l’Assemblée des
délégués du 16 février. Et, oui, nous aurons livré la marchandise
annoncée en 2007 !
Mais je ne peux m’empêcher de vous mettre en garde. Notre
succès collectif contient aussi en lui les germes de tous les
dangers, dont le danger ultime : un ralentissement clinique.
Malheureusement, l’histoire des deux fédérations médicales est
éloquente à ce sujet. Après une bonne négociation, il est arrivé
à certains sous-groupes de choisir le temps plutôt que l’argent.
Bref, de travailler moins pour un revenu moins élevé que prévu
ou, pire, de travailler beaucoup moins pour un revenu semblable
à celui d’avant la négociation. Cela s’est vu et voilà « l’erreur »
qu’il faut éviter à tout prix, au nom de l’accessibilité aux soins et
aussi de notre capacité future à négocier.
Rappelons-nous que nous nous sommes rendus ici par un travail
d’équipe, une volonté d’affronter l’adversaire et une mobilisation
que la Fédération n’avait pas vue depuis des décades. Le tout a
généré un rapport de force exercé intelligemment, c’est-à-dire en
prenant en considération les besoins et les positions de l’autre
partie, tout en affirmant et en exerçant un rapport où il était
clair que nous ne reculerions pas, toujours prêts à agir, avec
un discours cohérent. C’est là l’art du compromis, la force ! Et,
en finale, une conclusion adéquate pour les deux parties. Le
succès de la prochaine ronde de négociations se fera dans un
autre contexte, mais se gagnera selon les mêmes prémisses.
Le discours sera différent, mais la mobilisation sera encore
plus nécessaire.
En fait, une chose est claire pour moi, il faut éviter que la FMSQ
ne redevienne passive. Soyez vigilants et rappelez-vous, qu’en
tout temps, c’est de chacun d’entre vous que naît la mobilisation
nécessaire à toute victoire.
Solidairement vôtre ! S
L
NOS FILIALES
www.fprofessionnels.com
1 888 377-7337
www.sogemec.qc.ca
1 800 361-5303
NOS PARTENAIRES
AU
U
NOUVEA
VE
U
NO
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1 800 807-2683
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1 888 276-6668
www.groupesolution2.com 1 877 795-9399
www.manoir-victoria.com
1 800 463-6283
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1 866 482-5449
www.desjardins.com
1 800 CAISSES
U
NOUVEA
www.estrimont.ca
1 800 567-7320
www.esterel.com
1 888 378-3735
www.fairmont.com
1 800 441-1414
www.montreal.hyatt.ca
1 800 361-8234
www.rbcbanqueroyale.com/sante
www.centrecongreslevis.com
800 838-3811
807-2683
1 888
www.sogemec.lapersonnelle.com
1 866 350-8282
www.centrecongreslevis.com
514 288-8688
11 888
888 838-3811
732-8688
Pour tout savoir sur les avantages commerciaux réservés aux
membres de la Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec
et pour connaître nos nouveaux partenaires commerciaux, visitez
le site Internet de la FMSQ au www.fmsq.org/services.
www.hotel71.ca
1 888 692-1171
www.telusmobilite.com
1 855 310-3737
Il ne manque
que vous !
www.fmsq.org
Pour information :
[email protected]
ou 514 350-5274

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