About the CFMS
The CFMS is an organization representing over 8,000 medical students from 15 Canadian medical student societies from coast to coast. We represent medical students to the public, to the federal government, and to national and international medical organizations.OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS) are proud to announce the first ever Medical Education Day of Action (MEDoA). This event will bring together medical students from across the country to advocate for much needed improvements in the medical training pathway in May of 2023. This event will run in a hybrid format, with options for in-person and virtual participation. If necessary, changes will be made based on public health guidance. Historically, medical students have met in Ottawa, Ontario to meet with Members of Parliament and Senators on Parliament Hill. Given the jurisdiction over healthcare falls to the provincial governments, we will—in addition to meeting with Federal Members of Parliament and Senators—meet with provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly/Members of Provincial Parliament. This is a new approach the CFMS has adopted since 2022 and will allow us to advocate with a multi-pronged approach and offer more medical students the opportunity to add their voices to the cause.
The training pathway to becoming a physician is a long and intense process. Even after training is completed, there remain many challenges to practicing medicine in Canada. As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted these, challenges directly impact the ability of Canadians to access timely care. Nationally, we are facing a health human resources crisis. There are insufficient healthcare providers to meet the needs of Canadians. Over the past decade, the number of available residency spots to applicants has been declining, and recent plans to increase the number of spots in medical schools will only exacerbate this issue further.
Amongst practicing physicians there are high rates of burnout which are driving qualified individuals away from the profession. Systemic barriers are pushing physicians away from careers in primary care, even though there is significant need for more family physicians in Canada. We are already at a crisis point in the Canadian healthcare system. Action is needed to both address the current needs, as well as plan for the future to build a stronger healthcare system capable of meeting the needs of all people living in Canada.
Please view our one pager and backgrounderfor more information!
Contacts:
Rani Belhadjhamida and Ayushi Bhatt
Medical Day of Action Leads
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
Amna Majeed
Director of Government Affairs
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
Emily McPhail
Vice President of Communications
Canadian Federation of Medical Students
About the Canadian Federation of Medical Students
The Canadian Federation of Medical Students is the national voice of Canadian Medical Students. We connect, support and represent our membership as they learn to serve patients and society. The CFMS represents over 8 000 medical students from fifteen Canadian medical student societies from coast to coast.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @CFMSFEMC. Our website: www.cfms.org