Welcome to the Government Affairs and Advocacy branch of the CFMS!

We are passionate about supporting medical student advocacy at the federal, provincial, and local level. Supporting an effective and sustainable health care system is our shared goal. As we advocate for the interests of Canadian medical students and patients in discussions with the federal government, we invite you to connect with us to ensure we provide excellent representation.

• Medical Education Day of Action: The Medical Education Day of Action focuses on advocating issues that pertain to the pipeline of medical training to medical practice. This lends to a broad range of issues pertaining to medical students, residents and physicians. Issues of focus include: training positions and residency spots, barriers to accessing primary care, retention of healthcare workers, national licensure or workforce planning.The goal of MEDoA is to provide a collaborative approach with provincial and federal governments to highlight and address pertinent growing issues within medicine.
• National Day of Action: Each year, medical students from across Canada gather in Ottawa to meet with Parliamentarians and propose positive changes for the Canadian health care system. In February 2020, our theme was Access to Contraception.
• Policy Documents and Position Statements: Policy documents and position statements are evidence-based resources that identify the Canadian medical student perspective for a variety of health systems issues. These documents guide our advocacy efforts. All members of the CFMS are invited to contribute to policy creation.
• Advocacy Education: We seek to provide medical students with the resources and skills they need to become better advocates for their patients and communities. Learn more about our CFMS Longitudinal Advocacy Training Series and the Advocacy Toolkit.