On September 23, medical students from all four schools in Quebec (McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Laval and Université de Sherbrooke) gathered in front of McGill’s campus to rally against the new Bill 106 and oppose the teaching strike from medical specialists. The event was organized by the Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec (FMEQ).
On Monday, September 15, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) instructed members to suspend teaching and supervision of medical students as part of the ongoing dispute with the government over Bill 106.
Presented during Quebec’s National Assembly in May 2025, Bill 106 is a government initiative aimed at improving access to family doctors. The bill introduces a capitation model, in which physicians’ compensations are partly based on the number of patients they care for and the complexity or vulnerability of those patients, rather than solely on fees for individual visits or procedures. Doctors could still be paid through other methods, such as hourly rates or per-service fees, with the government regulating the mix of payment types. The legislation encourages physicians to see more patients by setting appointment goals and introduces performance targets that can influence physicians’ compensation. Health Minister Christian Dubé has indicated that up to 15 per cent of doctors’ incomes could be linked to meeting these performance benchmarks.
What does this mean for the general public? Many physicians have voiced concerns that Bill 106 could affect access to care. Patients with less urgent and more minor medical needs might face longer waits for appointments, which are already difficult to secure, while doctors prioritize more complex or high-risk cases that are weighted in performance calculations. As doctors are expected to see more patients to meet performance targets, the bill could lead to shorter, more rushed appointments, reducing the time doctors spend addressing complex or chronic conditions. Increased pressure on physicians could also lead to increased stress and burnout, which could further compromise patient care. Overall, these changes may have a direct impact on both the availability and quality of healthcare for the public.
The primary concern for the FMSQ was that the government had established conditions without
engaging in negotiations. The association disagreed with several aspects of the legislation and sought to have these points reconsidered. As a result, 91 per cent of FMSQ members voted to suspend medical school teaching as a means of pressuring the government to open discussions. The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) has stated that its members will participate in the FMSQ’s teaching strike beginning on October 4.
While medical students support the FMSQ and FMOQ’s demands, the teaching suspension has had adverse effects on their education and training. First and second-year students have to rely on recorded lectures to learn, and some can only virtually access anatomy labs via Zoom. This limits hands-on experience due to the absence of in- person supervision.
Ryan Kara, the president of the McGill Medical Society, mentioned in an interview with CBC that third and fourth-year medical students are the most affected by the strike. They are currently in their clinical rotations, seeing patients in hospitals under the supervision of specialists. With the strike, they do not have, “any clinical exposure at the moment. This means a risk of delayed graduation. As of July 2026, a new cohort of doctors are going to start in the hospital […] These doctors may not start in July 2026 if the negotiations continue and graduation is delayed.”
Such delays could increase staffing shortages and place additional pressure on current physicians.
Medical students spend time in hospitals across different specialties to explore which field they want to pursue and eventually apply for in residency programs after medical school. With teaching and clinical training disrupted by the strike, students risk losing valuable hands-on experience that helps them make these decisions. This not only leaves them less certain about which specialty to choose, but could also weaken their applications for the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS), the system that assigns students to residency positions.
Disruptions in clinical training may leave future residents less prepared for hands-on patient care. In addition, this reduced exposure to practical experience can affect the skills and confidence of upcoming doctors, potentially impacting the overall quality of care they provide and placing additional strain on the current healthcare system. Kara also clarified that although the FMEQ supports the FMSQ and FMOQ, they cannot support an unlimited teaching strike. The potential consequences on graduation timelines, CaRMS eligibility, and clinical training are significant. While students express strong support for the FMSQ’s position and urge the government to resume negotiations, they oppose any indefinite strike that would compromise their education.
To further highlight their concerns, medical students from across Quebec held another protest outside the National Assembly on October 1. According to Robin White, a first-year medical student at McGill, around a hundred students participated in the protest in Quebec City. Shuttle buses were arranged by the FMEQ to allow Montreal students to take part in the demonstration.
“We were chanting and some cars supported us by honking,” White said. “I think we definitely had a bigger impact at the parliament than in Montreal. One of the school’s presidents also mentioned that he was meeting with some people from the parliament in the afternoon to negotiate.”
“What worries me the most with Bill 106 is how it will affect the treatment of patients,” explained White. “From what I’ve seen, twenty minutes is already not enough time for most patients, so I can’t even imagine what would happen if physicians have less time than that. I also can’t imagine how the protest is affecting upper years who are doing their clerkship. I want to support them and help as much as I can.”
“I agree with the demands of the physicians, because you can’t offer treatments based on quotas,” said a medical student who chose to remain anonymous. “As first-year medical students, we are not as affected by the teaching strike because our lectures are recorded, yet I understand the stress that upper-level students feel with the ongoing strike.”
As of recently, the FMSQ and FMOQ are in mediation with the government, but it remains unclear how the situation will develop. University officials are preparing for various possible outcomes. One scenario sees the current pressure measures lifted, allowing medical teaching to continue as usual. Another scenario anticipates that the FMSQ’s pressure tactics will persist, with the possibility
that the FMOQ could direct its members to suspend teaching and supervision of medical students for an indefinite amount of time. As the suspension of teaching activities persists, upper-year medical students face growing anxieties regarding their futures. The clock is ticking.
“The healthcare system is already challenging to navigate. Putting additional pressure on doctors won’t help patients, it will only make things harder to access,” said an anonymous protester. “I hope the government and physicians can reach a fair compromise on Bill 106. It’s important that doctors have the opportunity to make their concerns heard, but I also hope that medical students won’t be forced to suffer the consequences of this dispute any longer than they have to. We need a solution that addresses the issues without compromising our education.”