Medical Officer in Québec

As a member of the military, Medical Officers provide primary health care services for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, whether at a Canadian Forces Health Services Clinic or overseas in support of peace support, combat or humanitarian missions.

The primary responsibilities of a Medical Officer are to:

• Lead a clinical team of highly trained professionals;
• Promote health protection and education;
• Provide primary health care;
• Promote occupational health and safety;
• Provide medical support to operations;
• Practice environmental medicine, including aviation and hyperbaric medicine (following additional training).

Medical Officers may serve anywhere that CAF members are based. They work in fully equipped medical clinics, whether at a base or garrison, or in a temporary clinic while supporting operations. Their first four years following training is usually spent working in one location, within Canada. Office space and support services are provided by the CAF.

If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part-time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

Entry plans include:

• Direct Entry Options
• Paid Education Options

If you already have a medical degree and an unrestricted licence to practice family medicine in a Canadian province or territory, the CAF may place you directly into one of the military clinics following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.

The Specialist Officer Training Plan (SOTP) covers tuition fees and educational expenses, including books, instruments, supplies, student fees, and registration costs. Family medicine residents and students already enrolled in a recognized Canadian University Medical program may also be eligible for this training plan.

For the duration of your studies and residency, you receive full-time salary including medical and dental care, as well as vacation time with full-pay in exchange for working with the CAF for a period of time. Typically, candidates selected for this program attend university during the regular academic year and participate in additional military training during the summer months.

At the first available opportunity, you will complete Basic Military Officer Qualification training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Medical Officers take the Condensed Health Services Basic Military Officer Qualification Training which consists of two weeks of Distance Learning and four weeks of in-house training in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Topics covered include general military knowledge, the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the Forces, basic weapons handling, and first aid.

Medical Officers must complete the Common Health Services Officer (CHSO) course which is an eight-day e-learning course available on the Defence Learning Network (DLN). The CHSO course introduces Medical Officers to Canadian Armed Forces policies and procedures as well as HR management of military members and civilian personnel.

Medical Officers attend the Basic Medical Officer Course at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Center in Borden, Ontario, where they are introduced to the organizational structure and history of the Canadian Forces Medical Service and the unique circumstances of practicing military medicine.

Medical Officers may apply for the opportunity to specialize their medical practice in exchange for additional years of service. The CAF will subsidize the following medical specializations:

• Emergency medicine
• General Surgery
• Orthopaedic surgery
• Anaesthesiology
• Internal medicine
• Psychiatry
• Radiology
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

As they progress in their career, Medical Officers who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced training in various fields.

The role of the Canadian Forces Health Services Reserves is to provide trained personnel to support, augment and sustain Canadian Forces Health Services organizations for CAF operations and training activities, while building and maintaining links between the CAF and the local community.

As a health care professional in the Health Service Reserves, you must have an unrestricted licence to practise in your clinical field and have the ability to maintain clinical currency within your civilian workplace. This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada.

Reserve Medical Officers are required to complete a minimum of 14 days of service and/or training each year doing any of the following: acquiring and maintaining military skills, providing health care to military members, teaching, or attending field exercises to practice and/or provide medical care in a military operational environment.

Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. All members complete Basic Military Training, which covers topics such as rank structure, wearing a uniform, marching, firing a weapon for self-defence or defence of your patients, and surviving in a field environment.

Applicants must have a medical degree and an unrestricted licence to practise family medicine in a Canadian province or territory.