Student and Resident Orientation Guide

Welcome to the Medical Profession

Congratulations on choosing a career in medicine. As a physician, you will have the opportunity to have a significant impact on your community and in the lives of your patients.

Your medical studies and residency are the first steps towards a long and fulfilling career, and the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS) is here to support you every step of the way.

Who We Are

Founded in 1867, the NBMS is the professional association representing all physicians in New Brunswick.

The NBMS has a two-pronged mission: to represent and serve physicians and to advocate for the health of New Brunswickers. We led the implementation of electronic medical records in New Brunswick, the promotion of team-based health-care delivery, and a variety of public preventative care campaigns including It’s your choice. Know the risks. and 5-2-1-0 A Way Of Life.

All physicians practising in New Brunswick must be registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick and be members of the NBMS.

The NBMS offers free membership to all New Brunswick medical students and post-graduate residents attending accredited medical schools.

When you become a member of the NBMS, you also join the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) at no cost. These two memberships provide access to a wide variety of programs and benefits.

We have a range of services to assist you at all stages of your medical career. This guide outlines the services designed for students and residents.

Medical Students

New Brunswick has two medical training programs: Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, located at the University of New Brunswick campus in Saint John; and Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, located at the Université de Moncton (delivered in partnership with the University of Sherbrooke). Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick accepts 40 students per year. Centre de formation médicale accepts 28 students annually.

New Brunswick also sponsors medical school seats at Université Laval and Université de Montréal.

Financial Assistance

The New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation offers financial support to medical students. Please visit their website for more information.

Future of Medicine

During the first few weeks of your first year of medical school in New Brunswick, the NBMS will host Future of Medicine receptions in Moncton and Saint John to welcome new medical students and help them build connections with other medical learners and local physicians.

Student Leadership Award

The Student Leadership Award is awarded to students who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment and dedication within
and/or outside the medical community.

The award is presented during our Celebration of Medicine event each fall.

Residents

As a medical resident you are eligible to receive the benefits and services of the NBMS and CMA. However, for this part of your medical career your collective agreement and employment interests are represented by various associations:

These associations negotiate on your behalf to create collective agreements that outline your remuneration, benefits, and rights.

When you become a practising physician, the NBMS will negotiate on your behalf as part of the Physician Master Services Agreement.

Financial Assistance

The Province of New Brunswick offers bursaries to medical residents in their last two years of residency. For more information, click here.

The province also offers medical residents who want to start their practice in New Brunswick some financial incentives depending on their practice location and specialty. To learn more about which incentives apply to you, visit the Department of Health at www.gnb.ca/health.

Iype/Wilfred Resident Award

The NBMS celebrates excellence in medicine at all stages of a medical career. The Iype/Wilfred Resident Award is awarded to residents who have demonstrated outstanding achievement during their residency training in New Brunswick. More specifically, this award recognizes achievements in research, professionalism, compassion, and caring.

The award is presented during our Celebration of Medicine event each fall.

NBMS Programs and Benefits

Whether you are a first-year medical student or in the last year of your residency, the NBMS offers a variety of services and benefits to support you in your personal and professional life.

NBMS Wellness

NBMS Wellness is a free, confidential service for physicians, residents, students, and their family members who are in need of assistance.

NBMS Wellness provides support to members and their families who may be coping with the demands of practice, relationships, addiction, and other mental health or life challenges.

NBMS Wellness offers tailored counselling solutions delivered by an extensive qualified network of counsellors in communities across the
province. NBMS Wellness also offers peer-to-peer support and assistance in matching physicians with a family doctor though our MD4MD program.

For more information or to access NBMS Wellness services, please contact Meaghan Sibbett, NBMS Wellness Manager, at (506) 875-6749 or msibbett@nbms.nb.ca.

Virtual Community Hospital Program

Partnership with Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine

The NBMS is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Dalhousie University Medicine to provide our members with access to the Nova Scotia Community Hospital Program’s weekly virtual presentations. These accredited presentations are now accessible to all New Brunswick physicians at no cost.

Partnership with Centre Formation Médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick and the University of Sherbrooke 

The NBMS is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Centre Formation Médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick and the Faculty of Medicine and Science of the University of Sherbrooke to provide virtual continuing professional development in French. NBMS members can now register, at no cost, to access the University of Sherbrooke’s Centre de formation’s roster of accredited webinars. Sessions are live and recorded for participation later. This program is offered only in French.

To learn more about the Virtual Community Hospital Program, click here.

Allied Partners

  • OMA Insurance: Physicians are eligible to obtain a variety of insurance coverage through programs developed specifically for physicians. They are focused on offering physicians the right insurance solutions at the right time in their lives.
  • Wilson Insurance: You can receive physicians only discounts on home, auto, and group insurance products, life and disability insurance, and other products.
  • MD Financial Management: The only national financial services firm exclusively dedicated to the financial well-being of Canada’s physicians
    and their families.

Family Medicine New Brunswick

Family Medicine New Brunswick (FMNB) was created to improve access to primary care and enhance chronic disease prevention for New Brunswickers while improving the work-life balance of physicians through collaborative practice. The success of FMNB has the potential to strengthen the entire health-care system.

FMNB is a collaborative way of practising that will:

  • provide a compensation package – a blended capitation model – that is more responsive to patients’ needs;
  • improve the recruitment of family physicians;
  • provide New Brunswickers with better access to family physicians; and
  • allow family physicians to work as a group and have more time for patient care.

Key principles of the program:

  • patients formally sign up with their family physician and become a rostered patient;
  • each FMNB group shares their patient’s information with the care team via a joint EMR;
  • nursing services are integrated, which allows better access to care;
  • participating clinics will provide extended hours of care;
  • the FMNB program offers a guaranteed income for a period of time to help you transition to the blended capitation model, as well as an annual efficiency stipend and reimbursement of EMR costs; and
  • customized support and practical tools are provided to help teams succeed with their improvement efforts.

To learn more about the Family Medicine New Brunswick model, click here.

Get Involved

By getting involved with the NBMS you can help shape the future of the medical field and the delivery of health care in New Brunswick. You can
participate on the Board of Directors as a student or resident representative, join an NBMS committee, or attend one of many events throughout the year.

You can also become involved in your region through your District Medical Society. The following is a list of NBMS District Medical Societies and their presidents:

Acadie-Bathurst (Bathurst, Caraquet, Tracadie)
Dr. Carl Boucher
Capital Region (Fredericton, Nackawic, Minto, Oromocto, Harvey)
Vacant
Carleton-Victoria (Upper River Valley)
Vacant
Kings County (Sussex)
Dr. Kendra Gilmore
Madawaska (Edmundston, Saint-Quentin)
Dr. Julie Castonguay
Miramichi (Doaktown, Renous)
Dr. Ronald Harebottle
Moncton & District (Moncton, Dieppe, Sackville, Shediac)
Dr. Emmanuel Maicas
Restigouche (Campbellton, Dalhousie)
Dr. Hristo Laevski
Saint John (Saint John, Grand Bay, Hampton, St. Martin’s)
Dr. Erin Demmings
St. Croix (Charlotte County)
Dr. Karim Janmohamed

Member Engagement

Physician Summit

The NBMS Physician Summit includes the annual general meeting (AGM), CME learning opportunities for physicians and the installation of the new President. Medical Learners are invited to take part in the event through the Ambassador Program, which provides funding for participants to attend free of charge by covering costs associated with travel, meals, and hotel for a limited number of medical studentsThe program also includes curriculum specific to medical learners. The application process for the Ambassador Program opens 30 days prior to the event.

Celebration of Medicine

The Celebration of Medicine event is held annually to recognize excellence in the medical profession and celebrate the achievements of physicians and medical learners in New Brunswick. The award ceremony includes the presentation of the Student Leadership Award, which is awarded to students who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment, and dedication within and/or outside the medical community as well as the Iype/Wilfred Resident Award, which is awarded to residents who have demonstrated outstanding achievements during their residency training in New Brunswick. More specifically, this award recognizes achievements in research, professionalism, compassion and caring. Medical learners are invited to attend the event free of charge.  

Engagement

The NBMS communicates with its student and resident members regularly through a quarterly newsletter for students called The Learner, a monthly eBulletin, President’s Letters, and other email. We also issue OPUSMD, a magazine published three times a year. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook (NB Docs) and Twitter (@nb_docs) where we advocate for and engage the public on preventative health-care campaigns.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Scott Harris, Member Engagement Specialist, at jscottharris@nbms.nb.ca or (506) 871-8904.