FMRQ awareness campaign - Intimidation is infectious. Let's fight it together

MONTREAL, Jan. 27, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - "The Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec is today launching its second intimidation awareness campaign," stated FMRQ President, Dr Annie Trépanier. "Twenty years after the first campaign, carried out in 1996," she went on, "intimidation and bullying in all their forms continue to undermine medical training sites, despite the constant efforts that are made to educate colleagues and co-workers in our training sites, she added. We need to react and work together to fight this resistant infection".

According to Dr Trépanier's colleague, Dr Christopher Lemieux, FMRQ Secretary and Chair of the FMRQ Resident Wellness Committee, "45% to 50% of Canadian medical residents said they had been victims of harassment, intimidation or mistreatment in various forms during their residency. A Canadian study conducted in 2008 reported that the sources of abuse are numerous: nurses (55%), supervising physicians (42%), medical residents themselves (26%) and patients (45%). These statistics clearly show that everyone can be a potential victim or perpetrator of bullying."

Since 1996, many awareness-raising activities have been staged by the FMRQ at various levels, in particular through the Health and Wellness Tour it has organized for teaching physicians and medical residents since 2003. "The campaign we are launching today," Dr Trépanier stressed, "is intended to bring together all health system stakeholders, healthcare establishment personnel, medical faculties, and medical federations, and to invite them to pay special attention to the manifestations of intimidation in their respective workplaces, so we can wipe out this scourge."

Many activities are planned over the coming year, along with posters, a brochure, and newsletters on the issue. In addition, the FMRQ will be holding a Symposium on Intimidation on May 20, 2016, to identify lasting solutions that will involve different system stakeholders. Indeed, Dr Lemieux believes that reporting bullying is not the sole solution. In his view, we must also value positive role models, those whose little daily gestures and actions enhance the work environment. "Through this campaign," he stated, "we also hope to make known some positive role models in our training sites, individuals who, sometimes without even realizing it, contribute to improving medical residents' work and learning environment." Dr Lemieux noted that the FMRQ's proposed approach is inclusive, aimed at bringing people together. "Everyone is affected by intimidation and bullying," Dr Lemieux concluded. "So everyone has to get involved, at every level." He pointed to the slogan spearheading the campaign throughout the year: Intimidation is infectious. Let's fight it together.

Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec
The Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec is made up of the four medical residents' associations of the medical faculties of the University of Montreal, McGill University, the University of Sherbrooke and Laval University in Quebec City. It has some 3,800 members, of whom one quarter are headed for a practice in family medicine. The others are pursuing training in one of the 53 other specialties recognized in Quebec. Of that number, 39% are men and 61% are women. The duration of postgraduate education in family medicine is two years, while for specialized physicians it varies from five to six years, depending on the specialty chosen.

N.B. You may access the FMRQ's position statement on intimidation at the following address:

In English :  http://fmrq.qc.ca/files/documents/bf/b9/fiche-intimidation-fmrq-positionstatement.pdf 
In French : http://fmrq.qc.ca/files/documents/4f/03/fiche-intimidation-fmrq-enonceposition.pdf

SOURCE Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec

For further information: Source: Dr Annie Trépanier, FMRQ President, Dr Christopher Lemieux, FMRQ Secretary and Chair, FMRQ Resident Wellness Committee; Information and interviews: Johanne Carrier, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Fédération des médecins résidents du Québec, Cell: 514-591-0502, Office: 514-282-0256 or 1-800-465-0215, Email: [email protected]