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Student Services and Regulations

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Health Sciences Student Services and Regulations

Student Advising

Student Advising

The Mission Statement of the University expresses the commitment to offer students the best education available. An essential component of this is the advising process. The active participation of students in the advising process is essential in order for them to access the full range of academic opportunities during their studies. They must be proactive in seeking meetings with advisors, professors, counsellors, and such to ensure that they receive the advice they need to meet their academic goals. It is their responsibility to inform themselves about the rules and regulations of the University faculty, and their program. With the students' cooperation, all advisors and counsellors will work together to help students throughout their program.

Students are responsible for the correctness and completeness of their records. While faculty advisors and staff are always available to give you advice and guidance, you are ultimately responsible for the completeness and correctness of your course selection, for your compliance with and completion of program and degree requirements, and for your observance of regulations and deadlines. It is your responsibility to seek guidance if in any doubt; misunderstanding or misapprehension will not be accepted as cause for dispensation from any regulation, deadline, program requirement, or degree requirement.

Your advisor

  • is a faculty or staff member with whom you can build a relationship to counsel you throughout the program;
  • can guide you with both academic and non-academic concerns;
  • is the person in your faculty or school with whom you can discuss any matter and to whom you may go for advice;
  • will provide ongoing advice and guidance on the program;
  • will assist you with workload management;
  • will assist you with guidance regarding career options or considerations;
  • will offer help managing academic situations during periods of personal, financial, or medical problems, by working with you to identify various possibilities and strategies for making informed decisions;
  • will communicate with other advisors within the University and, with your permission, serve as a direct link to other University resources.
Note for Nursing: See the advising structure in your Student Handbook or contact the Nursing Student Affairs Office.

Related Services

Please refer to Student Services – Downtown Campus or Student Services – Macdonald Campus for a list of services available to you.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Apr. 18, 2024) (disclaimer)

Language Policy

Language Policy for the Health Sciences

The official language of instruction for the McGill health sciences is English. Students should be aware that most of the clinical affiliation placements undertaken in the province of Quebec, including those in Greater Montreal, require proficiency in both English and French.

It is recommended that students who lack proficiency in English or French avail themselves of the opportunity to take an English or a French as a second language course, prior to or early in their program of studies. For more information, please refer to University Regulations & Resources > Undergraduate > General Policies and Information > Language Policy.

Note for Dentistry: The language of instruction at McGill University is English; dental students are expected to have a working knowledge of the English and French languages (comprehension, spoken, and written). All lectures and small groups are conducted in English.

D.M.D. students must also refer to mcgill.ca/ugme/mdcm-curriculum-joint-programs/starting-our-program-what-you-need-know/language-requirements.

Note for Dietetics Major, School of Human Nutrition: All placement sites within the McGill network are bilingual and require students to have, at a minimum, a working knowledge of both English and French. Proof of French proficiency is an admissions requirement.
Note for Medicine: The language of instruction at McGill University is English at the Montreal campus, and French at the Campus Outaouais. All lectures and small groups at the Montreal campus are conducted in English, but medical students are expected to have a working knowledge of the English and French languages. Due to early clinical exposure in bilingual settings, the student is also expected to have a working knowledge of the French language (comprehension, spoken, and basic written) from the outset of the M.D.,C.M. program. Consequently, alternative arrangements aimed at placing students in sites where a working knowledge of French is not required will not be made. Students may be assigned to a one-year integrated clerkship in Gatineau, Quebec (in French) and/or other rural locations. Assignment to clinical sites, including Gatineau, are made at the discretion of the UGME office.

M.D.,C.M. students must also refer to mcgill.ca/ugme/mdcm-curriculum-joint-programs/starting-our-program-what-you-need-know/language-requirements and mcgill.ca/ugme/policies-procedures/ugme-policy-language-proficiency.

Note for Nursing: The official language of instruction at McGill is English. In accord with McGill University's Charter of Students' Rights, students have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is graded. Students should be aware that most of the clinical affiliation placements undertaken in Quebec, including those in the greater Montreal, require proficiency in both English and French. As such, Nursing students are expected to have a working knowledge of the English and French languages. French language proficiency is a requirement for B.Sc.(N.) and Qualifying Year programs. For further information, please refer to mcgill.ca/nursing/apply.
Note for Physical and Occupational Therapy: All sites within the McGill network require students to have a working knowledge of both English and French. To be eligible for the most varied fieldwork experiences, students are required to prepare themselves to work in both languages. Students who do not speak French will have more limited clinical placement opportunities. This may result in delayed graduation from the program.

Proof of Proficiency in English

Proof of Proficiency in English

Applicants are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English if they meet one of the following conditions: their mother tongue/first language is English; or they have completed both Secondary V and a Diploma of Collegial Studies in Quebec; or they have studied for five or more years in an institution where English is the primary language of instruction.

All other applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English, using one of the following five options:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

    Most undergraduate programs require 90 (iBT; 577 for the PBT (paper-based test)). Some programs require higher or lower scores.

  • McGill Certificate of Proficiency in English

    For further information about the program, contact:

    • Department of Language and Intercultural Communication, School of Continuing Studies
    • 688 Sherbrooke Street West, 11th floor
    • Montreal QC H3A 3R1
    • Telephone: 514-398-1212, 514-398-1769
    • Email: language.conted [at] mcgill.ca
    • Website: mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/area-of-study/languages
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

    A band score of 6.5 or better.

  • University of Michigan English Language Test (MELAB)

    A minimum mark of 85%.

  • Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL)

    A minimum score of 4.

Proof of Proficiency in French

Proof of Proficiency in French

In the clinical settings in which much of our program delivery takes place, the ability to communicate proficiently in French is necessary to effectively learn and safely work with and support patients, families, and healthcare teams. French is essential to the successful completion of several Nursing degree programs. Details on the French proficiency admission requirements can be found here: mcgill.ca/undergraduate-admissions/french-proficiency.

Note for Physical and Occupational Therapy: French is the official language in Quebec and thus health and social services administered by the Ministry of Health are bound by the Charter of the French Language. All clinical teaching sites within the McGill catchment area require students to have a working knowledge of both English and French. In order to participate in the best and most varied fieldwork experiences, students must prepare themselves to work in both languages. Applicants who are not proficient in French are strongly urged to improve their French spoken and written communication skills before starting clinical placements. In order to provide essential and safe care to all patients within a Quebec-based healthcare setting, students must achieve an appropriate level of French before entering their respective health program’s clinical affiliations where they integrate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Applicants who are not proficient in French are strongly urged to improve their French spoken and written communication skills before starting clinical placements. In order to provide essential and safe care to all patients within a Quebec-based healthcare setting, students must achieve an appropriate level of French before entering their respective health program’s clinical affiliations where they integrate their knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

Details on the French proficiency admission requirements can be found on our website: mcgill.ca/spot/programs/admissions-0/language.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Sep. 26, 2023) (disclaimer)

Vaccination/Immunization Requirements for Health Sciences Programs

Vaccination/Immunization Requirements for Health Sciences Programs

A compulsory immunization program exists at McGill for students in the Health Sciences programs. Health Sciences students must start the immunization process as soon as they are accepted at McGill and must complete it well before they are permitted contact with patients. Entry into the McGill University Teaching Hospitals may be delayed if immunizations are incomplete according to the information provided by McGill's Student Wellness Hub.

Proof of immunity must be written and signed by either a nurse or a physician. For details, see the Vaccine Requirements For Health Care Programs at the Student Wellness Hub.

There are no exceptions to these requirements. Students who do not meet these requirements will be asked to withdraw.

Vaccination against other infectious diseases such as influenza may be required.

Current information indicates that there is a potential risk of transmission of Hepatitis B from practitioner to patients in the clinical dental setting. Therefore, applicants for the D.M.D. program, the General Practice Residency Program in Dentistry, and all Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery programs will be required to be tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen by the Student Wellness Hub. Applicants who test positive for Hepatitis B surface antigen will be tested for Hepatitis B “e” antigen and Hepatitis B viral DNA to help determine infectivity risk. If tests for either Hepatitis B “e” or Hepatitis B viral DNA are positive, the offer of acceptance will be withdrawn and registration in the program will not be completed.

Health Sciences students who think they might be infected or think they have been exposed to a blood-borne disease should be tested for any or all blood-borne pathogens.

Students who are seropositive for Hepatitis B, C, HIV, and/or any other blood-borne pathogens have an obligation to notify the Dean or Director of the school as soon as they know their serologic status. These students will be referred to the Service d’évaluation du risque de transmission d’infections hématogènes, a provincial service responsible for all infected workers, including medical students. This service will make recommendations to the students and Faculty based on current scientific knowledge and relevant guidelines and practices. Students must follow the recommendations of the Service. The Service may recommend restricting the practice of these students. Students who carry blood-borne pathogens may not be permitted to perform procedures involving needles, scalpels, or other sharp objects as this may pose a risk to patients and co-workers. This means that they may not be able to complete their clinical requirements and may be required to withdraw.

Applicants who know they are carrying blood-borne pathogens should consider carefully their intention to become healthcare workers and govern themselves accordingly.

Students involved in patient care who develop any contagious disease placing patients at risk must immediately discuss their condition with their superviser and they may be required to temporarily stop clinical activities. McGill University considers it important for Health Sciences students to fulfil their ethical obligation to patients by taking appropriate measures to minimize the transmission of disease.

Students will receive details of the immunization requirements with their acceptance package and at Vaccine Requirements For Health Care Programs at the Student Wellness Hub. Immunizations can be completed at the Student Wellness Hub, which operates during the summer.

For information on how to make an appointment at the Student Wellness Hub, see mcgill.ca/wellness-hub/hub-clinical-services/how-access-hub-clinical-services#Appointments.

Note: You must also refer to your specific faculty’s or school’s immunization section to be certain that all immunization requirements have been fulfilled.
Note for Medicine and Dentistry: M.D.,C.M. and D.M.D. students must also refer to Health & Safety section of UGME Policies & Procedures at mcgill.ca/ugme/academic-policies#healthsafety.
Note for Nursing: For a complete listing of requirements and deadlines for meeting these requirements in nursing, see mcgill.ca/nursing/students/student-portal/clinical.
Note for Physical and Occupational Therapy: Prior to starting their first clinical course, students must ensure that their immunization records are complete and that they have completed their mask fitting. Failure to do so will prevent students from starting their first clinical course in the professional master's program. Some vaccines may require you to follow immunisation schedules that last several months. Obtain the form to be completed from the McGill Student Wellness Hub, which allows students to submit their immunisation records directly to the Hub. Students must contact the Student Wellness Hub for a mask fitting appointment or attend announced group appointments. All supporting documentation regarding immunization must be submitted to the Student Wellness Hub. The Student Wellness Hub will provide students with cards that will attest the completion of the immunization requirements, and will contain information regarding mask fit. Cards will be provided to students upon immunization and mask fitting completion. Students are required to submit their card electronically by the third clinical seminar (submission details provided in Clinical Seminar 1).
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2024-2025 (last updated Apr. 18, 2024) (disclaimer)
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences—2024-2025 (last updated Apr. 18, 2024) (disclaimer)
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