Policy on absences

Residents and fellows in training at the MHI are entitled to four weeks' vacation per year, ten days of conference time, seven study days for exams and 9.6 sick days. A resident or fellow who wishes to be absent is required to fill out a form provided for this purpose.

The form must be duly and legibly completed and should include the individual's name and given name, the department or service affected by the absence, the date(s) of the absence and the reason for it. A different form is required for each rotation. If an absence covers two different rotations, the individual must fill out one form for each.

Absences due to illness must be immediately reported to the administrative office of the MHI teaching division and to the offices of the department or service where the individual is pursuing his or her rotation.

Absence authorization process:

1. Fill out the form in a legible manner, specifying the reason(s) and date(s) of the absence.
2. Secure approval for the absence from the rotation supervisor and the resident coordinator or his/her assistant.
3. Duly signed forms must then be forwarded to the teaching division at the MHI a minimum of two months (eight weeks) before the date of the absence. The MHI cannot guarantee that it will authorize an absence requested any later than this.
4. As soon as the forms are received, the director of teaching reviews them for final approval. A copy of the accepted form or an email memo is then forwarded to the resident, department or service concerned, and to the resident coordinator.
5. All forms received less than eight weeks before the absence may be refused. Under no circumstances are absences for vacations, conferences or studies allowed without final approval from the director of teaching.
6. Urgent absences are evaluated on a case per case basis.

The Absence authorization form is available in French only.