Frequently Asked Questions You’ve Got Questions and We’ve Got Answers
Have a question? Search PARA’s frequently asked questions for quick answers about your Resident Physician Agreement, member benefits, and available supports. From duty hour limits and leave entitlements to health and dental coverage, our searchable FAQ makes it easy to find the information you need, when you need it.
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The Agreement uses Academic year and Appointment year for different articles and when benefits will reset. It is important to understand which applies to the article.
Academic Year
The Academic Year for residency training means the twelve (12) month period as defined by the Faculties, this is generally July to June.
The Academic Year applies to:
• Health and Dental Benefits- each academic year residents will receive $1,000.00 flex credits to allocate regardless of PGY advancement.
• Named holidays- each academic year residents will receive $1,000.00 flex credits to allocate regardless of PGY advancement.
• Winter Break each academic year residents will receive $1,000.00 flex credits to allocate regardless of PGY advancement.
• Practice stipend- All Resident Physicians shall receive one (1) taxable Practice Stipend for each year of active residency training
Appointment year
The Appointment Year refers to the time period each Resident Physician spends at each postgraduate level as defined by the Faculty Letter of Engagement (see Article 6.01). The Appointment Year may have different start and end dates from the Academic Year
• Vacation allotment – Resident Physicians are entitled to twenty (20) days of paid vacation time per Appointment Year.
• Sick days -Resident Physicians shall be provided paid leave and health benefits, as defined in Article 32: Health Benefits, for illness or non-occupational injury for a total of up to ninety (90) days for each Appointment Year
• Personal days – all Resident Physicians shall be entitled to four (4) personal days off each Appointment Year without loss of pay.
• Salary – Resident Physicians shall advance to the next pay level upon completion of twelve (12) months of service in an Alberta residency training program at each pay level. Periods of continuous absence greater than thirty (30) days shall not count towards completion of twelve (12) months of service.
Resident physicians can apply for special licensing which will allow them to work extender (moonlighting) shifts. PARA is not involved in the scheduling or oversight of residents working these shifts. However, residents working Extender shifts must not work more combined call and extender shifts than stated in the Agreement. For example, a resident that is scheduled five in-house call shifts can work two additional shifts as an extender as the call maximum is seven in-house shifts per block.