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What is INCommunity?
INCommunity is a four‑week summer internship designed for pre‑clerkship medical students from Quebec’s four medical faculties. Led by the SCORP Committee (Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace) of the Quebec branch of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), the project has offered, since 2011, an immersion within community organizations and clinical settings working with marginalized populations in Montreal.
INCommunity serves five vulnerable populations, divided into “streams.” Through these five streams, interns engage in community‑based learning activities, clinical observation, and critical reflection on the social determinants of health. Among the other activities offered by INCommunity, interns also participate in weekly debriefings where they have the opportunity to reflect on their internship experience with their peers. Videoconferences and workshops with various physicians and health‑sector professionals are also provided. Finally, all interns are invited to the INCommunity summer conference, which brings together partners and community stakeholders.
By fostering meaningful encounters with committed organizations and professionals, INCommunity aims to develop cultural safety, advocacy, and social responsibility skills among future physicians, while raising awareness of the inequalities that shape community health.
streams and population targeted
Women in situations of vulnerability
Interns collaborate with organizations and health professionals supporting women facing violence, homelessness, socioeconomic challenges, or working in the sex industry. They explore the realities that influence these women’s health, safety, and access to services.
Migrant populations
Students engage with organizations and clinicians who support newly arrived individuals, refugees, or asylum seekers. They learn about the challenges related to accessing care, rights, and integration into a new social system.
Urban marginalized populations
This stream offers an immersion with people experiencing homelessness, poverty, social exclusion, or addictions. Interns observe the work of frontline workers and health professionals who support these populations.
Indigenous communities
Students learn from organizations and professionals working with Indigenous communities, either in urban settings or directly within communities and reserves. They develop an understanding of the cultural, historical, and structural issues that shape Indigenous health.
Incarcerated individuals
This stream allows students to explore the realities of people who are incarcerated or reintegrating into society. They observe challenges related to access to care, stigma, and life trajectories shaped by the judicial system.
Internship Periods and Locations
Four weeks between June and August
We offer two internship periods of four weeks each between June and August. Exact dates may vary from one edition to the next. Each intern is assigned to only one four‑week internship period.
Part‑time Schedule
Our internships require approximately 17 to 20 hours per week over four weeks. Interns have enough time to pursue other projects and enjoy their summer while completing the internship. We ask interns to attend all scheduled internship activities. A limited number of justified absences may be granted to each intern.
Internship Locations
All internships take place in the Greater Montreal area. Financial compensation for travel may be offered to interns who must commute outside Montreal as part of their internship. Interns are fully responsible for their transportation to the internship site.
Internship settings include community clinics, hospitals, community centers, and other environments specific to each stream (correctional facilities, Indigenous reserves, etc.).
Eligibility Criteria
Medical Students in Quebec
All students enrolled in the preparatory year or in the pre-clinical stage of the MD program at any Quebec university faculty at the time of the internship are eligible. This is the only mandatory admission criterion required to apply.
Additional Criteria to Consider
Availability: Internships require an average of 17 to 20 hours per week for four consecutive weeks during the summer. Out of respect for the efforts and extensive work carried out by the coordination team throughout the year, please ensure you can commit to the full duration of the internship. A limited number of justified absences are granted.
Students in the clinical stage of the MD program rarely have enough availability to meet all internship hours, which is why they are not eligible.
Limited number of positions: Our internships can accommodate approximately 30 interns, with about 3 interns per period per stream. The number of interns may vary from one edition to another depending on the hosting capacity of our partners.
Selection Process
First Round of Offers
The administrative team (national coordinator and project assistant) conducts an initial selection based on the candidates’ CV and motivation. According to each candidate’s preferred streams, their anonymized CV and application form are sent to the coordinators of their top three choices. Stream coordinators then make the final selection for their respective stream. As a result, candidates have a higher chance of being admitted to one of the three streams listed at the top of their preference order.
Waitlist
All candidates not selected during the first round are placed on the waitlist. Each stream maintains its own waitlist, and a candidate may appear on multiple lists. The waitlist is not disclosed to INCommunity participants and remains open until the beginning of the second internship period.
goals & Mission
Training engaged and socially responsible physicians
Providing medical students with immersive learning experiences within marginalized communities to foster a medical practice grounded in empathy, equity, social justice, and interprofessional collaboration.
Strengthening ties between medicine and community organizations
Building sustainable partnerships with organizations working with migrants, Indigenous peoples, women in vulnerable situations, justice‑involved individuals, and people living with addictions, in order to promote care that is better adapted to real‑world needs.
Promoting a health approach centered on dignity, inclusion, and the reduction of inequalities
Raising awareness within the medical community about the social determinants of health and supporting initiatives that uphold the dignity, safety, autonomy, and voices of people living on the margins of traditional care systems.
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