Hi everyone,

Happy New Year, I hope everyone had a restful winter break. I want to share some updates from the Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS). Here's a quick overview of what's coming up, there are more details below if something interests you.

Student Leadership Awards: Two scholarship deadlines are approaching this week. If you're eligible, I highly encourage you to apply!
National Wellness Challenge: A fun 4-week long challenge starts this week. It's easy to join and you could win some really cool prizes.
Student Initiative Grants: If you have an initiative or a project idea, consider applying. Applications are due February 1st, 2026.
Canadian Medical Student Conference: The annual conference will take place April 16-19th, 2026, in Ottawa, ON. This national gathering of medical students is a great opportunity to connect with peers, learn, and get involved.

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CFMS Student Leadership Awards

The CFMS is excited to announce two student leadership awards. Submit your applications by Thursday, January 15th at 11:59 pm PST.

CFMS-MD Financial Management Leadership Award

The CFMS and MD Financial Management want to recognize some of the passionate, dedicated and caring medical student leaders across Canada who have made innovative contributions to their schools and communities.
In recognition of their achievements, one student from each of the 15 member schools of the CFMS (and one independent member) will receive a Medical Student Leadership Award, consisting of:

A certificate of recognition
A cash prize of $2000

Apply here, until Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PST: https://forms.gle/WX1xRbVouWBiqapz7

CFMS Affinity Leadership Award

The CFMS Affinity Leadership awards recognize medical students who exemplify leadership in humanitarian contributions, particularly in addressing diversity and equity in medicine and have demonstrated advocacy in areas of racial, gender, and disability justice.
Three awards will be given, recognizing 1 student’s contributions in each of these areas

⁠Racial justice
⁠Gender justice
⁠Disability justice

In recognition of their achievements, three students will receive a CFMS Leadership Award, consisting of:

⁠A engraved trophy / certificate of recognition
A cash prize of $2000

Apply here, until Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PST: https://forms.gle/493hhWg9JnBbG9CZ7

The National Wellness Challenge (Jan 12 to Feb 8)

The National Wellness Challenge (NWC) is a four-week, Canada-wide initiative promoting wellness among medical students. Each week focuses on a different area of well-being:

Week 1: Mental & Social Health
Week 2: Nutritional Wellness
Week 3: Physical Health
Week 4: Financial Health

All Canadian medical students can participate by registering individually and completing simple, achievable weekly challenges, like sharing a song that lifts your mood, making a smoothie, taking public transit, or stretching. Participants can choose to share their completed challenges on social media using #CFMSwellnesschallenge and tagging @CFMS_FMEC, or by submitting photos through Google Drive if they prefer not to use social media.

At the end of each week, participants must submit a quick Google form to track completed challenges and earn entries into weekly prize draws. The more challenges you complete, the more chances you have to win! Join us in building healthier habits and connecting with medical students nationwide.

CFMS Student Initiative Grants (SIGs) - Apply Now!

The CFMS Student Initiative Grants (SIG) provide funding to support medical student-led projects, from educational and charitable initiatives to social events that connect students across schools. SIG funding helps projects get off the ground, with Tier 1 supporting medium-to-large initiatives (up to $3,000) and Tier 2 supporting small-to-medium initiatives (up to $1,500). The SIG application is already open and the deadline is February 1st, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. Learn more about SIGs here.

Canadian Medical Student Conference 2026

The annual Canadian Medical Student Conference will take place April 16-19th, 2026, in Ottawa, ON. This annual gathering of medical students from across the country offers an excellent opportunity to connect with peers, discuss important issues, network, and build your skills. The registration deadline is February 28th, 2026. If you require travel funding, you can apply for the CFMS-MDFM Travel Equity Fund, which closes January 25th, 2026 at 11:59pm PST. More information about the event can be found here.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me by email or on Teams.

Sincerely,

Annie

Annie Jiang (she/her)

Vice-Stick External Jr., Manitoba Medical Students' Association (MMSA)

Max Rady College of Medicine

University of Manitoba

jianga@myumanitoba.ca