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Eligibility

1. In order to be eligible to nominate and become part of the Leadership Circle, the individual must be an Indigenous medical student and Member of IMSAC in good standing.

2. In order to be eligible to vote in an election, an individual must be a Member of IMSAC in good standing.

 

Elections of Leadership circle Members

1. An Electoral Officer will be appointed by the Leadership Circle before the commencement of the election period. 

2. The Electoral Officer will be responsible for calling for nominations and running an election. The Electoral Officer will provide candidates and voting members with information on the elections and all associated procedures. 

3. Elections will occur annually between March and April for the following positions (7): Co-Chairs (2), Director of Finance, Director of Medical School Engagement, Director of Communications Internal, Director of Communications External,  and French Language Promotion Director. 

4. The Honorary Doctorate member, IPAC Representative, CFMS Representative, and Past Co-Chair will be appointed by the Leadership Circle. 

5. The positions are held for 12 months starting October 1 of the year they were elected.

6. Nomination Procedures:

   1. Nominations will be through self-nomination.

   2. An individual can run for a maximum of one position in each of the two positional groups for a total of 2 positions.

      1. Group A: Co-Chairs 

      2. Group B: Director of Finance, Director of Community Engagement, Director of Communications Internal, Director of Communications External, French Language Promotion Director

   3. Candidates must complete and submit the nomination documents to the Electoral Officer before the closure of the nomination period.

   4. The Electoral Officer will send out a minimum of two (2) calls for nominations in advance of an election. The nomination period will be open for a minimum two weeks to receive nominations. 

      1. If only one (1) nomination is received at the close of the second call for nominations, a vote of confidence will be held for that position, in which voters have the option of voting for the candidate to be elected to that position or for the position to remain unfilled. 

      2. If more than one (1) nomination is received, the Electoral Officer will arrange an online election for all Members. 

      3. If no (0) nominations are received the nomination period for that position will be extended by a minimum of 24 hours.

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Elections Procedure

1. The order of elections will be as follows: the election for positions in Group A will be conducted first, followed by the election for positions in Group B. In the event a candidate is on the ballot for multiple positions and is successful in their candidacy in one of the prior Groups’ election, they will be removed from the ballot for all other Groups’ elections

2. Elections will be conducted using a proportional and ranked-choice voting system.  Members will be asked to identify which school they belong to and then asked to rank candidates on a secret ballot based on their preferences from 1-n, where n equals the number of candidates running for a position. (Ie, if three candidates are running for a position, voters will rank the candidates from 1-3 based on their preference for who to fill a position). 

3. The total vote weighting will be equally distributed to the 17 medical schools in Canada and each member will vote as a delegate of their school with their vote contributing to the voting share allocated to their school. If there are no member votes cast from students at a medical school the voting share from that medical school will be equally redistributed to the medical schools with voting members.

4. A candidate must receive 50% plus one vote of first preference in ranked ballots in order to be elected. In the event a candidate does not receive 50% plus one vote on an initial vote, the candidate who receives the lowest amount of votes will be removed from the slate and the vote will be recast. This process will continue until one candidate receives 50% plus one vote. In the event one candidate does not receive 50% plus one of the votes and two candidates are tied in receiving the lowest number of votes, a coin will be filled to determine which candidate will be removed from the slate prior to voting continuing. In the event only two candidates are remaining on the ballot and both receive 50%, the Electoral officer will cast a vote to break the tie. 

5. Candidates will be declared elected by receiving a 50% (fifty percent) plus 1 (one) vote of all who voted. Results will be communicated by the Electoral Officer via email to all Members within 48 hours following the end of the election voting period.

 

Appeals and By-Elections

1. Appeals

   1. A candidate or Member may appeal election results within seven (7) calendar days of the announcement of results. Appeals should be made in writing to the Electoral Officer who will solely collect the necessary information regarding the appeal and issue a decision on the matter.  

2. By-elections

   1. Should a Leadership Circle position not be filled or become vacant, a by-election will be held.

   2. The by-election nomination and election procedure will follow Article V.

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Duties and Responsibilities of IMSAC Leadership Circle Positions:

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Co-Chairs (2)

1. Represent and speak on behalf of the IMSAC.

2. Call meetings, chair, and plan the agenda for council meetings. 

3. Oversee all IMSAC events and committees. 

4. Act as a support to other council roles as needed.

5. Has co-signing authority on all financial transactions with the VP Finance.

6. Responsible for overseeing IMSAC bylaws and governance. 

7. Coordinate initiatives across the country. 

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Director of Finance

1. Has co-signing authority on all financial transactions with the Co-Chairs. 

2. Maintains accounting records and provides quarterly budget reports.

3. Pursues external funding opportunities and sponsorship from partners. 

4. Facilitates reimbursements and keeps record of all expenditures. 

 

Director of Medical School Engagement

1. Serve as the primary liaison between IMSAC and Indigenous student representatives at medical schools across Canada.

2. Support and coordinate the activities of medical school reps, ensuring consistent communication and engagement with IMSAC initiatives.

3. Facilitate sharing of local events, needs, and opportunities to promote collaboration and uplift Indigenous medical student voices nationally.

4. Collaborate with the IMSAC executive team to identify and address systemic issues affecting Indigenous learners at the institutional level.

5. Assist in the planning and promotion of national events, campaigns, and wellness initiatives relevant to Indigenous medical students.Works with university-specific Indigenous medical student associations.

 

Director of Communications - Internal

1. Takes minutes at all council meetings and distribution of minutes after meetings.

2. Responsible for guiding internal and external communication for IMSAC.

3. Responsible for ensuring accuracy of the IMSAC membership list.

 

Director of Communications - External

1. Manages the public profile and social media of the IMSAC including the IMSAC website.  

2. Advocates for the IMSAC members’ needs to external organizations.

3. Development of IMSAC-related marketing materials (promotional posters, branding, etc.)

 

French Language Promotion Director 

1. Represent and advocate for the unique needs and experiences of Francophone Indigenous medical students across Canada.

2. Support the development and translation of IMSAC resources, communications, and initiatives into French to improve accessibility.

3. Promote engagement and outreach to Francophone Indigenous learners, particularly in Québec and bilingual programs

4. Collaborate with other IMSAC representatives to ensure cultural and linguistic diversity is reflected in national programming and advocacy.

5. Assist in organizing or supporting bilingual events, workshops, or communications as needed.

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