Latest News

a, Science & Technology

McGill researchers examine global increase in placebo effectiveness

by Stephanie Fehertoi on

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Placebo, latin for “I will please,” refers to the psychological effect in which a fake treatment, such as an inactive sugar pill, receives positive results from patients simply because they believe it is helping them. In order for a drug to be first approved for the market, it must pass a clinical trial in which its often tested against a placebo to observe its effectiveness. 

A recent study from McGill University has confirmed what many researchers have been speculating—that the placebo response in clinical trials has been increasing over the years, but the effectiveness of the drugs has remained relatively stable; however, this seems to be a rather American phenomenon, as the trend was only observed in the U.S.  This “massive interaction with geography” was something no one had looked into before, according to Dr. Jeffrey Mogil, professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill, and one of the authors of the study. 

“It wasn’t a surprise that the placebo response was increasing—everyone thinks it’s increasing,” Mogil said. “The surprise was that this was only happening in the U.S.” 

The study, published in the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, was the first to analyze all of the data from previous studies that had looked into placebo response for neuropathic pain treatment. The team of researchers studied 84 individual clinical trials in neuropathic pain patients, in which 92 different drugs were compared to a placebo. They analyzed data only from randomized double-blind controlled trials, published from 1990 to 2013. While drug responses have remained stable, the placebo responses increased steadily, making the drug appear less effective than it actually might be. 

Placebo response ends up being the most significant factor affecting trial outcome, and many of these clinical drug trials fail as a result. Indeed, the study showed that by 2013, drugs produced only 8.9 per cent more analgesia (the loss of the ability to feel pain) than the placebo, compared to 27.3 per cent in 1996. Considering that pharmaceutical companies can spend up to $1 billion dollars in research and development, failing a clinical trial simply due to increased placebo response is troubling. 

Researchers also found that sample size and study length are positively correlated with placebo responses in the U.S., more so than personal characteristics of participants, such as age or sex. Essentially, the larger and longer the trial, the larger the placebo response. Indeed, U.S. clinical trials have increased in size and length over the years, significantly more than their Asian and European counterparts.

Longer trials may feature more “nonspecific therapeutic effects,” such as social support, education, and friendlier behaviour and attention from the staff, which can impact patients’ expectations about the drug treatment. Larger trials may also have relaxed eligibility criteria, so the type of people available or able to get into trials in the U.S. may differ from those elsewhere, resulting in different patient characteristics and interactions. This includes potential bias from patients paid or chosen to participate in the study, which can also result in higher expectations about the effect of the drug treatment.

U.S. pharmaceutical companies may be more likely to use for-profit companies to run and oversee their clinical trials. Despite disagreement from his co-workers, Mogil believes that because contract-research organizations (CROs) want more business from pharmaceutical companies for future studies, it is in their best interest to have the patients be as content as possible during the trials. 

“I personally believe it’s about non-specific factors,” Mogil argued. “[That] there’s something different about the patient experience in a clinical trial run at a CRO than the patient experience in a clinical trial run the way they used to be done, in hospitals and academic labs.”

If this is the case, then perhaps stricter eligibility criteria, patient regulation, or different trial methods altogether should be considered in order to reduce the effect of placebo response. 

“I think the simple thing is that, if this is true, then we need to have a little conversation about whether the trial process is still working or whether it might be broken,” Mogil said.

a, McGill, Montreal, News

Roxane Gay discusses identity, criticism, and feminism

by Catherine Wang on

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Roxane Gay, professor, editor, and author of Bad Feminist, spoke this Thursday in a public conversation with McGill PhD candidate Rachel Zellars. The two engaged in dialogue on subjects such as Gay’s Haitian-American identity, her responses to criticism, and how they have impacted her experience and viewpoints as a feminist writer. 

Zellars began by referencing a recent op-ed piece that Gay had written for the New York Times. The piece was a response to the death of Samuel Dubose, an unarmed African-American man shot dead by police this past summer, and Gay shared her thought process for the article.

“I feel these compulsions when these horrific crimes happen, and before I know it, I’m at my computer,” Gay said. “At the same time that Samuel Dubose was murdered, especially in the United States, everyone was talking about Cecil the Lion­—who was murdered in Zimbabwe I believe—and he was killed by a dentist. And everyone was mourning the lion, and saying ‘oh, what a tragedy,’ […] and that’s true […] but we had more cultural empathy for a lion than we did for a man.”

Gay continued to discuss the importance of nuance in many of the issues she writes about in her essays, and how she believes her multi-ethnic identity allows her to better understand these grey areas. 

“I think that one of the biggest challenges that we face in contemporary discourse is that no one’s interested in nuance,” Gay said. “I really do believe in looking at both sides of an issue, and trying to understand both sides […] and we don’t do that enough. We don’t acknowledge that people who disagree with us might, once in awhile, have merits to their arguments. I’m a Haitian-American, black woman who grew up in Nebraska. My whole life is a grey area […] I have this string of all these identities at once, and so that allowed me to see multiple sides of an issue.”

Citing Bad Feminist, Zellars asked Gay how women can nurture critical ,but not cruel relationships with other women. Gay explained the importance of taking criticism, and spoke to her own experience learning to do so as a female writer. 

“I wouldn’t even limit it to women,” Gay said. “I think human beings have a really difficult time being critical without being cruel. We have to overcome this lesser part of our nature in order to really be able to give criticism, and more importantly to be able to receive it  [….] I’m getting better at it, but I think it’s hard, because when you’re a woman who dares to write and publish opinions, you get told that you’re trash all day long. I have to counteract that nonsense with an overinflated sense of self, just to balance [that out….] So I’m working on learning to be wrong sometimes.” 

Gay concluded by stressing the importance of media literacy, another subject she claimed is not properly addressed in modern society. For Gay, enjoying problematic media is fine when readers remain critical and informed about its implications, but she believes the effect of its uninformed consumption is detrimental.

“That’s why I think we need to teach media literacy,” Gay said. “We don’t talk about that enough [….] I think we need to start teaching media literacy as early as kindergarten […] I don’t think they need to know the lyrics to ‘Salt Shaker’ at five years old, but I do think one of the keys right now, one of the stop-gap measures, is media literacy.”

The James McGill Chair in Culture and Technology, Dr. Jonathan Sterne, presented Thursday’s event, in junction with Concordia Writer’s Read, and the Montreal-based bookstore and publishing company, Drawn & Quarterly.

“I agreed to co-sponsor [the event] because Gay is an important and inspiring black feminist voice,” Sterne said. “And Bad Feminist is a great book.” 

Zoe Koch, an artist living in Montreal, praised the event.

“[Gay] has complicated viewpoints, which I really respect and admire, and I really wanted to hear what she had to say,” Koch said. “I loved it. She […] really bridged that gap between what is really deep and dark and scary for us all to talk and think about [… with] what is funny and light.”

McGill University Arts Building
a, Opinion

Commentary: McGill spirit more than homecoming

by Emma Avery on

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Last week, McGill students might have pretended not to notice the one lonely person standing at the Y-intersection flaunting a poster for McGill homecoming in front of disinterested passing faces. Unsurprisingly, having a one-man promo team accosting students didn’t work. His words fell on deaf ears; nothing he could have said in his 30-second pitch would have convinced any passerby of his cause. To conclude that McGill suffers from a lack of school pride, however, would be unjustified. At McGill, a different kind of school culture develops that doesn’t depend on gathering with the rest of the school to support a common cause. It’s not better or worse—just different.

McGill pride, in a reflection of the impersonal institutional structure of the school, is based on finding individual niches. It is not a mass-movement; instead, it is individualized. The scene at the Y-intersection was a sad metaphor for the general lack of student interest in sport-related fanfare. It’s telling that the first line of the description in the Facebook event for McGill’s Homecoming read, “OAP IS BACK!!!!!!” in a not-so-subtle nod to the fact that cheap beers, burgers, and nostalgia for summer hold significant sway on the decisions of McGill student.

At McGill, a different kind of school culture develops […] It's not better or worse—just different.

Despite ongoing attempts to expand school spirit to sports by McGill Athletics and Recreation, the administration, and student groups such as Red Thunder (which plans various events on game days and allows members to attend varsity games for free), students outside of the athletics community just aren’t interested. The general sense of McGill pride simply has very little to do with school sports and the accompanying culture of tailgates, homecomings and school-wide displays of spirit.

Attendance at McGill varsity games is notoriously low. For students, this is not an issue of cost, nor is it that sports culture doesn’t exist at Canadian schools; at some schools homecoming is arguably the biggest event all year. Many McGill students will actually bus to Ontario for homecoming at Western or Queen’s. Apparently, paying to parade around small-town Ontario sporting colours for a school one doesn’t even go to is more fun than cheering on McGill’s own varsity teams right at home.

Yet the problem does not reside in the structure of athletics. McGill pride simply manifests itself in a different form. By virtue of living in Montreal, it is inherently tied to being a part of the wider city and everything it has to offer, even if for some this only consists of the comforts of the “McGill bubble.”

At McGill, students benefit from living in the heart of Montreal. They have their choice of concerts, clubs, bars, restaurants and other events all year long, so they don’t need the school to create entertainment. Of course, sometimes they will indulge their curiosities and travel to Ontario to see what all the hype is about, to see what life is really like on the other side—but we still wouldn’t be caught dead being mistaken for anything other than a McGill student.

At other universities, school-wide events such as homecoming might create an important and unique sense of kinship and make students feel tied to the larger community. Any student would attest to the fact that McGill students have just as much pride as any Western or Queen’s student does, but it’s a pride tied more to the ways in which McGill exists uniquely within the city of Montreal. It is the misfortune of McGill Athletics to be the casualty of this unique school culture and pride.

 

 

Emma Avery is a second year anthropology and urban systems student at McGill. Her favourite television show is (still) The Office.

 

@McGillTribOp | [email protected]

 

 
a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Redmen repeat as CCBA champions

by Elie Waitzer on

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McGill Redmen Baseball (23-6-1) defeated the Holland College Hurricanes 4-1 on Sunday to clinch their second consecutive Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) Championship. 

The victory marked McGill’s fifth overall national baseball title, having won three championships in the old Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA). This victory, however, was the first time the Redmen have defended their title. McGill entered the tournament as the team to beat—they won five straight games to close out the regular season—and lived up to their billing, capturing the banner without dropping a single game. 

After breezing through the first three games of the tournament, the Redmen dismantled the Carleton Ravens 11-1 in the semifinal to advance to the finals. Sophomore Rob Sedin, who was named tournament MVP and CCBA Northern Conference Pitcher-of-the-Year, led the way with a dazzling seven strikeout performance. Every Redmen batter recorded a hit in an offensive blowout that featured a seven-run third inning. In the championship game against Holland College, junior starter Adriano Petrangelo held the Hurricanes to just one run. It was all the Redmen would need as senior third baseman Zachary Aaron would deliver the go-ahead knock in the first on a two-run single. 

McGill outscored its opponents 35-8 over the five games, with only one game being decided by less than three runs. Senior shortstop Tyler Welence went two-for-four and scored twice. Sedin, Welence, rookie catcher Sam Groleau, and sophomore left fielder James Pavelick were all named to the all-tournament team. 

It’s easy to throw around the ‘dynasty’ label, especially in college sports, where key players are lost to graduation every season,  but this team has all the hallmarks of a true powerhouse.

a, Recipes, Student Life

Recipe: Indian cauliflower sweet potato soup

by Liz Willcock on

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If there’s anything to be learned at McGill, it’s that once midterm season hits, the last thing students want to do is cook for themselves. When faced with a full day of studying, even the prospect of making a sandwich to take to the library sounds taxing; it’s easy to rack up quite a bill at Subway, Quesada, and SNAX, trying to keep lunches as quick and as close to the library as possible. This recipe may look daunting, but give it a shot and it might actually save you time, and money.

This soup-verging-on-curry is stocked with cauliflower and sweet potato, and will fill you with enough energy to power through a long day of studying. It is hearty enough to sustain you—but more importantly, it keeps very well in the fridge, so you can whip up this soup on a Sunday night and eat it throughout the week. If you’re planning on bringing this soup to the library during weekdays, all you need to do is omit the spinach, then add it to each serving as you go—this prevents it from from getting soggy in the fridge. As you heat up the soup in the microwaves, the spinach should wilt perfectly. Better yet, this recipe is not only healthy, but it’s also vegan—a positive-sum game for both you, and the environment. Your mind and body will definitely thank you come November when you’ve swapped out burritos for this healthy, veggie-filled lunch. 

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1 tbs of olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbs of ginger, minced

1 1/2 tbs of curry powder

1 tbs of ground coriander

1 tbs of cumin

6 cups of vegetable broth

1 cup of dry red lentils (rinsed)

1 medium cauliflower chopped into thumb-sized florets

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 cups of spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium. Add onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.  

2. Add ginger, curry powder, cumin, and coriander, and stir for two minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the broth and lentils, and boil at medium heat until simmering.

4. Once simmering, add cauliflower and sweet potato. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add spinach and stir until wilted

6. Serve, or seal in BPA-free containers.

 

Inspired by Oh She Glows

a, Opinion

Confirmation bias on social media limits conversation

by Albert Park on

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Between Facebook posts, online publications, and Reddit threads, it is overwhelming to begin to imagine the amount of different opinions, ideas, and information a regular internet-user processes in a single day. Consequently, the digital age is heralded for supposedly allowing people to become educated on a broad assortment of topics and form unique opinions. However, some publications such as the CBC and The Guardian have argued that the sharing and gathering of information online, particularly through social media, is largely flawed because it leaves users susceptible to the effects of confirmation bias.

While social media has made it more effective for people to access different ideas and information, the current way in which many people use these websites makes them prey to confirmation bias and actually limits the variety of perspectives that they encounter due to the personalized and insular networks that are created.

Essentially, because of the way information-sharing works on social media—such as the Facebook news feed which mainly shows stories shared or liked by the user’s friends—people end up only finding and absorbing information which validates their own points of view or prior knowledge.

Through the like and up-vote systems that exist on Facebook and Reddit, people sharing an opinion can collectively try to bring attention to comments or posts that back-up their own ideas.

The issue of confirmation bias has become increasingly critical due to the way social media is fundamentally designed. It encourages people to create their own network of friends and peers whom they already have a common link with. Users of social media can actively decide the people, publications, or threads they want to follow on the internet, which in turn determine what kind of posts and information they read on a day to day basis. The natural outcome is that people end up following sources that will provide them with information that confirms their beliefs rather than question them.

This concept actually expands past individuals’ selection of information. Through the like and up-vote systems that exist on Facebook and Reddit, people sharing an opinion can collectively try to bring attention to comments or posts that back-up their own ideas. This system often perpetuates a cycle of linear thinking and self-validation. People naturally associate highly liked comments (which are algorithmically set to appear first) as credible. Even though these comments might provide narrow-minded or even inaccurate perspectives, many readers will take the information that they find on social media as unequivocal, and not feel the need to research further or critically debate the issue.

Consider the unofficial McGill subReddit, for example. Almost every thread containing a controversial issue posesses a very uniform collection of opinions. This issue was perhaps most evident during the women’s-only gym hours controversy last year. While it is understood that for any argument, there will be less-expressed minority perspectives, there was a clear lack of actual discussion or productive information presented in the threads. Instead, it seemed abundantly clear that the main purpose of these threads was for people to validate one another’s collective opinions and pile on ideas and evidence that support their beliefs. Any contradicting ideas are either absent or down-voted to near invisibility.

Social media systems perpetuate bias by making it more difficult for people to share their opinions on controversial issues. In practice, likes and up-votes essentially denote a value on people’s opinions. As a result, people feel more reluctant to share and cultivate their own thoughts in the fear of being dismissed or even harassed by the masses.

 

 

Albert Park is a third year microbiology and immunology student, and a staff writer for the Opinion section.

 

@McGillTribOp | [email protected]

 

 
a, Student Life

Midterm stress from both sides of the cafeteria counter

by Ariella Garmaise on

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With midterm season taking McGill campus in full force, student stress is reaching peak levels. Stress manifests in a variety of ways: Physical symptoms can include low energy, headaches, and insomnia, while mental symptoms can include irritation, feeling overwhelmed or depressed, and exhibiting withdrawn behaviour. One place where these symptoms  become most apparent are in McGill’s cafeterias.

With five dining halls and 18 retail locations—almost all of which serve coffee—McGill Food and Dining Services is at the centre of every student’s midterm season. From early morning cappuccino fixes to late night pastry cravings, sugar and caffeine fuel the long hours spent studying. Staff are integral to the smooth operating of these student spaces; however, the people that work there are often overlooked. 

Conversation between students and staff are often limited at food kiosks and checkout counters due to time constraints and long lineups.  Unfortunately, some McGill staff have grown accustomed to students rushing by as exams approach and stress-levels run high.  

“When [students’ exams] come, they’re so preoccupied with [them],” Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) cook, Angelo Calamita, explained. “So when [students] come to the cash, they’ve either got something in their ear, they’re talking to someone, looking for cash […and are] not organized at all.”

The tone of these interactions are most likely fuelled by the stressful period of the year.

“When I’m in the middle of studying for midterms, it’s easy to forget to say hi to the service staff,” said Declan Embury,  U0 Arts. “I feel bad about it sometimes, but there’s just so much else on my mind.” 

One of the most effective ways to counteract stress, however, is to open up and talk with peers about what one is going through. While there are services to deal with stress at McGill, university food staff are an under-appreciated and friendly resource for students. 

Kelsey Davis is a Royal Victoria College cafeteria staff and an archeology major. One of the most interesting parts of her job is that some students have in fact relied on her for solace. 

“I’ve had a few students break down to me because I’m not in their [friend] group,” Davis explained. “All their friends have scholarships or are good students, so they don’t feel they can talk to them.” 

Davis is an example of someone who understands the competition and stress that comes along with midterms and finals, and is able to offer insight. 

“There’s an air at McGill that you’re supposed to do well with the least amount of effort,” she said. “When that doesn’t work out for you, it can feel isolating.” 

Davis is not the only McGill food staff with valuable advice for students. 

“Some students come in here excited about passing,” Rachel Durand, a cashier at the Carrefour Sherbrooke cafeteria, said. “I like to see them doing well [….] It is so much better to see them happy than depressed, and it motivates me to work harder. It makes me happy to see them happy.” 

Tyrone Durand, a dish room employee at Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) added that simply lending a sympathetic ear can offer much-needed support to stressed-out students.

“I know around midterms and final exams, everyone gets nervous,” he added. “But realize you’re smart and everything is going to be okay.” 

Some students have already acknowledged the benefit of stepping out of a study mindset when grabbing a snack or a drink. 

“Everyday I look forward to seeing certain employees,” Liam O’Callaghan, U0 Engineering, said. “Besides food, they serve entertaining 30-second conversations that brighten my day.”

U0 Science student Tristan Sparks also remembered a time when McGill staff helped alleviate her anxiety. 

“A worker at BMH comforted me last week because I was having a panic attack over physics, and he’s a physics major,” she recalled.

While it takes time out of students’ busy study schedules to engage in conversations during these stressful times of year, both students and staff stand to benefit. Even just a short interaction can reduce stress levels among students and make staff feel appreciated and respected—a win-win situation for both parties. 

 

 

 

Chance the Rapper
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

From the Viewpoint: Chance the Rapper, Family Matters Tour

by Maxime Scraire on

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There is definitely something strange about showing up alone to a tour titled “Family Matters.” Not that everyone had brought their grandparents to the Olympia—as I was secretly hoping they would—but the title of the show insisted on celebrating the purest and most complete type of love that, and as such the idea of buying a single ticket was almost unacceptable behaviour. Still, as a long-time fan of Chancelor Bennett, a.k.a. Chance the Rapper, I was not going to miss the lyrical genius’ first headlining performance in Montreal simply because my friends were broke and it felt weird going by myself. 

The doors had been open for an hour when I got to the venue, but as the yet-to-be-half-full floor seemed to imply, the prospect of no less than three opening acts had delayed the arrival of the more casual Chance listeners. The first in line was Towkio, whose recently released first mixtape, .WAV Theory, boasts a pleasant, funky vibe. For 25 minutes, he ran and jumped around the stage nonstop, accomplishing the spectacular feat of never skipping a beat while simultaneously sounding like he was about to collapse. He closed the set with his sole hit—the John Legend sampling “Heaven Only Knows”—and had the crowd sing loudly for the first time of the night. 

Second up was D.R.A.M., an extremely charismatic R&B singer who could have easily handled opening the show by himself. He emerged on stage confidently showcasing dance moves that would make your dad jealous, while sporting long dreads and a smile as contageous as Drake’s. In between irresistible jams such as “$” and “Caretaker”—which he performed twice for good measure—D.R.A.M. had us repeatedly scream “spread love,” up until the point the silly slogan actually started to sound like a legitimate mantra. He ended his performance with “Cha Cha,” the sleeper-hit that greatly inspired “Hotline Bling.” It was so good that I was still dancing after he had left the stage. 

Frankly, the less said about  final opener Metro Boomin’s set, the better. He might be today’s most in-demand trap music producer—he was the executive producer on Future and Drake’s collaborative mixtape “What a Time to Be Alive”—but it does not excuse his lack of doing anything behind his pads. No stage presence, no DJ-ing, no nothing. If I had only wanted to listen to a playlist of his best songs, I would have stayed home and found one on Apple Music. Also, 9:20 is way too early to be fist-pumping to Future’s “Fuck Up Some Commas.”

Finally, at exactly 10:04 P.M., Chance the Rapper and his band The Social Experiment hit the Olympia’s stage. For almost an hour and a half, the 22-year-old Chi-town representative dexterously rapped his unique brand of syllable-heavy, dialogue-like raps above jazzy reworks of his most celebrated work in front of a packed venue. His rendition of “Miracle,” with its tongue-twisting, seemingly improvised flow, was particularly impressive. Charismatic, funny and deeply likable, Chance gave such a riveting performance, I only realised the morning after that he did not even play “Juice,” one of his biggest singles to date. Judging by the way the people around me were losing their mind at the first notes of each song, I wouldn’t be surprised if many still haven’t noticed.

To me, the show’s highlight happened at the end of the performance of “Interlude (That’s Love).” After some heartfelt thank-yous to the crowd for coming out to see him, Chance started strolling around at the edge of the stage, pointing at one person after the other while playfully repeating “I love you” in various rhythmic patterns. Chance connected to us all, and for a moment, the thousand strangers surrounding me were my family.

a, McGill, Montreal, News, PGSS, SSMU

Self-inflicted harm not covered by international student health insurance

by Cassandra Rogers on

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Of the 10,000 international undergraduate and graduate students at McGill, some 7,000 are insured by a mandatory health insurance plan. This plan, privately contracted out to Medavie Blue Cross by McGill, has a premium of $906 per year for single person coverage. The Régie de l’Assurance Maladie du Québec (RAMQ), which provides medical insurance for Quebec residents, states that students from countries other than those with which Quebec has concluded a social security agreement providing for student coverage are ineligible for coverage.  This makes it impossible for most international students to be covered by RAMQ.

Coverage through Blue Cross

According to the 2015-2016 Blue Cross documentation, charges arising from self-destruction or self-inflicted injuries, while “sane or insane,” are not covered for international students. Director of International Student Services, Pauline L’Ecuyer explained that this policy is consistent throughout many insurance companies.

“This is a clause that is quite standard in the industry,” L’Ecuyer said. “[For example], somebody who attempts suicide will not be paid life insurance.” 

Director of McGill Student Health and Family Physician Pierre-Paul Tellier noted, however, that this clause does not match RAMQ coverage.  

“Any of the [provincial] medical care plans will cover those things,” he said. “They cover medical problems, period.”

Blue Cross documentation additionally outlines that charges relating to a pre-existing medical condition in excess of $10,000 are not covered. International Student Advisor and Health Insurance Administrator Anastasia Koutouzov noted, however, this is a non-issue for such students. 

“[Students] with pre-existing conditions understand the limit of the $10,000, and already have an alternative health insurance plan, so they don’t mind the clause,” Koutouzov said.

L’Ecuyer further explained that students with pre-existing conditions are not able to buy supplemental insurance in Canada, a practice which is supposed to serve the best interest of the insurance agency. 

“If you put yourself in the shoes of the insurer, you are not going to sell a contract to somebody when it is known that they’re going to claim $10,000,” she said.

Tellier, who treats both Canadian and international students at the McGill Clinic, continued to outline the benefits of the Blue Cross plan for international students. 

“One of the nice things about Blue Cross [is that] it’s such a broad insurance plan that it made some services available to [international students] that were not available to Canadian or Quebec students,” he said.

For example, physiotherapy, which is covered under the Blue Cross plan up for to $750 per year, was not previously covered for Canadian and Quebec students, who can instead purchase supplemental insurance from their student unions to cover such care.

Uncertainties about the reasoning behind some Blue Cross coverage policies and the policies of supplementary plans offered by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) exist among administration. Through SSMU, international students have the option of purchasing a supplementary dental insurance plan. However, a SSMU supplementary vision care plan is only available to Canadians. L’Ecuyer acknowledges that the reasoning behind this is unclear. 

“I don’t know,” L’Ecuyer said. “We tried to copy as much as possible [from] the RAMQ plan, but I don’t think we’ve ever been asked to look into this.” 

The Blue Cross mandatory insurance plan for international students was re-evaluated and approved last year by the Advisory Committee on International Students (ACIS), a Canada-wide organizarion, following extensive lobbying by the PGSS. L’Ecuyer, explained the rationale behind having a mandatory plan. 

“First of all, it was voted as a Senate regulation in 1967 that all McGill students and their dependents must subscribe to a plan [administered by] the university,”L’Ecuyer said. “[Secondly], about 20 years ago, it became immigration policy in Quebec.”

Limitations to family and dependent coverage

The Senate policy instituted by McGill in 1967 does not allow international students or their dependents—a spouse or a child—to choose their own insurance policies. 

The premium for students with dependents is $2,781, and for a family with more than one dependent the sum comes up to $5,289. However, according to Tellier, the McGill Clinic does not offer services for dependents. 

“We used to,” he explained. “But we were finally told by [the] administration [a few years ago] that we needed to cut that service.” 

Tellier explained that funding cuts within the university have led to staff shortages at the McGill Clinic. 

“Our service […] is limited,” Tellier said. “The administration decided they weren’t going to fund [nurse practitioner] positions […] which would have increased availability.”

For students with dependent or family plans, the up-front cost of private clinics can become prohibitive. Koutouzov noted that private clinics are an expensive alternative for dependents who cannot seek care at the McGill Clinic. 

“Downtown, [costs] range up to $150 for an adult and […] $220 for pediatric appointments,” she explained.

The Blue Cross plan in perspective

 In comparison to McGill, other Canadian universities offer vastly different options to their international students. At the University of British Columbia, for example, all students, whether international or not, are covered under the same policies. International students pay to register with the British Columbia provincial Medical Services Plan (MSP), and are required to register with an extended policy that provides prescription, vision, dental, and travel coverage. Such a policy is offered through the student unions; however, if students are already enrolled in an extended policy, they can request an exemption.

 With the exception of McGill, Concordia University, and Bishop’s University, all universities in Quebec have adopted a consortium plan for international student health care through  Desjardins. L’Ecuyer explained McGill is not partaking in the Quebec consortium plan because of rigid standards and a higher cost.

“Their premium is higher than ours,” L’Ecuyer said. “They have policies we don’t necessarily want to abide by. It does not offer any coverage to students with dependents and families, and our Senate regulations [do not allow] that.”

 The limitations of the Blue Cross plan, according to Tellier, are countered by efforts on the part of the McGill Clinic to help international students struggling with financial limitations. 

“Students who come into [the clinic] are not sent away,” Tellier said. “They can see a triage nurse, who advises them [on what they should do].” 

Furthermore, L’Ecuyer explained that students who are in need can seek financial assistance from McGill. 

“When students find themselves in a difficult situation, they can qualify for aid [to pay for the premium,” L’Ecuyer said. “I know they could go apply for assistance if [health care fees] didn’t fit in their budget.”

Student experience with the policy

While the Blue Cross plan and plans similar to it are common for international students in Quebec and Canada, many students have experienced complications and inconsistencies when dealing with their coverage. Céline Garandeau, a U2 Biology student from the United States, explained that during one visit to the Montreal General Hospital, she was unable to complete a procedure due to insurance complications and was charged $50. 

“I went to Montreal General Hospital [for a procedure and…] the woman at the desk said that if I wanted the visit [to be] covered by Blue Cross, I would need to go to [McGill] and ask,” Garandeau said. “At Service Point, I was directed to call a number [but] things were hectic at the time and I didn’t call them or have [the procedure.…] I’m reluctant to deal with the system [….] I was expecting a simpler experience, where the hospital would contact Blue Cross.”

In addition to difficulty submitting claims, other students cite inconsistencies in the advice they are given about their coverage as a drawback of the plan’s administration. Jake Zhu, a Canadian U1 Software Engineering student, was informed that he was required to pay for the Blue Cross plan because he didn’t live in Canada immediately prior to his matriculation at McGill. 

“I had every right to get [RAMQ] health care coverage,” Zhu said. “At the beginning of [my first] year, McGill told me […] that even though I am a Canadian citizen, I did not qualify because I was just a student. [But] when I went to the RAMQ office in January, they told me that I qualified.”

McGill’s documentation also explains that clinics are permitted to charge different rates for out-of-province and international patients; the portion of these fees that exceeds the RAMQ rate is the liability of the student. According to Koutouzov, if international students seek care at a clinic outside of McGill as an alternative, they are billed upfront for their visit. 

“Because it’s not a regulated industry, [off-campus clinics] don’t have patient accounts like a hospital or the McGill Clinic,” Koutouzov said. 

According to McGill and Blue Cross’s documentation, students are required to pay private clinic fees out of pocket and submit claims to Blue Cross after which can take two-three weeks to be repaid. 

a, McGill, Montreal, News

High voter turnout drives Liberals to electoral victory

by Kyle Dolph on

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Justin Trudeau took the stage with a smile last Monday night at downtown’s Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel as his Liberal Party swept into power.  This ended almost 10 years of Conservative government under prime minister Stephen Harper. The son of the late prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Justin led his father’s former party to capture 39.5 per cent of the popular vote, and 184 of 338 seats in the House of Commons, according to Elections Canada.

James McGill Professor of Political Science at McGill, and an expert on the Canadian political system, Richard Schultz, expressed surprise at the results.

“I was assuming a Conservative minority government until the last three or four weeks [of the campaign], when I started assuming a Liberal minority government,” Schultz said. “At no point did I assume a [Liberal] majority.”

Trudeau accomplished a first in Canadian history, elevating his Liberals from third-party status to a majority government, four years after their worst electoral defeat in history. He did so by courting an enthused electorate that, according to Elections Canada, voted in greater numbers than any other time in the past 20 years, with voter turnout at 68 per cent. Political Science Students’ Association (PSSA) President Richad Hirani, U3 Arts, observed a similar sentiment on campus.

“We had great turnouts for both our panel session and debate, as well as our election night party at Gerts,” he remarked. “There was a line at the door just to get in and watch.”

Many have suggested that strategic voting, fuelled by widespread dissatisfaction with the incumbent Conservatives, was on the mind of many Canadians on Election Day.   

“There were a lot of people here that [asked] ‘Which party will defeat the Conservatives?’” said Schultz. “Once it became clear that the Liberals were the alternative to the Conservatives, I think people flocked, and that’s strategic.”

Nanos Polls dated from Sept. 16 and Oct. 18 appear to agree with this assessment, as Tory support remained constant amidst the dramatic collapse of Thomas Mulcair’s New Democratic Party (NDP) and the equally dramatic rise of the Trudeau’s Liberals. 

Vice-President (VP) Social for NDP McGill, Casarina Hocevar, described voters in such a context.

“People were thinking ‘I just really want to get rid of Harper,’” Hocevar said.  “They were thinking at the federal level. There was a focus on the party leaders rather than any of the local candidates.”

Whether or not McGill students were unaware of local candidates, however, those running remained engaged, as Hélène Laverdière and Allison Turner of the NDP, as well as Christine Poirier and Marc Miller of the Liberals each made appearances at campus events organized by the PSSA and their respective student political clubs. Their presence came amidst the launch of a new Elections Canada programme that permitted students to vote in advance polls on campus for either their home riding, or the riding in which they live during their time at university. 

“I think students were definitely more engaged because they had that option,” Hirani said. “And I think local candidates realized that [students] would be more likely to vote overall.”

“If [voters] have a voluntary choice between the two ridings, they’ll probably examine candidates in either riding more closely,” Hocevar echoed. She explained how NDP McGill encouraged students to vote strategically using the system.

“At the beginning of the election, when it was a tight race, we told people that their vote would really matter in [the race in Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île des Soeurs],” Hocevar said. “But we advised them to take a look at their local ridings as well.”




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