The Royal Canadian Medical Service (RCMS, french: Service de santé royal canadien) is a

personnel branch Personnel branches, in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), are groupings of related military occupations. Personnel branches were officially established at unification in 1968 to amalgamate the old Canadian Army corps and similar occupational group ...

of the

Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

, consisting of all members of medical occupations. Nearly all members of the RCMS, along with the members of the

Royal Canadian Dental Corps The Royal Canadian Dental Corps (RCDC, french: links=no, Corps dentaire royal canadien) is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Most members of RCDC, along with the members of the Royal Canadian Medical Service, are employed in ...

(RCDC), are employed in the

Canadian Forces Health Services Group The Canadian Forces Health Services Group (CF H Svcs Gp) is a formation of the Canadian Forces within the Military Personnel Command. It includes personnel from both the Royal Canadian Medical Service and the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, fulfills ...

(CF H Svcs Gp), an operational formation. The RCMS was formerly designated the Canadian Forces Medical Service until it was redesignated on October 9, 2013.

Motto and march

''Militi Succurrimus'' (We hasten to aid the soldiers) is the official branch motto. " The Farmer's Boy" is the branch march. This march was selected by

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

(mother of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Roles and identification

Medical personnel of the Canadian Forces provide operational (deployed) and operational readiness (in-garrison) medical care to entitled personnel.

Uniforms

RCMS personnel wear the same

uniforms A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, s ...

as other members of the Canadian Forces with unique identifiers depending on which distinctive environmental uniform (DEU) they are assigned (Sea, Land, Air). Regardless of environment, all

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

s and

non-commissioned member A non-commissioned member (NCM), in the Canadian Armed Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as: "... any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an offi ...

s (NCMs) wear the same cap badge. The only difference between the cap badges is that the staff of Aesculapius on NCM badge comprises a gold serpent on a gold staff whereas on the officer badge comprises a silver serpent on a gold staff. RCMS medical officers who are uniformed in the Sea environment wear scarlet

distinction cloth Distinction, distinct or distinctive may refer to: * Distinction (philosophy), the recognition of difference * Formal distinction * Distinction (law), a principle in international law governing the legal use of force in an armed conflict * Distinc ...

between the braids of their rank insignia, while other health services officer classifications (non-physicians) wear a maroon distinction cloth. NCMs wear a trade badge on their jackets. RCMS officers and NCMs who are uniformed in Land environment wear an "RCMS" shoulder bar on the service dress jacket, and a tab bearing either the title "RCMS" or a unit identifier (e.g. "25 Fd Amb") on slip-ons for other uniforms. NCMs below the rank of

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mo ...

wear a trade badge on the sleeve of the DEU jacket. RCMS officers and non-commissioned members who are uniformed in Air environment wear a distinctive silver badge over their name tag on both their dress uniform jacket and short-sleeve order of dress. This badge is a winged staff of Aesculapius.

History

The RCMS has its origins in the Dominion government's 1885 response to the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a Resistance movement, resistance by the Métis people (Canada), Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Natio ...

, with the appointment of Canada's first Surgeon General, Doctor

Darby Bergin Colonel Darby Bergin (September 7, 1826 – October 22, 1896) was an Ontario physician and political figure. He represented Cornwall from 1872 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1882 and then Cornwall and Stormont from 1882 to 1896 in the House of ...

Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, situated where the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and the state of New York converge. It is the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry and is Ontario's easternmost city ...

, and the mobilization of two

field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile Ar ...

s. Permanent medical services for the Canadian Army (1904), Royal Canadian Navy (1910) and Royal Canadian Air Force (1940) were formed separately (years indicated). The three services were subsequently integrated as a single professional/technical organization, the Canadian Forces Medical Service (CFMS), in 1959. Personnel of the CFMS continued to belong to the Navy, Army and Air Force in matters of personnel administration. With the

unification of the Canadian Forces The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces. History A white paper was tabled in the Par ...

(CF) in 1968, medical personnel the RCN, Canadian Army and RCAF were grouped administratively into the new CF Medical Branch, perfectly aligned to the professional/technical organization of the CFMS. The Medical Service played a significant part in the Canadian expeditionary forces during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

.http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/docs/CMS_vol1_e.pdf It suffered significant budgetary cutbacks after the 1994

Broadbent Report Broadbent is an Old English toponymic surname deriving from the location 'Broadbent' near Oldham, Lancashire, describing "broad, bent rushes or reeds". Notable people with the surname include: * Adele Broadbent (born 1968), New Zealand children' ...

following the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

, with all six of its remaining military hospitals being closed. The former colonel-in-chief was

(mother of

). The current colonel-in-chief is Princess

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

(daughter of Elizabeth II and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

)

Training

Induction

The Medical Officer Training Plan (MOTP) is a CAF programme under which the CAF "will pay successful recruits to complete a recognized Canadian university MD program. This programme covers tuition fees and educational expenses, including books, instruments, supplies, student fees, and registration costs. Family medicine residents and students already enrolled in a recognized programme who successfully screen for enrolment in the CAF are eligible for this training plan. For the duration of their studies and Family Medicine residency, successful members receive full-time salary including medical and dental care, as well as vacation time with full-pay in exchange for working with the CAF for a period of time. Typically, candidates selected for this program attend university during the regular academic year and participate in additional military training during the summer months."

School of Operational Medicine

The School of Operational Medicine (SOM) in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, forms a part of the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment. In turn the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment is the military component of the Defence Research and Development Canada. The School of Operational Medicine (SOM) conducts all flight surgeon training. In addition, it offers courses at various levels in Diving Medicine, to

physicians A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, and

physician assistant A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of mid-level health care provider. In North America PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and may serve as a principal healthcare prov ...

s.http://www.rockymountainrangers.ca/?p=eductraining

Canadian Forces Health Service Training Centre

The Canadian Forces Health Service Training Centre (CFHSTC), located in

CFB Borden Canadian Forces Base Borden (also CFB Borden, French: Base des Forces canadiennes Borden or BFC Borden), formerly RCAF Station Borden, is a large Canadian Forces base located in Ontario. The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force, C ...

, is the home station and primary training centre for the Canadian Forces Health Services. The school focuses on all levels of training.

Canadian Forces School of Survival and Aeromedical Training

The Canadian Forces School of Survival and Aeromedical Training (CFSSAT) in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...

, provides initial and continuation training for all CF aircrew. The training covers diverse topics including life support equipment and human factors, search and evasion as well as disorientation and night vision.

Order of precedence

References

External links

{{Military of North America 1885 establishments in Canada Military units and formations established in 1885 Military medical organizations