Funding for housing is provided to learners who maintain two places of residence during the rotation month/block(s); a primary residence at the Academic Home Base and a secondary residence in the community for the duration of the rotation. It is not intended to pay rent/mortgage for the learner’s primary residence and/or locations that you would otherwise stay for free.

Living in the ’community’ is considered to be living temporarily within the rotation location which is greater than 35 kms from your Academic Home Base or MedSIS registered current living address, whichever distance is shorter.

Mac-CARE provides funding, up to $800.00 per 4 weeks/month/block (HST included), plus one return trip from your Academic Home Base.

Locations that are selected as temporary housing in the community must be within a 35 km radius of the rotation site. A receipt MUST Be provided noting payment in full.

Learners are responsible for arranging housing and pay the landlord directly (any housing providers, i.e. Airbnb, Kijiji, etc.). Mac-CARE reimbursement is facilitated at the end of the rotation.

1. Temporary housing funded by Mac-CARE must be used for living/overnight stays for the full duration of the rotation.
2. Learners are responsilbe to arrange their own housing. Locations that are selected as temporary housing in the community must be within a 35 km radius of the rotation site.
3. Temporary housing MUST NOT be owned/rented by a classmate/another learner or a family member or people with whom you have a personal/intimate relationship.
• Learners who choose to exchange housing with each other is permitted, however, there is no monetary compensation from Mac-CARE.
4. Housing owned or operated by the supervising preceptor is not permitted and is considered in violation of McMaster University Ethical Principles, Principle 5.
   See: http://cll.mcmaster.ca/programs/faculty_and_instructors/ethical_principles.html#6
5. All learners are required to adhere to the landlord’s housing rules.
6. A receipt MUST Be provided noting payment in full. Mac-CARE funding is provided at the end of rotation.

Once booked, learners are responsible for communicating to both the landlord and to the Mac-CARE office any change that would impact the confirmed housing, including date changes and/or cancellation. The learner will be responsible for any costs associated with the learner’s cancellation or non-use of housing (which may include the confirmed rental rate).

Learners are responsible for notifying the Mac-CARE office of shared housing.

Complaints from Landlord: Any complaints received as a result of a learner’s unacceptable living practices or damage incurred while staying in Mac-CARE funded housing will be forwarded to the appropriate University Program Director and may be highlighted as a professionalism issue. The learner will be responsible for any associated costs.

Learners who have selected housing in MOH Approved Mac-CARE Community, may also be eligible for additional travel funding for the following:

1. One Return Trip from the community rotation site to the Academic Home Base or the learner’s MedSIS registered current living address (whichever distance is shorter).
2. Travel to preceptor’s clinics(s) which exceeds 35 kms, (one-way) from the Mac-CARE approved clinical rotation site. Maximum of one weekly return trip will be reimbursed. Mileage will be calculated by the Mac-CARE office using shortest Google Map distances. Clinical travel that is unrelated to the claimed rotation is not eligible.
3. Mandatory academic sessions requiring travel back to the Academic Home Base will be considered if travel exceeds 35 kilometres (one way trip). For Learners based in communities where videoconferencing cannot be delivered or where personal attendance is deemed necessary (by the Program Director), additional trips either to the Academic Home Base or to an alternate videoconferencing site (whichever distance is shorter) will be considered.

Mandatory Academic Sessions funded by Mac-CARE are (maximum allowance is one mandatory session per week):

• Exams (written or oral)
• UGME (Clerkship) Tutorial Group Session
• PGME Family Medicine Academic Half-day/Mental Health Behavioural Sciences
• PGME Multidisciplinary Academic Half Days (MAD)
• Proof of attendance must be submitted with Travel Expense Form in order for claim to be considered.

You are strongly encouraged to live and learn in the community to optimize your experience, however, there may be situations when commuting is the necessary choice. When making this decision, please consider call schedules, weather and travel time.

Learners who do not choose to live in temporary housing in the community, may qualify for travel reimbursement to support daily commute up to a maximum of $450 per 4 weeks/month/block.

Travel costs will only be reimbursed if the clinical rotation site:

• is in an Ministry of Health (MOH) Approved Mac-CARE Community
and
• is 35 kilometres or further (one way) from the learner’s Academic Home Base or from MedSIS registered current living address, whichever distance is shorter.