Before Your Arrival

Congratulations on joining the Faculty of Health Sciences! We look forward to seeing you on your first day. To help you prepare we have provided essential steps to complete as well as additional information to review. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your HR Representative.

Essential Steps
Additional Information

Sign and send offer letter to FHS Human Resources

You will receive an official offer letter from Human Resources outlining the details of your contract. Please review and sign your offer, and return by email or fax to your HR Representative at your earliest convenience. You may then mail the original signed letter or bring it with you on your first day.

Confirm time for FHS HR Welcome Meeting

Once FHS HR receives a copy of your signed offer letter, you will receive a phone call from your HR Representative extending an invitation for a Welcome and Orientation meeting within your first few days. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce you to some of the great resources and benefits available to you as a member of our Faculty, and to enroll you in payroll and applicable benefits.

Activate your MAC ID

Your MAC ID is a unique identifier enabling a single sign-on for a number of McMaster systems and applications, including email, Mosaic and more. Human Resources will provide you with all the required information to activate your MAC ID in advance of your start date (see recommended resources for more information). You will also need to activate your email account on or after your official start date. Please contact your HR Representative if you have not received this information.

Visit Mosaic, McMaster’s Administrative Information System to activate your MAC ID.

Please note: If you are a former student/employee of McMaster our system will automatically generate your MAC ID and email address based on your status at that time, which may not be your current last name. If you notify your HR Representative of this in advance, we can work with our Computer Services Unit on ensuring your correct information is used.

Complete enrolment forms

On the top bar of the Health Sciences New Employee Welcome website, you will find a section titled ‘New Employee Enrolment‘. This is where you will find new employee forms that are required to enroll you in payroll, pension/RRSP, and benefits (as applicable). Select your employee group per your offer letter, and follow the directions provided to complete the enrolment forms in advance of your start date. Please bring the original, completed forms with you to your HR welcome meeting.

Sign-up for Ontario Health Insurance and enroll in UHIP (ONLY employees new to Ontario)

If you are new to Ontario, you are responsible for enrolling in a health insurance plan. OHIP is required for enrolment in McMaster’s extended health benefits plan.

Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)

OHIP is the Provincial Government’s medical insurance plan. It pays for medically required services of physicians and surgeons, as well as dental and oral surgery when it is medically required to be performed in a hospital. If you need to apply for OHIP you should do so upon arrival in Ontario. Once you are approved you will receive your Ontario Health Card that you will need to show every time you see a doctor. Please refer to the OHIP website for more information on eligibility and how to apply for coverage. Please note that you will require three forms of identification. Your HR Representative can provide you with a letter of your proof of residency if required.

University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP)

UHIP provides coverage comparable to that of OHIP for Ontario residents. UHIP is mandatory for all McMaster University faculty, staff, students and dependents who do not have OHIP coverage (or who are waiting for OHIP coverage to begin). The cost for UHIP will be covered by the University for up to 3 months – which should cover the OHIP waiting period. To obtain UHIP you will need to go to the OHIP office in person to apply for OHIP coverage, and then complete your UHIP application with FHS Human Resources (please call ext. 22207 to make an appointment). For your UHIP application you will need to bring the following documents to your appointment with FHS HR:

Application form (will be completed in HR office)
OHIP proof of eligibility
Employment authorization form (work permit)
Passports for yourself and all eligible dependents
Letter of employment
Cheque (s) or cash for payment of UHIP (as applicable)

You will receive your UHIP coverage card via email from FHS Human Resources within one week of completion of your application. For more information, visit the UHIP website.

View our ‘Guide to Obtaining UHIP‘ for step-by-step instructions on how to obtain UHIP coverage.

Apply for Social Insurance Number (SIN) (ONLY employees new to Canada without a SIN)

Recommended Resources

Did you know?
The concept of problem-based learning (now used world-wide) was pioneered in the School of Medicine at McMaster in the 1960s, as a new, more holistic approach to medical education. PBL, often called small group, self-directed learning, is a hands-on approach where the problem drives the learning. Students do not try to solve the problem presented, but rather the problem is used to help the students identify their own learning needs as they attempt to solve the problem, and pull together, synthesize and apply information to the problem, and work effectively to learn from group members.

Before Your Arrival

Sign and send offer letter to FHS Human Resources

Confirm time for FHS HR Welcome Meeting

Activate your MAC ID

Complete enrolment forms

Sign-up for Ontario Health Insurance and enroll in UHIP (ONLY employees new to Ontario)

Apply for Social Insurance Number (SIN) (ONLY employees new to Canada without a SIN)

Recommended Resources

Did you know?

Benefit Information

Maps & Directions

Parking & Transit Services

FHS Human Resources

FHS Faculty Relations

Human Resources Services