In 1979, a part-time secretariat was established in Ottawa.
In 1985, the Federation established a full-time secretariat, located within the offices of the Medical Council of Canada in Ottawa, and hired one full-time staff member.
At the 1987 Annual Meeting of the Federation, members voted unanimously to include the medical regulatory authorities of Yukon and Northwest Territories as full voting members. In May 1988, members voted officially to change the name of the organization to the Federation of Medical Licensing Authorities of Canada to reflect the revised membership.
During this time, the Federation played a key role in the accreditation of the rotating internship programs.