@Fantastica @daveishan @felicialiu
There is too much confusion and incorrect information that is being circulated. To put the controversy at rest, here is my take on the entire issue:
The details of how the medicals are done and validity is stated at this
link:
The term medical officer or delegated staff DOES NOT mean the panel physician. This is amply clear from the
manual where it is stated:
Further:
here RMO stands for regional medical office.
More information on RMO and Medical officers is available at this
Evaluation of the Health Screening and Notification Program
The above link states:
Most panel physicians will transmit the medical report via e-medical the same day all tests are in. For example, if you visit a panel physician on October 1, 2020, you medical report will be completed and prepared within 3-7 days, based on how early the serology report comes back, and the radiologist gives his opinion on the chest x-ray. Some panel physicians will complete the report in-house and may be completed the same day itself. Other panel physicians may have to work with labs and on call radiologist, which may take a few days before the report is complete. Most panel physicians will transmit the medical report the same day it is prepared. Since most reports are clear, with no complications, they are reviewed and assessed by the Medical Officer or a delegated staff at the IRCC RMO, the same day and the report is allocated an assessment
code.
- Admissible codes (M1, M2 and M3)
- Excessive demand exempt code (M19, M29 and M39)
- Inadmissible codes (M4, M5 and M6)
- Surveillance codes (S1, S2.01, S2.02 and S2.02U)
However, after the assessment it may take some time for the report to be added to your file or be reflected on the MyCIC account because the IRCC officer, or an analyst / assistant who is dealing with your file will have to update it in GCMS and it will be updated effective the date when the assessment by the Medical Officer (MOF) or a Health Branch (HB) delegated staff.
Panel Physician and Medical Officer are separate. The GCMS notes has the date when your medicals were assessed by the Medical officer and that date is reflected in the GCMS notes.
The medicals are valid for 12 months from the day they are assessed by the Medical officer as mentioned in the link above. The medicals are valid for 12 months. They have to be valid when you submit your application and also be valid when you land. IRCC cannot give you a PRV beyond the medical expiry date. When the officer is of the view that the medicals may expire before the applicant enter's Canada, or if there is not much time left in the validity of the medicals, and the medicals is the only thing remaining before the officer makes a final decision, then the officer can ask for re-assesment of the medicals form the Medical officer, which can provide a extension of additional 12 months.
An old bulletin describes this procedure, but it expired on May 24, 2012.
See
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/bulletins-2012/423-expired-may-24-2012.html - EXPIRED May 24, 2012
A more recent bulletin must have been issued and the IRCC twitter handle mentions it in one of its recent replies:
Finally, if in doubt, please consult the IRPA, regulations, operation bulletins, manuals and federal court cases. Immigration is law and not speculation. Everything is clearly written in law and the regs based on which filed are processed.
At the end, it is your application, and you know what is best for your application. The information above is from IRCC with the links provided. If you still disagree, you have all right to, and this is not a court of law, but just a discussion forum, and neither is my agenda to convince you.
If you find this information useful, that is great. If not, then you can make your own judgment based on what you feel is correct.
Thank you so much. 
