Project: Family Medicine Residency Curriculum Renewal

Introduction:

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) has recently undertaken the enormous task of renewing the training program for medical residents specializing in Family Medicine. Years of research have built the foundation for a pan-Canadian shift in residency training that is better aligned with changing societal needs and the realities of modern medicine. Family Medicine Residency training has existed in Canada since 1966 in various forms. The current training program in Canada was established in 1986 and has undergone little change since then. The CFPC has engaged with medical schools across Canada to redesign Family Medicine training to meet the current and future needs of our population. At McGill, we have taken a collaborative approach, working with the Postgraduate Medical Education division along with the Family Medicine Education Research Group to undertake an in-depth evaluation of our curricular needs and objectives. Our goal is to engage with international experts, national leaders, and local stakeholders to develop a world-class, forward-looking curriculum in Family Medicine.

Project Update Timeline

Oct 19, 2023: Annual Departmental Retreat
September OTP Update
Sep 1, 2023: Initial draft of a new curriculum

Oct 19, 2023: Annual Departmental Retreat

Planning for the annual Departmental Retreat is ongoing. The retreat is taking place on Oct. 19th (PM) and Oct. 20th (AM) and will be focused on change management and supporting residents as they transition towards independent practice.

For more information about the retreat click here:

https://www.mcgill.ca/familymed/channels/event/annual-retreat-department-family-medicine-october-19-20-2023-348627

September OTP Update

What have we done so far?
Initial Survey: The McGill community was asked how the curriculum could be improved regarding the areas of need identified by the CFPC. 77 participants told us their opinions.
Curriculum mapping: The CFPC released the Residency Training Profile that lists all new competencies for residents. 34 core competencies were compared to our current curriculum. All 6 of McGill’s Enhanced Skills programs were reviewed.

Sep 1, 2023: Initial draft of a new curriculum

The curriculum renewal team is excited to move forward with the next steps in building an initial draft of a new curriculum spanning 3 years. With the support of the PGME leadership, FMER group and the invaluable leadership of Dr. Charo Rodriguez, we’re delighted to report we are planning discussion groups that will take place throughout the fall of 2023. With research ethics approval completed, we are also exploring emerging topics in family medicine with our international colleagues and experts.

Outcomes of Training Project (OTP)

Overview
September 2023
October 2023
Letter, Nov. 10 2023
November 2023

French English

Project Team

Project Lead
Research Associate
Program Administrator
Collaborators
Contact Info

Project Lead

Dr. Keith Todd is a practicing family physician at the Herzl Clinic and Jewish General Hospital in Montréal, Canada. Before completing medical school, Dr. Todd was engaged in research, completing a PhD at the Université de Montréal and a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill. He is currently actively involved in medical student and resident education in the areas of clinical teaching and quality improvement. Dr. Todd is also a member of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care working on guideline development for practicing primary care clinicians. His research interests focus on practice evaluation and medical education. In the fall of 2022, Dr. Todd was recruited to lead the Family Medicine residency curriculum renewal process for McGill University.

Research Associate

Dr. Robson Rocha de Oliveira, a Research Associate in the Department of Family Medicine, completed his Medicine studies (MDCM) at the State University of Londrina, Brazil (2003). He obtained a master’s (2010), a Ph.D. (2018), and completed a residency in Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo, School of Medicine (2007). During his career, he supervised health indicator monitoring projects in the Department of Public Health, Sao Paulo (2007-2013). Dr. Rocha de Oliveira also joined Anhembi University, School of Medicine, as a professor in Public Health (2013-2018), and served as the Educational Program Director (2016-2018). Additionally, he pursued a Postdoctoral fellowship (2018-2020) and took a position as a Research Advisor (2021-2023) at the École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal. He has an interest in medical education and Responsible Innovation in Health.

Program Administrator

Sandra Fournier is the Program Administrator for the Outcomes of Training Project in the Department of Family Medicine. Sandra graduated from McGill University with her Masters of Education and has an extensive background in research related to mental health and program/curriculum development. She is excited to be a part of this curriculum renewal project and hopes to continue contributing to the area of family medicine curricula.

Collaborators

Dr. Marion Dove – Chair, Department of Family Medicine
Dr. Fanny Hersson-Edery – Postgraduate Program Director.

Contact Info

We welcome inquiries, collaborations, and discussions about our family medicine education research project. If you have questions, are interested in learning more about our work, or would like to explore potential partnerships, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our dedicated research team. Your insights and contributions are invaluable to our mission, and we look forward to engaging in meaningful conversations with you. To connect with us, simply send us an email, and we will respond promptly. We are excited to connect with fellow researchers, educators, and healthcare professionals who share our passion for advancing family medicine education.

Contact Email: otp.fammed@mcgill.ca