CCFP (EM) – Program Description

College of Family Physicians
Training Program in Emergency Medicine 

Prerequisites

Applicants must have successfully completed two years of a Family Medicine Residency Program leading to certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In addition, applicants must have written or be eligible to write the College of Family Physicians of Canada certification examination.

Program Description

The length of training is one year with the resident designated as a third year resident in the Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine Program. Rotations will be tailored to the resident's prior training and career goals. Rotations may include ICU, CCU, Surgery, Trauma, Orthopedics, Plastic and Emergency Medicine. Over the three years there is a minimum of eight months of training in the Emergency Department with a minimum of four months in the third year. One of the eight months should include significant experience in Emergency Pediatrics. At present, Emergency Pediatrics is obtained at the McMaster Children's Hospital. Candidates are urged to make use of their elective time in their first or second year of Family Medicine and enroll in the above rotations of their choice.

The manner in which the Emergency Medicine resident chooses to undertake his/her training has an obvious effect on the outline of the program. However, certain rotations are considered mandatory and must be completed.

A "typical" residency year would include:

• 4 months - Emergency Medicine
• 1 month - Emergency Pediatrics
• 1 month - Trauma
• 2 months - ICU
• 1 month - CCU
• 1 month - Orthopedic or Plastic 
• 1 month - Anesthesia
• 1 month - Community Emergency Medicine

This format could vary if residents have completed rotations in Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Anesthesia or CCU prior to starting their third year. Completing relevant rotations prior to the third year enhances the flexibility of their CCFP EM year. However, all residents must complete six months of Emergency Medicine, two months of ICU and one month of Trauma and Surgery in their final year.

Selectives

Selectives are completed in a variety of formats, and approval is based on a set of criteria.

Academic Activities

Emergency Medicine core content material is covered during weekly academic half days. Thursday mornings are the academic half day for Emergency Medicine. Sessions include core content, Tintinalli Rounds, Skill Sessions, radiology, examination preparation, bioethics, and administration.

Research / Rounds

Residents are expected to complete a resident research project on evidence based medicine skills and have the ability to search data bases, critically appraise the articles and present the material at a resident research day. This may take the form of a CQI/QA project, literature search or a formal research design study. It is expected that residents will display competence in preparing, practicing and evaluating evidence based medicine.

Course in Ultrasound 

An ultrasound course following the EDE principles is offered in the early fall of the EM year.  Funding is available for this course, and the expectation is that the resident will be fully IP certified at the end of his/her year as this is now standard of care.  We have ample faculty available to assist with attaining the required scans for full certification.

Application Requirement

The application process this year will run through the CARMS match. The website will be available at www.carms.ca.

All applicants for the Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine Residency Program are required to:

• Complete the National Application form
• Complete the National Match Registration Form
• Provide three letters of reference and Referee Assessment forms
• Family Medicine Program Director's Assessment of Applicant form
• Written letter to Dr. Greg Rutledge, Program Director, Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine Residency program stating the applicant's reasons for wishing to join this program

Send a curriculum vitae

The Selection Committee will be chaired by the Program Director and will consist of faculty members of the Residency Steering Committee and resident representatives. For application deadline and interview date, please refer to the CaRMS website at www.carms.ca.