Program Overview & Highlights
Program Overview
Length of training: two (2) years
Built on years of experience, we are a truly pan-Northern program based on well developed infrastructure and academic excellence -a program for physicians seeking a unique and challenging experience. Residents learn in a wide range of clinical settings under the supervision of practising family physicians, specialist physicians and other members of allied health care teams.
NOSM University’s Family Medicine Residents of the Canadian Shield (RoCS) is one program with various training streams/sites. Applicants who are interested in NOSM U’s Family Medicine program can apply to any, or all Family Medicine streams, which include:
- North Bay
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Timmins
- Remote First Nations
- Rural South, East, and West
- iFMEM
The NOSM U’s Family Medicine program is implementing Triple C competency-based curriculum in all training streams. This shift will centre residency training in the discipline of Family Medicine and the achievement of competency in comprehensive Family practice, while providing continuity in the educational and clinical settings. Depending on the site, the approach to the scheduling of clinical experiences will differ. Despite scheduling differences among sites, FM residents in all streams complete and distribute multiple assessment tools to obtain feedback from preceptors. Residents will also regularly review their progress with a designated faculty member to identify and modify their learning plans. Candidates who are self-directed and engage in reflective practice are particularly suited to our residency program.
Please visit our NOSM University Community Profiles page for information on the multitude of rural training sites available to residents.
Program Highlights
Many aspects of our program set us apart from more traditional residency routes, enhancing the caliber of our graduates.
- Our program spans the geography of northern Ontario, and experiences exist across all our regions. At times, residents will travel for rotations, away from their home site, to experience the breadth of the discipline. Practice opportunities are extensive and diverse, allowing residents to immerse themselves in the unique lifestyle of northern Ontario.
- Residents are encouraged to undertake clinical electives in a wide variety of communities across the entire NOSM University geographic area.
- Many diverse opportunities exist to encounter, immerse, and deliver care to Indigenous Peoples, including travel to northern First Nations communities.
- Opportunities exist to undertake either Family Medicine or other learning experiences in the French language and experience the Francophone culture of northern Ontario.
- Rural rotations are available, which will allow residents to immerse and familiarize themselves in the rural culture and experience the challenges and rewards of delivery of care in rural and remote communities.
- Rotation opportunities in over 40 northern urban, rural and remote clinical settings.
- Opportunity for a wide variety of PGY3 enhanced skills options in northern Ontario.
- A unique opportunity for blended hospital-based and community-based training with first call coverage in most disciplines.
- Early integration as a key member of an interdisciplinary health care team dedicated to professionalism, high-quality patient care and excellent medical education.
- A diverse variety of inpatient and outpatient experiences emphasized from the beginning of residency.
- A non-clinical curriculum with dedicated time for academic sessions mapped to the CFPC Priority Topics, including a high-quality longitudinal simulation program.
- Unparalleled preceptor support from physician faculty and preceptors whose primary focus is patient care and teaching.
- Commitment to resident learning.
- Financial support for resident travel to and from core clinical placements away from the home base and all mandatory educational activities at non home base locations.
- Housing support for core rotations away from home base and primary residence for up to 6 months per academic year.
- Opportunities to participate in a scholarly activity, including research and quality improvement, under expert guidance.
- Funding available for research, professional development, and conference participation.
- Access to advanced technology and informatics that allows 24/7 access to electronic search engines and electronic indexes, as well as an extensive collection of electronic medical/health journals and textbooks.
- Exceptional lifestyle balance with a wide variety of outstanding northern Ontario recreational opportunities.