PHPM Program Overview
Key components of the five-year PHPM residency program include:
- Weekly academic half-days, regular academic full-days, and biannual in-person learning events
- A minimum of 12 months of clinical training
- A minimum of 2 semesters of graduate training
- A minimum of 18 months of public health and preventive medicine field placements
- A scholarly project
Clinical training
The NOSM U PHPM offers training through two separate streams: PHPM-FM in Sudbury and PHPM in Sault Ste. Marie. Residents in the Sudbury PHPM-FM training stream complete two years of clinical training with the NOSM U Family Medicine Residency program, leading to certification with the College of Family Physicians. Residents in the Sault Ste. Marie PHPM training stream complete at least one year of clinical training specifically tailored to public health practice, allowing residents to dedicate more time to fulfilling the Royal College specialty requirements in PHPM. Both streams lead to certification with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Academic training
NOSM U PHPM residents participate in weekly academic half-days (AHDs), regular academic full-days, and biannual in-person learning events. Regular academic activities include Discussion of the Week (DOW) and Knowledge & Skills sessions, journal clubs, joint academic rounds with other PHPM residency programs, practice OSCEs, and practice written examinations. PGY1-2 residents are expected to participate in the DOW and may attend the whole AHD when clinical duties allow, while PGY3-5 residents attend the whole AHD.
NOSM U PHPM residents must complete a minimum of two semesters of graduate training. Residents in the PHPM-FM stream can complete up to one year of graduate training, and residents in the PHPM stream may complete up to two years of graduate training. Most residents choose to complete a Master of Public Health during their training. Residents work closely with the program director to select a Canadian or international university program that meets their interests and the Royal College requirements. Residents with previous graduate training may be credited, resulting in additional elective time or a reduction in training time.
Public health and preventive medicine training
NOSM U PHPM residents complete 6 core rotations:
- Public Health Systems and Practice
- Communicable Disease
- Environmental Health
- Health Policy and Planning
- Health Promotion, Chronic Disease Prevention, and Injury Prevention
- Leadership and Management
NOSM U PHPM residents complete the majority of core rotations within NOSM U’s geographical service area in Northern Ontario, and complete all their core rotations at sites with training experiences relevant to NOSM U’s social accountability mandate. Residents are required to live and work in multiple communities.
Elective rotation learning objectives are guided by the learning plans listed below, if not more directly related to one of the core rotations:
Example Training Pathways
Example 1: PHPM-FM stream with 12-month MPH
Example 2: PHPM stream with 18-month MPH
Example 3: PHPM-FM stream for a resident with prior academic training
Scholarly work
Residents engage in scholarly work throughout their five years of residency, supported by the PHPM program research tutor. All residents complete a scholarly project, which might include original qualitative or quantitative research, comprehensive or systematic literature reviews, continuous quality improvement initiatives, or program evaluations with measurement. Residents in the PHPM-FM stream also complete a family medicine research project.