An initiative of
Dr. Steven Montague
Program Director
Melinda Harper
Queen’s offers a RCPSC-accredited two year subspecialty training program in general internal medicine. Queen’s is well known as a small and friendly training centre, however it offers tertiary/quaternary hospital services with a large community cachement area, to ensure that you see a breadth and volume of interesting cases. You will join the growing and collegial GIM division and will work closely with a core group of general internists who are invested in helping you develop into a strong clinician and pursue your career interests, whether in research or other academic pursuits, or to further develop advanced clinical or procedural skills.
Queen’s welcomes equally applicants interested in either an academic or clinical stream, and offers a variety of options for the fifth year of training, according to the interests of the resident. This fifth year may incorporate protected research time, dedicated training in procedural skills, or extra training opportunities in clinical domains such as peri-operative medicine, obstetric medicine, cardiovascular risk management such as stroke prevention and hypertension. Many residents choose a variety of elective rotations tailored to their future clinical practice. We are happy to work with each fellow to develop an individual plan that will prepare them well for their future career in GIM.
The Queen’s GIM program is notable as the first GIM program in the country to have implemented a competency-based medical education (CBME) training program. Elements of CBME have been in place since 2015, with a fully competency-based curriculum implemented in July 2017. This is well before the Royal College’s national rollout of competency-based education in the subspecialty of general internal medicine in July 2019. These years of experience mean that your competency-based training at Queen’s will be smooth and successful.
Other program highlights include a strong and varied academic half day series, focusing on both medical and professional career management topics, many opportunities to take on the Junior Attending role, a weekly longitudinal clinic where you will act as MRP for your own patient roster, and a collegial and supportive group of faculty and fellow residents.
We look forward to welcoming you to Queen’s for your interview, and would be happy to speak to any candidates interested in our program.
This residency program is for 2 years.
Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.
This is a two year training program in general internal medicine, accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
In a competency-based curriculum, training experiences may differ according to the needs and demonstrated competencies of the resident.
This gives 12-13 blocks of elective time to pursue your interests. In particular, the PGY-5 year can be very flexible. Options include time to pursue a further formal training program, dedicated research time, or pursuing opportunities to develop strong clinical training in procedures, or other areas of special interest such as obstetric or peri-operative medicine. You may also choose not to have a focus of interest, but to pursue rotations and opportunities to further develop as a well-rounded general internist, and many fellows use this time to pursue different community GIM electives. Consider your career goals and speak with the program director about what opportunities may be available – we can craft a unique program of electives to help you develop into the type of general internist you want to be.
Weekly educational conference attendance includes GIM Rounds – Journal Club, Case Rounds, Peri-op and OB Medicine Rounds, Sign-In Rounds (morning report), Department of Medicine Grand Rounds and Medical Mortality Rounds, and your GIM Academic Halfday.
The GIM Academic Half day series focuses on both medical topics and other topics related to practice management and career development.
Twice weekly Urgent GIM Clinic is run by the residents, and receives urgent consults from the ER and community, as well as your own follow up patients from hospital. You will participate in this clinic, and will follow your own patients, developing your skills as a consultant and MRP.
