Are you a new graduate looking for a Family Medicine Residency program located in a growing rural community within a 90 minute drive of a large urban centre?

Then look no further!

Located in the County of Renfrew along Highway 17, Pembroke-Petawawa is only 140 kms West of Ottawa. Renowned as the Whitewater Capital of Canada, we are cradled between the Ottawa River and Algonquin Provincial Park. Pembroke is a vibrant small city of 16,200 and home to the Pembroke Regional Hospital, a regional centre with a staff of 750 who deliver a broad range of health care to a catchment area of 100,00 people. Petawawa is a friendly town with a dynamic youthful population (mean age of 32), founded on its natural resources and strategic military role.

Our Family practice teaching clinic is attached to the Pembroke Regional Hospital (PRH) and becomes the residents’ base throughout the two years of training. The PRH has 105 beds, access to many specialists including an ICU, imaging including CT and MRI. The size of PRH allows us to do rotations such as obstetrics, ER, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, Hospitalist and Internal Medicine within Pembroke, matter of fact the only rotation requiring travelling is Paediatrics wards done at CHEO in Ottawa. No more living out of suitcases!

Our family medicine preceptors practice comprehensive family practice. Exposing trainees to full spectrum cradle to grave care. Residents will get lots of hands on opportunities, with both office and hospital procedures. The curriculum is structured as a half-horizontal curriculum detailed below. This mix maximizes the opportunities for comprehensive care within family medicine, with some block based-rotations that benefit from some more intensive exposure.

Here you will have the chance to build on your skills and think about creating the type of practice that puts your interests and professional goals first while guaranteeing a lifestyle of your choosing. You will discover that a stimulating team approach to health care is at the forefront of our work within our practice environment.

After graduation, locum opportunities will also be available and offer an excellent opportunity to learn more about our medical groups and our community at large. By that time, you will be quite familiar with most of the physicians in our area, so the transition should be quite easy.

Our greater community has all the amenities you and your family will need and a wide range of practice options that you will be exposed to during your two years with us.

If rural family medicine in your career plan then we encourage you to visit our teaching unit located at the Pembroke Regional Hospital. We pride ourselves on offering the most in-depth rural family medicine education you will find anywhere.

We welcome the opportunity to tell you more about us and hope you would consider joining our program.

— Dr. Richard Johnson (Preceptor, Pembroke Site Director & Graduate of the PFMTU)

Resident Testimonial

Hi, my name is Farnaz Babanourouzi and I’m a second year family medicine resident at University of Ottawa, rural site, Pembroke. My experience thus far has been incredibly rewarding. One of the perks of residency in a rural setting is that rural residents are usually the only learners, with greater access to a mix of hands on training. As being the only learners, my residency training in Pembroke has really prepared me to practice in any setting. Whether I choose to continue to practice in a rural setting or not, I believe I would be prepared either way. Another reason that rural practice has been a great experience, particularly in the Ottawa Valley, are the people. Raised in a big city like Toronto, I could really see how patients in rural areas trust your knowledge and greatly appreciate caring for them, where there is a definitive shortage of doctors. Lastly, short commute, lower cost of living, lack of traffic and pollution, and many others, are all why one should consider practicing in a rural setting!