Aligned with NOSM University’s mission to support care in underserved areas, the program prepares residents to work beyond tertiary care centres, where specialist support may be limited. Through immersive clinical experiences, residents will develop the skills necessary to assess and manage the symptom needs of patients facing life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses regardless of the patient’s geographic location. Focus will be on patients with illnesses needing advanced palliative care support regardless of the diagnosis.

The core competencies of palliative care will be taught through a combination of clinical encounters, didactic lecture series, participation in journal club and grand rounds, and attendance at the National Academic Half Day (organized by the Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine). In addition, our program will specifically highlight how to deliver specialist-level palliative care to patients living rurally across Northern Ontario. This will be done by including residents in virtual care delivery methods (Ontario TeleHealth Network; phone consultation) as well as a mandatory rotation to a rural site in Northern Ontario.

At the core site of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre residents will be able to experience continuity of care, following patients that they meet in consultation throughout their journey in the health care system. The year will start and finish with the Palliative Care Team of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, with additional rotations with the Hospice Unit (St. Joseph’s Hospital in Thunder Bay) and oncology services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Additional mandatory rotations will include time in a rural setting (one of: Mindemoya, Marathon, North Bay, Huntsville), or a smaller urban centre like Sault Ste Marie. Residents will also have a rotation at Health Sciences North in Sudbury with their Specialized Palliative Care Team in order to work with a breadth of specialists. A rotation will also be included at a tertiary academic centre (Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto) to give learners a chance to see a larger volume of specialized approaches to complex palliative care issues such as complex pain management strategies (i.e., use of methadone, ketamine, opioid infusions), complex psychosocial presentations, and a multidisciplinary approach to care delivery.

There will be 3 blocks for electives, to allow residents to tailor their training to their specific needs.

Formal and informal mentorship will be integrated across the training program with the resident becoming embedded in the local palliative care community. Opportunities to work alongside allied health care workers (nurses, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, etc) will be encouraged.

Financial support will be provided for the resident to attend a session of Pallium’s Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP), likely by having them participate with NOSM U Family Medicine, if not already completed. Funding will also be available to support attendance at the annual conference of the Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine (the Advanced Learning in Palliative Medicine conference).