We are Caring, Dedicated, and Responsive

The main strength of our program is in its personnel. Our program leadership, administrators, preceptors, residents, and in some instances our patients, exhibit a true desire to provide excellent clinical care and prioritize our resident’s training. Our program is exceptionally receptive to feedback and responsive. Annually we hold a “resident feedback” session during an Academic Day, to field organized feedback regarding areas of strength and improvement from the entire resident cohort.

Examples of changes made to prioritize resident learning and wellbeing include:

Addition and/or removal of rotations as learning experiences and clinical expectations change
Increasing flexibility of vacation scheduling
Simplifying residents’ experience in tracking graduation requirements
Introducing a “Transition to Residency” curriculum in block 1 of the R1 year
Increasing program assistance to Family Medicine Resident’s Association (FMRA) activity

Residents are a Priority

Residents are treated with the utmost respect as junior colleagues in our program. We respect your status as adult, self-driven learners by providing flexibility through electives, horizontal programming, and options for integration. 

We recognize that the breadth of Family Medicine’s scope can be intimidating. To that end, our curriculum allows ample opportunities for exposure to diverse clinical settings, including acute care. Maintaining a balance between acute and outpatient care, resident wellness, and the clinical confidence of our graduates is one of our highest priorities.

We respect that residency training can be demanding. To provide dedicated, individualized support, we have a designated Assistant Program Director, Resident Support whose main focus is to support residents in need, and to provide guidance for navigating residency. Flex days, float days, educational days, and a recent increase in vacation flexibility are additional ways we support resident wellness. Post-call taxi rides (both to and from the hospital) are reimbursed to ensure resident safety.

Our Graduates Are Prepared

Our curriculum is deliberate in its design to ensure residents leave our program prepared to practice in any setting. Exposure to a solid foundation of family medicine, bolstered by experiences in rural, acute, and specialty care help to equip our graduates with the competencies they need to confidently provide care to their patients and communities. Family physicians learn throughout their career, and our curriculum helps our residents build skills to continually adapt to a dynamic medical landscape.

Our Residents have Fun

Our program leans heavily on a sense of community. We have an active Family Medicine Residents Association (FMRA) with regular social activities, a welcome BBQ each summer, and a graduation celebration at the end of training. Post-Covid19, we are actively reviving in-person, social activities to ensure our residents enjoy time together, outside of clinical settings. Come join our family – we would love to have you!

CLINICAL CURRICULUM

See full details at the University of Alberta Family Medicine website.

R1 Year

• Foundations – 4 weeks (Block 1) – Completion of required courses (First Aid, NRP, PALS), workshops, and a general transition to residency.
• Family Medicine – 20 weeks minimum -integrating maternity and newborn care, Behavioural Medicine workshops and opportunities for horizontal electives
• Adult Inpatient Medicine – 8 weeks, divided between Internal Medicine and Family Medicine inpatient care
• CCU (Coronary Care unit) – 4 weeks
• Pediatrics – 6 weeks total  –  4 weeks Peds Emergency Medicine, 2 weeks community hospital based
• Emergency – 4 weeks 
• Obstetrics – 2 weeks
• Vacation – 4 weeks – Can be taken all at once or split into 2 x 2 weeks

R2 Year

• Urban Family Medicine- 0-8 weeks
• Rural Family Medicine – 8-16 weeks (A minimum 0f 8 weeks of rural FM must be completed, however up to 16 weeks of rural [and therefore 0 weeks of Urban] may be completed)
• Geriatrics – 4 weeks
• Emergency – 4 weeks 
• General Surgery – 4 weeks
• MSK/Ortho Selective – 4 weeks 
• Palliative Care – 2 weeks
• Psychiatry – 4 weeks
• Electives/Selectives – minimum of 10 weeks
• Vacation – 4 weeks Can be taken all at once or split into 2 – 2 week 

Horizontal Experiences: Half or full-day elective experiences during R1 FM Blocktime, customized by resident’s individual interest or educational needs.

Integrated Options: A unique way to integrate (plan and meet learning objectives) certain rotations longitudinally over multiple blocks, allowing for continuous learning as well as gaining additional elective time during their R2 year.

ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

See full details at the University of Alberta Family Medicine website.

• Foundations Block “Transition to Residency”
  • The first block in R1 is dedicated to transitioning to residency. This will prioritize familiarization with your home clinic and faculty advisor, organized completion of mandatory requirements such as simulations, Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) , Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and others. This block also allows residents to connect with each other and build community and support.  
• Academic Days (AD)
  • The Academic curriculum consists of 24 rotating monthly topics on a two-year schedule. Monthly academic days include small group case-based learning, journal review, ethics cases, practice exam (SAMP) questions, literature updates, and didactic lectures by family doctors and other specialists and professionals. We use online tools, including recorded video lectures to enhance learning.
• Acute Care Simulation Sessions
• Exam Prep – SOO practice exam workshops for R2’s Monthly practice SAMP questions for both years.
• Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop (2 days)
• Procedural Skills workshops – Including (but not limited to) IUDs, Endometrial biopsies, obstetric perineal repairs, central lines, lumbar punctures, joint injections, skin biopsies and excisions, and more.
• Behavioural Medicine Workshop – training in communication skills, ethics, and physician wellness
• Resident As Teacher (RAT) – Residents will have sessions and education on how to be an effective teacher, and teach small group sessions to Y1 to Y4 medical students.
• Practice Management  – Workshop for R2’s as they transition to independent practice
• CASTED Course – Enhanced Orthopedics Training
• Point of Care Ultrasound Intro Course – Introduction to the use of Ultrasound in Primary Care
• Planetary Health– new initiatives being developed in collaboration with our Yellowknife stream.
• Other Postgraduate Courses:
  • ACLS is required before a resident starts the program on July 1st.  ACLS, ATLS, ALARM, PALS and NRP courses are mandatory and will be coordinated with the 1st R1 “Foundations” block. Costs will be reimbursed by Alberta Health Services upon successful completion. 

Involvement in the FMRA

Our program is resident-driven, with abundant opportunity to become involved in the running and refinement of our program. There are many positions within our Family Medicine Residents’ Association (FMRA) including two co-chief’s, academic planning reps, advanced skills reps, research reps, social and wellness reps, site reps, and many more.