McMaster University - Family Medicine - Rural-Owen Sound
2022 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream including MOTP/MMTP for CMG
Last approved on January 19, 2022
Summary of changesAccreditation status : Accredited
Provincial Criteria
David Braley Health Sciences Centre
100 Main Street West, 2nd Floor
Hamilton , Ontario, L8P 1H6
Program Contacts
Important Information
Please refer to the CaRMS website for provincial eligibility information CaRMS Ontario Provincial Criteria. It is important to review the requirements carefully.
Regarding the application and interview process:
- McMaster Family Medicine has a centralized admissions process. This means that only one application package is required regardless of the number of sites to which you apply (Brampton, Grand Erie Six Nations, Halton, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Niagara or Rural). The same package should be uploaded for each site.
- You will participate in only one interview virtually.
For CaRMS 2022 (this cycle) Family Medicine Programs have adopted the Family Medicine Structured Reference Letter (SRL). Any FM program requesting a reference will require the SRL. Traditional narrative letters will NOT be accepted. Should your referee submit a traditional letter it will not be reviewed and your application may be deemed incomplete. Please direct your referees to the SRL on the CaRMS website.
FMProC- New requirement for 2022
The McMaster University Family Medicine Program is very excited to be one of 6 participating Family Medicine Residency Programs to use the FM-ProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices), which is a Family Medicine context-specific Situational Judgement Test. You will be required to write this Situational Judgement Test for your application to be deemed complete. More details and information about FMProC can be found here.
To register for FMProC please visit https://fmproc.com as of December 13th, 12:00pm noon EST.
Regarding the program:
- Our program seeks out the best educational opportunities for residents necessitating local travel within your site. It is essential that all residents have access to a car.
- All residents will be scheduled for home call during their family medicine rotations; therefore, it is strongly recommended that residents live within 30 minutes of their home base.
To learn more about the program, upcoming informational events and the McMaster PGME community please visit: https://pgme.mcmaster.ca/carms_r1_match_program_information/
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Don't forget:
You will need to register and complete FM-ProC during the test-window in January. FMProC Registration will open at 12:00pm noon (ET) on December 13th, 2021. To register for FMProC please visit https://fmproc.com.
For more information about FMProC, click here.
Supporting Documentation
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
Proof of valid current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by submitting one of the following verifications to CaRMS by the File Review Opening deadline. Failure to provide valid proof will result in your application being removed. No other forms of verification are acceptable:
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Birth Certificate/Act of Birth issued by an authority in Canada accompanied by photo ID (must be valid Canadian government-issued photo ID).
- Documents must be notarized/certified photocopies. Notarized/certified copies must not be older than two years from the application submission deadline; otherwise, a new notarized/certified copy is required.
- Confirmation of permanent residence must be accompanied by a photo ID (must be a valid Canadian government-issued photo ID).
Three Family Medicine Structured Reference Letters (SRL) are to be sent to the Program through CaRMS. The three letters should be from health care professionals who can speak to the clinical and professional capabilities of the applicant, and suitability for Family Medicine. Please use the same three SRLs for all sites to which you apply.
Personal Letter
Our program is enriched by a diverse resident body, bringing a range of experiences and backgrounds. We invite you to share the unique contributions you would offer.
Please answer the following questions, with a numbered paragraph of up to 250 words for each. Please assign the same personal reflection to all McMaster FM sites to which you are applying.
- How do you envision your future as a family doctor? How have your clinical and non-clinical experiences contributed to this vision?
- Why do you feel McMaster Family Medicine is the right choice for you?
- Clinical curiosity, social accountability, and advocacy are critical to the future of family medicine. Share an example when you demonstrated one of these qualities in a clinical or non-clinical setting.
- Optional: We recognize that some applicants have taken non-traditional routes toward a career in Family Medicine, or have experienced life circumstances that may appear as gaps in their resumes. Both non-traditional routes and life-circumstances should not disadvantage excellent candidates. If relevant, you are invited to discuss any gaps in training, program extensions, or other areas of your application you feel deserve further explanation. If not applicable, please simply indicate N/A, for which you will not be disadvantaged.
Order from your Dean's Office
Medical School TranscriptMedical school transcripts that are sent directly from the applicant's university to CaRMS do not need to be notarized/certified. Medical school transcripts submitted by the applicant do not need to be notarized/certified; however, documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation.
Family Medicine rural addendum/questionnaireIf applying to a Rural Program, you MUST complete a Rural Addendum. Only one rural addendum is required regardless of the number of rural sites to which you apply. The rural addendum document (maximum of 500 words and in paragraph format) must answer each of the following questions:
- Describe your personal rural background and/or rural involvement and experience, both prior to and during medical school.
- What has led you to apply for a residency in rural Family Medicine and why would you value a rural residency position?
- Describe the type of future rural practice that would fit you best.
Rural addendums are scored separately and failure to submit will have a negative impact on your overall rural file review score.
Family Medicine Professional Choices AssessmentFMProC Score
When you receive your FMProC result letter, even though this will be after the CaRMS Document upload deadline, please remember to upload this document into your CaRMS account to ensure your application package is complete.
Please note: Required if Medical school has been completed.
Review Process
Applications submitted after file review has opened on January 31, 2022
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on January 31, 2022
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on January 31, 2022
Should you wish to add a new stream/site to your rank list, please update your CaRMS application online no later than 11:59 pm EST on Monday, February 28th, 2022. Any additions submitted after this time will not be considered for ranking.
Interviews
Friday March 4 1-4pm
Saturday March 5 9am-12pm
Saturday March 5 1-4pm
Monday March 7 6-9pm
Wednesday March 9 9am-12pm
Thursday March 10 6-9pm
In addition to the interview, we will be hosting virtual Information Sessions. Confirmed details can be found here: https://pgme.mcmaster.ca/carms_r1_match_program_information/.
Selection Criteria
The McMaster Family Medicine residency program has 6 urban and 6 rural sites, each listed as a distinct program on CaRMS. Applicants should assign the same set of documents to each site to which they apply. Rural applicants should also assign the rural addendum to each rural site.
Selection is based on a centralized file review and interview process, as outlined below. This same process applies whether you apply to a single site or multiple. You may add additional sites to your McMaster FM application at any time, up to the last day of McMaster FM interviews. This will not influence the selection process.
The file review score determines those candidates who are offered an interview. The file review score is then equally weighted with the interview score to generate a total score for each applicant. This establishes the recommended rank list which is shared across all sites. Individual sites have the discretion to adjust the recommended rank list based on local selection committee factors, which may include community needs and programmatic variations.
Program goals
Informed by the Department’s mission of service, teaching and discovery, the primary goals of the McMaster University Family Medicine Residency Training Program are to:
- Guide and prepare residents competent for independent practice as comprehensive family physicians in diverse practice settings
- Model and support comprehensive practice, responsive to the needs of our graduates’ communities
This will be evidenced by the following program outcomes:
- Graduates demonstrate a variety of FM skills and clinical practice styles that meet the needs of diverse Ontario communities, including rural and underserved populations
- Graduates demonstrate scholarship as teachers, researchers, and leaders
- Graduates demonstrate lifelong learning skills, evidence-based and reflective practice and life skills for sustainable long-term practice
Our Department’s Core Values of Respect, Honour, Creativity and Generosity describe a commitment to the culture experienced by all staff, learners and faculty.
Selection process goals
Family physicians, working together, provide a system of front-line health care that is accessible, high-quality, comprehensive and continuous. Given that this is achieved through relational continuity and a commitment to a broad scope of practice, our program welcomes and encourages a diversity of elective experiences during undergraduate training that are FM relevant or generalist experiences; on-site electives not expected.
To support our residents’ development of a variety of FM skills and clinical practice styles that meet the needs of diverse Ontario communities, including rural and underserved populations, our program seeks residents who:
- Recognize the importance and value of primary care
- Are self-directed learners
- Have demonstrated strong clinical performance to date
- Are skilled at self-assessment
- Have strong interpersonal skills
- Give and receive constructive feedback
- Have developed life skills for personal and professional resilience
- Reflect the diversity of Canada
To support our residents’ development of scholarship as teachers, researchers and leaders, our program seeks residents who demonstrate:
- Clinical curiosity
- Social accountability
- Advocacy
Successful applicants will embody and contribute to our core DFM values of:
Respect, Honour, Creativity and Generosity.
File review process
Review team composition : Our file review team consists of the Program Director, Site Directors and other family medicine faculty who are, or have been, Primary Preceptors in our program. All have a strong understanding of the program and participate in mandatory file review training.
Files are sorted by school, then randomly assigned to reviewers, with approximately 12 files assigned per reviewer.
File review follows a structured rubric with each file reviewed by two separate reviewers to ensure rater and scoring reliability. In the case of discordance, a third reviewer will be used.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 601 +
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
We offer interviews to ~600 residents each year, which represents ~70% of the applicants to our program.
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Significant achievements, FM relevant activities, employment |
| Electives | Range of FM relevant or generalist experiences; on-site electives not expected |
| Examinations | Not evaluated |
| Extra-curricular | Community volunteerism, advocacy, teaching, mentorship, teamwork, work-life balance |
| Leadership skills | Roles in student government, university committees, clubs, community organizations, etc |
| MSPRs | Academic and clinical performance, professionalism, other contributions |
| Personal letters | Self-reflection, unique contributions, understanding of FM and McMaster’s program/regions |
| Reference documents | Clinical performance, communication, professionalism, fit with FM |
| Research/Publications | Evidence of scholarship, emphasis on transferable skill set to FM |
| Transcripts | Academic and clinical performance, professionalism |
| Other file component(s) |
Rural addendum: Demonstrated interest and experience in rural settings Situational Judgement Test (SJT) |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Appreciation for team, and individual role within it |
| Collegiality | Warmth, authenticity, compassion |
| Communication skills | Clarity of communication, ability to build rapport |
| Health advocacy | Demonstrated understanding of the importance of health advocacy in FM |
| Interest in the discipline | Convincing interest in, and understanding of, Family Medicine |
| Interest in the program | Familiarity with program/sites |
| Leadership skills | Demonstrated capacity for leadership |
| Professionalism | Respectful interactions, language, attire |
| Scholarly activities | We do not evaluate this interview component |
| Other interview component(s) | Resiliency, demonstrated ability to learn and reflect |
Information gathered outside of CaRMS application
Specifically, we may consider:Ranking process
The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :Program Curriculum
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.
The McMaster Family Medicine Residency Program is designed to provide flexible postgraduate training to meet the individual needs of each resident, recognizing the varying patterns of practice in different family practice settings.
The Family Medicine program is dedicated to the development of competent family physicians providing comprehensive, continuous care. We are actively working towards a curriculum that is centred in Family Medicine optimizing the strengths and opportunities of each of our program sites.
In your first year, you will complete the following rotations:
- 4 blocks of Family Medicine
- 2 blocks of Care of the Hospitalized Adult
- 2 blocks of Emergency Medicine
- 2 blocks of Women's Health and Obstetrics
- 2 blocks of Care of Children
- 1 block of Family Medicine/Academic Programming (Block 7)
- Academic Programming throughout the year
In your second year, you will complete the following rotations:
- 4 blocks of Family Medicine
- 2 blocks of rural Family Medicine (or remote Family Medicine)
- 2 blocks of core Medicine/Surgery (options available)
- 1 block of Care of the Elderly
- 3 blocks of Elective
- 1 block of Family Medicine/Academic Programming (Block 7)
- Academic Programming throughout the year
There is a spectrum of "horizontal integration" to "traditional block rotation" at each site.
Each resident has a home base that serves as a foundation for their entire residency. Within this unit/practice, residents are assigned a family physician supervisor who functions as their primary clinical teacher and advisor throughout the two-year program.
General Information:
Applicants are encouraged to consider the importance of obsetrical and emergency care provision in rural settings as they plan their rural residency and future careers. Inpatient care is a daily part of a rural medicine life and this will be reflected in your residency training. The Rural Stream program will do everything possible to ensure excellent training for residents committed to comprehensive care provision.
Residents are urged to consider living in the community to which they match for the best experience of rural medicine and lifeystyle. It is a program requirement that residents live in this community for the blocks of their family medicine rotations for each of the two years.
The McMaster Rural Stream Sites work collaboratively with both the McMaster's Community and Rural Education Program (MacCare) and the Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP).
Rural Stream Program Design
The program is designed to prepare residents for rural practice by providing a combination of core and elective postgraduate training to meet the individual needs of each resident with a recognition of the varying patterns of practice in different rural family practice settings. Residency training is structured around core educational objectives with emphasis placed firmly on organized self-learning with appropriate faculty assistance for guidance and supervision. Sites within the program are of varying size with varying local resources. This provides residents with the ability to choose a site and develop appropriate skills for the type of community for which they wish to provide care in the future.
Residents are strongly encouraged to utilize their two-block rural rotation in their second year to experience remote medicine.
For additional information on our program design, please go to https://apply.fammedmcmaster.ca/prospective-residents/our-program/program-design/.
Academic Programming
Regardless of the site, all residents participate in a common curriculum that includes:
- Academic Half-Day
- Mental Health and Behavioural Science
- InQuiry
- Residency Practice Based Small Group (PBSG) learning program
- Practice Management
- Procedural Skills
For additional information on our academic programming, please go to https://apply.fammedmcmaster.ca/prospective-residents/our-program/academic-programming/.
Training Sites
Owen Sound
Owen Sound residents join the Collingwood and Mount Forest residents for academic sessions in Collingwood.
For more information on the Owen Sound site, please go to https://apply.fammedmcmaster.ca/prospective-residents/teachingsites/owen-sound/.
Additional Information
Please visit our website at www.fammedmcmaster.ca for more information on our sites and program updates.
Our residents are happy to hear from you. If you would like to speak with one of our chief residents, please contact us at carms@fammedmcmaster.ca.
Summary of changes
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