Program Contacts

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Important Information

Please be aware the Ministry of Health has mandated all hospital and health care employers establish, implement and ensure compliance with a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.  The Ministry directive can be reviewed here. Residents matched to any Ontario residency program must ensure they are able to comply with the Ministry directive in order to start training July 1, 2022.  

It is important to understand this is an evolving issue. You are required to review Provincial, Hospital, University and Program information to ensure you are in continued compliance with directives. 

All candidates must meet the Ontario Criteria of Eligibility found here. 

MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada qualifying examination) Part 1 results: 

Trainees will be required to disclose their MCCQE Part 1 examination results upon entry into any of the University of Ottawa's training programs. The purpose of this disclosure is to allow for resources to be provided to the few residents who would benefit from extra support early in their residency in an effort to maximize their success.

Licensing/Registration:  Must have documents verified through physiciansapply.ca

Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements may result in an applicant’s file not being reviewed or removed from the Rank Order List.

 

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Our preferred method of communicating with all applicants is via email.

Extraneous documents are not needed and may lower the le assessment score.

Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements may result in an applicant’s file not being reviewed or removed from the Rank Order List.

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Supporting Documentation

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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

At least one letter of reference must be from a physician practicing in public health.

Letters of reference specific to the practice of PHPM are preferred.

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Interviews

Dates:

• March 8, 2022
• March 9, 2022

Selection Criteria

1. Personal Attributes

The following attributes will be considered when ranking candidates:

• Academic competence (intellectual capacity, critical thinking skills, problem solving ability, and academic achievement). Applicants with a University average below B+ will not be considered.
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Professionalism
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, including leadership traits, the capacity for self-reflection, and an orientation to inter-disciplinary practice
• Self-directed and independent learning
• Orientation to justice and equity, and to inter-disciplinary practice

2.  Evidence of commitment to a career in PHPM:

Candidates must demonstrate a genuine interest in public health and preventive medicine, which will be assessed through the review of the documentation and during the interview.  Knowledge of the Canadian public health workplace, whether gained through pre-med exposure, as a volunteer, or through Public Health electives is important because students who understand the public health work environment are more likely to complete their training.  Normally, documentation of experience in the Canadian Public Health workplace is a screening criterion in Round 1 CaRMS.  Exceptionally, this criterion will not be applied due to the difficulties in taking elective rotations because of CoViD-19.

Candidates' applications should provide evidence of excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

The ability to review, synthesize, and summarize complex and potentially contradictory information may be assessed with a written question conducted before or shortly after the interview. A decision about this criterion will depend upon the number of applicants lacking direct experience in PH in Canada.

Although bilingualism is not necessary, a working knowledge of French is an asset to learning and opens options for placements.

The practice of PH&PM requires an inquiring mind and strong commitment to lifelong learning; experience and interest in Public Health research is an asset for a career in Public Health. Therefore, applications are screened for evidence of these traits.

Program goals

The University of Ottawa PHPM program strives to prepare learners to be leaders within the Public Health field. Residents graduate with the knowledge and confidence to pursue their career goals and step into public health physician roles at the local, provincial or federal level.

Our program will:

1. Prepare incoming PHPM residents for the Public Health workplace by providing specialty-specific knowledge, skills and abilities that are not provided in medical school
2. Lay the groundwork for a successful Public Health career by providing specific skills for leadership
3. Support medical expert requirements of Royal College by providing academic training in all areas as required by the Royal College PHPM Objectives of Training and supporting the personal learning goals of our residents:
   • The School of Epidemiology and Public Health, within which the PHPM training program resides, offers both a Master’s in Epidemiology and a Master’s in Public Health. The MPH offers options to focus on either Health Policy or Global Health Care.
   • The uOttawa PHPM training program is uniquely situated to offer core and elective training within the federal government, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, First Nations and Inuit Health, RCMP, and the Department of National Defence.

Selection process goals

The goal of our selection process is to identify candidates who will thrive in our program and in their career as Public Health physicians. Our program is strengthened by the initiatives and insights from the fantastic residents that we have selected year over year. We are looking for bright, self-reflective and self-motivated leaders who are passionate about health equity and improving the health of the population.

Candidates must demonstrate the following:

• Knowledge of the practice of Public Health in Canada; motivation to be a Public Health Physician, awareness of the profession
• candidates must have experience in the practice of Public Health in Canada before applying to the program because the practice of Public Health requires a blend of knowledge, skills and abilities that differs from other specialties. This has been exceptionally waved during the COVID-19 pandemic.  
• a demonstrated ability of self-assessment and drive is required because self-study is needed to gain the knowledge and skills required for a public health physician
• Self-awareness; Ability to reflect;
• resilience (ability to grow and bounce back in face of adversity, where appropriate)
• self-directed learning
• ability to work with others
• ability to recognize other's needs and abilities; motivate; emotional intelligence when working in groups
• Critical thinking in conditions of uncertainty
• Ability to identify issues and analyze problems critically
• Ability to assess arguments and draw conclusions with open-mindedness and curiosity
• Ability to make decisions when both information and impact are uncertain
• Application of Public Health ethics to decision-making
• Professionalism
• understanding of Public Health ethics and population health values
• recognition of the mandated role of medical officers of health, having legislated authority
• impact of Public Health decisions is at the level of a population, therefore has consequences to the public as a whole vs. to individuals

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

We do not consider any information gathered outside of the CaRMS application and local interview processes.

Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
Unprofessional or inappropriate behavior   
Did not attend interview   
Interview performance was not competitive   

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Program Highlights

The Public Health and Preventive Medicine postgraduate program at the University of Ottawa offers the opportunity for residents to receive comprehensive public health and preventive medicine training while living and working in the beautiful city of Ottawa. Ottawa offers a mix of Public Health training opportunities that are unique to our region: Department of National Defence, Ottawa Public Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, among others.

Many recreational and cultural opportunities are available in Ottawa and surrounding areas, and residents are encouraged to take advantage of what this community has to offer in their pursuit of a healthy work-life balance.

Our educational program is carefully designed to provide residents with wonderful learning opportunities. We offer a variety of training opportunities in both official languages, in rural as well as urban settings. Our aim is to prepare residents to independently practice public health and preventive medicine at the local, regional, and national levels. Consequently, after training in the foundations of public health has been completed, residents will gradually assume increasing levels of responsibility, culminating in opportunities to act as a consultant and/or Associate Medical Officer of Health.

Training is based on a mixture of classes & seminars (academic training required by the Royal College), experience-based learning (rotations), resident co-directed collaborative learning (e.g. academic half-day) and self-directed learning that may include on-line training, directed reading, one-on-one coaching and journal clubs. The program is committed to tailoring training to the learning needs of the resident. Formative assessments are used to support reflective practice and help residents direct their learning.

Our program values self-reflection and personal growth. uOttawa provides residents with opportunities to learn about themselves through courses such as those offered by the Professional Development Institute, "Residents as Leaders", and "Residents as Teachers". From PGY3 onwards, all uOttawa residents participate in annual or biannual 360 degree assessments, which provide insight into the perception of your peers, supervisors and staff concerning your accomplishment of the core competencies of our profession and CanMEDS roles.

Additional training sessions, unique to our program include: the PHPM "Boot Camp" series that cover basics of how to thrive in the PH workplace and the "Essentials for PHPM Leadership" seminar series offered every second year. Additionally, UOttawa residents are encouraged to attend the National PHPM Review Course at Queen's, the cost of which can be covered by the program. UO residents are allocated funds to support them to attend conferences and special training.

Other special seminars include on-site training with professional media relations staff at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit or Ottawa Public Health, seminars at the Public Health Agency of Canada, and site visits to water treatment centres. Our program is flexible and responsive to learner needs, allowing residents to benefit from other opportunities as they arise. For example, family medicine residents have been provided with PH rotations to respond to outbreaks.

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Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 5 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

Family Medicine Stream

The first two years of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency are integrated with the Family Medicine Program of the University of Ottawa. Family Medicine Stream residents are expected to complete the requirements for Certification in Family Medicine. Throughout the Family Medicine training, Public Health and Preventive Medicine residents are encouraged to focus on clinical areas relevant to Public Health Medicine (e.g., Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, under-serviced populations, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Indigenous peoples).  There are opportunities for residents to pursue particular interests through electives.

The third year of the program is dedicated to academic coursework, covering the basic sciences underpinning public health practice.  Courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, and other public health sciences provide the theoretical and conceptual training that the resident requires to work in public health and preventive medicine.  Placements before and after the formal academic training are designed to reinforce the relevance of the scientific training for professional practice.  Residents are encouraged to complete a Master's degree, if they do not already have one; individual arrangements are made to ensure that the program supports them in this goal. Residents are strongly advised to integrate their thesis into a field placement.

The remainder of training (three blocks of 3rd year, the 4th and 5th years) are field placements in public health core rotations, with 5 blocks of elective.

Mandatory Rotations: Years 3-5 of the Family Medicine Stream

	Number of Blocks
Academic Training	10	Focus on Epidemiological and Biostatistical methodologies important to Public Health Practice.
Communicable Disease/ Health Protection	3 blocks junior & 3 blocks senior	Focus on communicable disease and outbreak management activities at the local public health unit.  Complementary activities in risk assessment, risk management and environmental health.
Health Promotion/ Disease Prevention	3 blocks junior & 3 blocks senior	Work as part of a multidisciplinary team on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention strategies at the local public health unit.  Explore ways to connect with different populations and community partners in a variety of settings and using different communication strategies.
Surveillance/ Epidemiology	3	Develop expertise in assessing the health needs of a defined population.  Participate in the development and/or evaluation of a disease or injury surveillance system.
Environmental Health	3	Junior resident placement, acting as a consultant on Environmental Health Issues.
Senior Management and Leadership	6	Six blocks of 5th year will be spent in a health unit. Every effort will be made to place residents into health units where the resident can take on the role of an Associate Medical Officer of Health. The goal of the Consolidation is to acquire mastery of the core competencies of PH, in preparation for transition to practice.

In all training sites, residents work with public health and preventive specialists, medical officers of health and associate medical officers of health, public health physicians and other accredited public health professionals.  The goal of the core rotations is to acquire competence, as defined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Objectives of Training in PHPM, in communicable disease control, health promotion, environmental health, disease surveillance, PH emergency management, policy development, PH ethics, PH unit management, leadership and research, applied across different populations and contexts.

Five blocks of training are elective.  Most residents choose to undertake their electives at the end of their training, but this is not required. Residents can work in new settings or return to any of the core rotations to undertake more advanced professional activities.  In some cases, this time can be used to complete thesis research or undertake a research project.

General Stream

Please refer to the program description specific to the general stream (see below) for details and apply to this stream separately, should it be available. In the event that the general stream is not one of the options, CMG candidates invited for an interview may inform the Program Administrator of their interest following their match result.

The first year of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency is dedicated to Basic Clinical Training. Public Health and Preventive Medicine residents focus on clinical areas relevant to Public Health Medicine (e.g., Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases).  There are opportunities for residents to pursue particular interests through electives.

The second year of the program is dedicated to academic coursework, covering the basic sciences underpinning public health practice.  Courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, and other public health sciences provide the theoretical and conceptual training that the resident requires to work in public health and preventive medicine.  Placements before and after the formal academic training are designed to reinforce the relevance of the scientific training for professional practice.  Residents are encouraged to complete a Master's degree, if they do not already have one; individual arrangements are made to ensure that the program supports them in this goal. Residents are strongly advised to integrate their thesis into a field placement.

The remainder of training (three blocks of 2^nd year, the 3rd, 4th and 5th years) are field placements in public health core rotations, with 13 blocks of elective. 

Mandatory Rotations: Years 3-5 of the General Stream

	Number of Blocks
Communicable Disease/ Health Protection	3 blocks junior & 3 blocks senior	Focus on communicable disease and outbreak management activities at the local public health unit.  Complementary activities in risk assessment, risk management and environmental health.
Health Promotion/ Disease Prevention	3 blocks junior & 3 blocks senior	Work as part of a multidisciplinary team on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention strategies at the local public health unit.  Explore ways to connect with different populations and community partners in a variety of settings and using different communication strategies.
Surveillance/ Epidemiology	4	Develop expertise in assessing the health needs of a defined population.  Participate in the development and/or evaluation of a disease or injury surveillance system.
Environmental Health	3	Junior resident placement, acting as a consultant on Environmental Health Issues.
Public Health Policy and Planning (Policy)	4	The resident learns to conduct a policy analysis and learns to apply skills to the different stages of the policy cycle: agenda setting, policy formulation, decision-making, policy implementation and policy evaluation. This is the rotation where the resident practices the health advocate role.
Senior Management and Leadership	6	Six blocks of 5th year will be spent in a health unit. Every effort will be made to place residents into health units where the resident can take on the role of an Associate Medical Officer of Health. The goal of the Consolidation is to acquire mastery of the core competencies of PH, in preparation for transition to practice.

In all training sites, residents work with public health and preventive specialists, medical officers of health and associate medical officers of health, public health physicians and other accredited public health professionals.  The goal of the core rotations is to acquire competence, as defined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Objectives of Training in PHPM, in communicable disease control, health promotion, environmental health, disease surveillance, PH emergency management, policy development, PH ethics, PH unit management, leadership and research, applied across different populations and contexts.

Thirteen blocks of training are elective.  Most residents choose to undertake their electives at the end of their training, but this is not required. Residents can work in new settings or return to any of the core rotations to undertake more advanced professional activities.  In some cases, this time can be used to complete thesis research or undertake a research project.

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Training Sites

Training sites for the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency program offer a wide range of opportunities in varied settings.  Family medicine training takes place at a local family practice centre or one of the Ottawa Hospital campuses (see program description for uOttawa Family Medicine training program).

Academic training takes place within Master’s programs offered by the School of Epidemiology and Public Health, located at the Alta Vista Campus of the University of Ottawa. The school offers both a Master’s in Science (Epidemiology) and a Master’s in Public Health.

Public Health and Preventive Medicine core rotations are provided through the federal government (the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Department of National Defence, Indigenous Services Canada), Provincial government (Public Health Ontario) & local departments of health (Ottawa Public Health, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit in Smith’s Falls, and Eastern Ontario Health Unit).  Elective sites include all of the above, other rural health units, and special interest specific sites such as Environment Canada, Centre for Addictions and Mental Health. The uOttawa PHPM program supports residents in achieving their personal career goals and as such, other sites will be considered on a resident-by-resident basis, subject to the approval of the Residency Program Committee (RPC). Residents may choose to do elective rotations at sites in other provinces and territories. Out of country rotations are possible, provided they are self-funded and approved by the RPC. Consultation with the Program Director will be necessary before submission of applications to the RPC.

Please note that residents working in federal government sites must undergo security checks at the "secret" level. 

 

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Additional Information

Placement of successful candidates:

Applicants will be accepted into the residency program according to the norms of CaRMS.  As soon as the match results are announced, we will contact successful candidates to assign residents to the clinical rotations and teaching sites.  The residency training program reserves the right to determine placement according to the capacity of individual training sites.

Transportation to training sites

Residents are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to training sites. Because some of the training sites are rural health units, residents must have a valid driver’s license in Ontario & have access to an automobile.

Resources

All residents receive full access to the University of Ottawa library holdings.  This includes electronic search engines, electronic indexes, and the electronic medical/health journals to which the university subscribes.

Residents have access to the Ottawa Hospital Medical Library and services.  Ottawa Public Health Unit contracts its library service from The Ottawa Hospital.

Residents have access to Physician Health Services.

Master’s Degrees

PHPM residents do NOT have to complete a Master's Degree. However, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requires that PHPM residents complete certain academic training. The Residency Program Committee determines the academic requirements as a whole, but for each resident, the specifics of training will be planned with the Academic Advisor in consultation with the Program Director (Program Director). Individualized recommendations for training will be made, if required.  If the Academic Advisor advises the Program Director that the resident has completed the required training (as defined by the Residency Training Committee based on the Royal College requirements for PHPM Training Programs), you are not obliged to complete any further academic training. The Program Director at University of Ottawa will confirm these decisions in discussion with the resident.

Residents without a Master's degree are strongly supported by the program to complete a Master's because it is an advantage when applying for positions.

Maintenance of clinical competence after completing Family Medicine

Residents who are successful in their Family Medicine exams may apply for an independent license in the province of Ontario. Residents remain employees of the University of Ottawa, which is their first responsibility. When in possession of an independent license, residents may practice (and bill) as Family Medicine physicians on their own time ie when not working on rotation or on call.

The Program Director retains the authority to require that the resident maintain the standards of the training program, which may include requiring that an under-performing resident cease independent clinical practice.  To date, this has not occurred within our program.

Residents may take the equivalent of ½ day per week to practice clinical medicine as part of the program in an appropriate supervised PH setting such as an sexual health clinic, travel medicine, or serving disadvantaged populations. All the conditions for an elective rotation must be satisfied, including appropriate supervision, development of objectives of training, assessment and appropriate permissions from the program director, RTC and the supervisor for the substantive rotation within which the clinical rotation is nested.

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FAQ

Please refer to the information included in the "Additional Information" section.