University of Alberta - Family Medicine - Edmonton
2022 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
IMG Stream for IMG
Last approved on January 07, 2022
Summary of changesAccreditation status : Accredited
Provincial Criteria
5-16 University Terrace
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Program Contacts
Important Information
1) For CARMS 2022 (this cycle) Family Medicine Programs have adopted the Canadian Family Medicine Structured Reference Form (SRF). Any FM program requesting a reference will require the form. 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 SRF on the CaRMS website.
2) The UofA 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: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vhPEe1iXqPY7SC1HlvzBGH-FA0EgWBEKag9-Pq9UQPM/edit?usp=sharing
Registration opens on December 13. 2021. To register for FMProC please visit https://fmproc.com
3) UofA Family Medicine does not require a traditional personal letter. Instead, please look at ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS and click on the Program Questionnaire and answer the specific questions.
Also read the following carefully:
IMGs who wish to compete for postgraduate medical training positions in Alberta are eligible to apply to IMG positions at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary provided they have applied to and been assessed as eligible by the Alberta International Medical Graduate Program (AIMG) Program.
The AIMG Program determination of eligibility to participate in the match process is valid for the specified match year only. Please visit the AIMG Program website (www.aimg.ca) for details on deadlines, eligibility criteria and the application process.
ALL matched applicants MUST successfully complete an Externship before they can proceed to residency training. Applicants MUST be available to start Externship on the dates below. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) licensure is mandatory for this component. The AIMG Program will provide information on this process to successful applicants.
All matched applicants must meet the licensing criteria for registration with CPSA for postgraduate education. Please review the requirements at www.cpsa.ab.ca. Any delays in providing the required documentation to the CPSA may result in a delay in the issuance of licensure and a delay in the start of Externship and postgraduate training.
Residency programs determine the final outcome of Externship; the decision is final and there is no appeal process.
Alberta IMG Program (AIMG) Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) results:
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) scores will be shared directly to the residency programs by AIMG. MMI results are not submitted by applicants.
Return of Service
There are no return of service requirements at the University of Alberta.
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Don't forget:
You will need three referees each using the STRUCTURED REFERENCE FORM.
You will need to register and complete FM-ProC during the test-window in January. Registration
information will be provided no later than December 8th, 2021. Program Descriptions will be updated in
CaRMS once this is available. You WILL be able to upload your results after the document deadline. For
more information about FMProC, click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vhPEe1iXqPY7SC1HlvzBGH-FA0EgWBEKag9-Pq9UQPM/edit?usp=sharing
Please complete the Edmonton IMG stream Program Questionnaire instead of a personal letter.
Supporting Documentation / Information
• 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)
• Record of Landing, clearly showing the date of landing in Canada
Canadian Permanent Resident card must be accompanied by Record of Landing, clearly showing the date of landing in Canada.
• IELTS
IMG and graduates of Canadian medical schools where instruction is not English (as identified by CPSA) must meet English language requirements required by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta for licensure. English Language Proficiency .
Effective January 1, 2018, IELTS will be the only English language proficiency test accepted by CPSA.
Please note that traditional narrative reference letters will NOT be accepted. Please ask referees to submit a FAMILY MEDICINE STRUCTURED REFERENCE FORM, available on the CaRMS website.
Forms completed by physicians with whom the candidate has worked in a CLINICAL setting are preferred. All three forms do not need to be completed by family physicians, however, at least one letter from a family physician is preferred.
Shared through physiciansapply.ca to your CaRMS application.
Medical School TranscriptPlease submit a copy of your medical school transcript. If the document is not in English, please submit a translation as well.
Custom Résumé / CV Documentation of prior postgraduate trainingIf applicable, please include as much detail as possible regarding specific rotation and degree of responsibility (ie junior, senior resident)
Detailed outline of medical practice experienceIf applicable, please include as much detail as possible regarding the setting of clinical practice and type of patients encountered (ie. in/out-patient, general medicine/subspecialty)
NAC examination - Supplemental Information ReportNational Assessment Collaboration (NAC) OSCE result is REQUIRED. Both pages of the report must be submitted. Please note that Alberta OSCE results are no longer valid.
Photo"OTHER" Instead of a traditional personal letter please answer the following THREE questions. Your answers will be used to evaluate your interest and suitability for Family Medicine as well as any connection to our community and any areas of concern.
1) Please highlight three things about yourself that you would like to ensure we do not miss in our review. Items may include special skills or accomplishments, your connection to Edmonton or anything else you feel will strengthen your application to UofA Family Medicine. Maximum 50 words per item (i.e. 150 words total). Please do not exceed the maximum word count.
2) Sometimes applicants are worried about certain items in their application. Please use this space to explain any concerns you may have. For example, academic performance, professionalism concerns, fam med experience or other. Maximum 100 words. If you have no concerns then simply write n/a.
3) First year family medicine residents are expected to be able to provide hands-on patient care with minimal supervision, often from day one. This involves independent decision making around diagnosis and management of acute presentations (in hospital as well as in clinic) and may include ordering investigations, prescribing medications or performing procedures. Please describe how your clinical experience demonstrates your readiness for entry into residency. Include where (the setting), when (how long ago and duration) and what (examples of hands-on work as opposed to observing). Maximum 100 words.
Family Medicine Professional Choices AssessmentWhen 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.
CASPer examCASPer exam scores will be shared directly by the AIMG program.
Shared through physiciansapply.ca to your CaRMS application. Successful completion of LMCC Part I required.
MCCQE Part I - Statement of ResultsAlthough not required at the time of application, if you have completed the MCCQE1 and MCCQE2, please share your results to CaRMS through physiciansapply.ca. If not available, it is expected that the candidate is in the process of applying for and writing these exams. The MCCQE1 results will be required if admitted to the program.
MCCQE Part II - Statement of ResultsAlthough not required at the time of application, if you have completed the MCCQE1 and MCCQE2, please share your results to CaRMS through physiciansapply.ca. If not available, it is expected that the candidate is in the process of applying for and writing these exams. The MCCQE1 results will be required if admitted to the program.
Alberta IMG Clinical Assessment PlacementIf you have completed a CAP, please submit a copy of your final report from the AIMG Program's Clinical Assessment Placement.
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
For details of our file review process please see "Selection Criteria"
Interviews
Dates:
- March 11, 2022
- March 12, 2022
- March 13, 2022
All interviews will be conducted virtually.
Selection Criteria
Program goals
To produce competent, caring, full service family physicians with a passion for serving their community.
The University of Alberta Family Medicine Program believes that the best learning comes from exposure to as many clinical experiences as possible including diverse settings and challenging levels of responsibility. As such, many of our rotations require 24 hours, overnight call and many of our clinics have long hours. We encourage all interested candidates to apply to our program but would like you to be aware of this information as you consider the best match for yourself.
Vision
Alberta has a well-integrated, primary-care-based health care system in which all have access to a family physician who provides timely, proactive, individualized, comprehensive and continuity care through an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals led by that family physician. That team practices evidence-based, patient-centred care, and uses its own data, dialog with its stakeholders, and published research to continuously improve its service, quality, and safety.
Mission
The Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta exists to teach the discipline of family medicine for the future of practice and the needs of society, and to produce scholarly work that improves the practices of family medicine and primary health care.
Selection process goals
The University of Alberta ideal candidate:
1. Demonstrates a genuine passion for family medicine.
2. Demonstrates a solid knowledge base and excellent critical thinking skills.
3. Demonstrates superior communication skills.
4. Demonstrates a deep sense of responsibility to the community, including diverse populations and multiple settings.
5. Demonstrates adherence to the highest professional standards.
6. Takes responsibility for their own well-being in order to ensure they are able to fulfill their responsibilities given the physical and emotional demands of a rigorous residency training program.
File review process
Review team composition : The review team consists of faculty members (rural and urban) with the IMG Director and the Associate Program Director.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 201 - 400
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 0 - 25 %
The department uses the file ranking to determine cut-off level for interview invitations.
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | required; content evaluated as a supplement to the application |
| Electives | electives or observerships in Canada; primary care favoured; electives may be given less consideration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Examinations | FMProC: professional integrity, adaptability, team-working skills, empathy/compassion California Critical Thinking test: critical thinking NAC-OSCE- medical knowledge, communication skills |
| Extra-curricular | work and volunteer experience; Canadian experience favoured |
| Leadership skills | community service and engagement; organizations |
| MSPRs | academic proficiency, professionalism, leadership |
| Personal letters | A traditional personal letter is NOT REQUIRED- we do not evaluate this file component- SEE "OTHER" |
| Reference documents | medical expert, professionalism, communication, suitability for family medicine |
| Research/Publications | relevance to primary care favoured |
| Transcripts | academic proficiency |
| Other file component(s) |
"OTHER" Instead of a traditional personal letter please answer the following THREE questions. Your answers will be used to evaluate your interest and suitability for Family Medicine as well as any connection to our community and any areas of concern. 1) Please highlight three things about yourself that you would like to ensure we do not miss in our review. Items may include special skills or accomplishments, your connection to Edmonton or anything else you feel will strengthen your application to UofA Family Medicine. Maximum 50 words per item (i.e. 150 words total). Please do not exceed the maximum word count. 2) Sometimes applicants are worried about certain items in their application. Please use this space to explain any concerns you may have. For example, academic performance, professionalism concerns, fam med experience or other. Maximum 100 words. If you have no concerns then simply write n/a. 3) First year family medicine residents are expected to be able to provide hands-on patient care with minimal supervision, often from day one. This involves independent decision making around diagnosis and management of acute presentations (in hospital as well as in clinic) and may include ordering investigations, prescribing medications or performing procedures. Please describe how your clinical experience demonstrates your readiness for entry into residency. Include where (the setting), when (how long ago and duration) and what (examples of hands-on work as opposed to observing). Maximum 100 words. |
Elective criteria
It is beneficial to have completed electives and/or observerships in family medicine somewhere in Canada. Experience in a broad range of medical settings that demonstrates an interest in and aptitude for the values and skills of family medicine will also be favoured.
Interview process
Interview format :
We may accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants due to weather, technology failure, or unforeseen circumstances.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | not specifically evaluated at interview |
| Collegiality | behaviour, attitude and ability to work well with others |
| Communication skills | verbal, non-verbal skills and English (oral and written) |
| Health advocacy | not specifically evaluated at interview |
| Interest in the discipline | understanding of family medicine |
| Interest in the program | connection to and/or interest in our community |
| Leadership skills | involvement in teaching, mentoring, organizations etc. |
| Professionalism | interactions with faculty, staff and residents |
| Scholarly activities | not specifically evaluated at interview |
| Other interview component(s) | Clinical reasoning skills and California Critical Thinking Test |
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 Highlights
| Strengths of the Program | |||
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Academic highlights:
Clinical resources:
Social activities and other perks:
Resources:
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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.
| First-Year Curriculum | |||
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Family Medicine - 24 weeks minimum -integrating maternity and newborn care, Enhanced Women's Health Integrated Experience, Behavioural Medicine workshops and opportunities for horizontal electives Adult In-patient Medicine - 8 weeks. Depending on the site and capacity, experience will be divided between Internal Medicine and Family Medicine In-patient units. CCU - 4 weeks Pediatrics - 8 weeks total (integrated at one site within 32 weeks of Family Medicine) - Other sites 4 weeks Peds ER, 2 weeks community hospital based and 2 weeks CTU at the Stollery Children's Hospital. Emergency - 4 weeks (usually in a community hospital) Vacation - 4 weeks Integrated Options - Care of the Elderly, Palliative Care, Psychiatry, PCHT options can be integrated. Internal applications are reviewed once accepted to the program. One clinical half-day per week return to Family Medicine and one academic day per month throughout PGY1. |
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| Second-Year Curriculum | |||
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Family Medicine - up to 20 weeks of family medicine block time may be spent with either urban or rural based community family physician(s). A minimum of 8 weeks of rural family medicine is required, but all 20 weeks can be done in rural location(s). Geriatrics - 4 weeks (or integrated) Emergency - 4 weeks (either in a community hospital or a trauma center) General Surgery - 4 weeks MSK/Ortho Selective - 4 weeks Palliative Care - 2 weeks (or integrated) Psychiatry - 4 weeks (or integrated) Electives/Selectives - minimum of 10 weeks Vacation - 4 weeks One clinical half-day per week return to Family Medicine and one academic day per month throughout PGY2. Selectives can include: Family Medicine, Obstetrics, Primary Care Obstetrics, Intensive Care (ICU), Family Medicine Hospital or In-patient Team, Palliative Care, Inner City Medicine, Anesthesia, Long Term Care and others as approved individually. Electives are chosen individually by each resident with the guidance of the resident's faculty advisor. They may include interprovincial and international experiences. Electives can include but are not limited to: Dermatology, Sports Medicine, Rheumatology, ER, Child Psychiatry, Cardiology, Diabetic Care, Ophthalmology, Plastics, Urology, etc. |
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| Academic Curriculum | |||
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Foundations Course Two day Foundations workshop including introduction to family medicine residency, CBT, and procedural skills. 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 Moodle and recorded video lectures to enhance learning. Exam Preparation At each monthly Academic Day, all residents practice exam questions (SAMPs) prepared by the Program. In first year, residents are introduced to Simulated Office Oral exams (SOOs). In second year, practice exam workshops are held. Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum components include a mandatory 2 day EBM workshop to establish basic EBM knowledge; Brief Evidence-based Assessment of the Research projects (BEARs) enhancing integration of evidence based medicine in to daily practice; and a Journal Club to support peer learning and growth of rapid appraisal skills. Procedural Skills workshops Procedural skills workshops are provided at Foundations and at the Annual Resident Education Retreat. Simulated skills include, but are not limited to, IUD insertion, endometrial biopsy, central lines, LPs, obstetrical perineal repair, joint injections, biopsy and excisions and more. Family Medicine Centre Seminar Program Structured seminar programs at each of the Family Medicine Centres occur weekly, usually over the noon hour. These cover a wide array of topics including various clinical subjects, economic and practice management issues, medical legal issues, community resources, computer and data management issues, etc. Practice Quality Improvement projects and BEARs are also presented by the residents during these seminars. Behavioural Medicine Workshop Topics include patient communication, ethics, physician wellness. These skills are appplied throughout residency. We make use of online tools, small group learning, simulation and reflective practice to impart this essential part of Family Medicine. Resident As Teacher (RAT) Residents are encouraged to develop teaching skills by teaching medical students which are frequently assigned to the same practices as the resident. Each year the PGY1s attend a mandatory "Resident As Teacher" session provided by the office of PGME. In both years, teams of family medicine residents mentored by family medicine faculty teach students clinical skills. Many opportunities present each year to teach undergraduate students during workshops, courses and examinations. Practice Management Each year there is a mandatory 2 day Practice Management workshop organized by the program for PGY2s. In addition there are added seminars throughout the year, usually clinic-based. New initiatives include Ultrasound course and CASTED. 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 reimbursed by Alberta Health Services upon successful completion. We recommend that PALS be completed prior to start of residency. |
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| Research Opportunities | |||
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All residents are required to complete Practice Quality Improvement projects to develop skills required to implement the process of quality assessment and improvement in the practice setting. Residents interested in developing research skills have the additional optional opportunity to do a research project. The research project is supervised by a faculty member. Residents have the opportunity to do a research elective in either the first or second year of the residency program. During year 1, the research elective is offered as a 2-week horizontal elective, while in year 2 it can be 2-6 weeks. The research elective can be adapted to the needs of the resident. The Family Medicine Research Day occurs each year in June. Faculty members and residents have the opportunity to present their scholarly work (oral presentation and posters). Attendance at Research Day is mandatory for residents. A monthly Resident Research Evening is organized by the Research Director to assist those residents interested in pursuing research/scholarly activities in greater scope. The focus of the sessions is on the resident's individual scholarly interests and needs. Various faculty members also attend. The Research Committee of the Department is comprised of faculty and resident representation (one first year and one second year resident representative). The committee meets monthly during September to June and acts as a resource to family medicine residents on matters related to research and scholarly activity. |
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| Special Events and Conferences | |||
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The program funded Faculty and Resident Education Extravaganza Education Retreat (FREEzER) is held every March in Jasper, Alberta. In September, residents sign-up for the Wilderness Retreat, which has been very popular every year and focuses on wilderness or remote medicine managing with limited resources in austere environments. In addition, residents are alloted some money each year for conference registration fees. In June, we celebrate the completion of residency with a Graduation dinner. |
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Training Sites
Teaching Resources
Teaching sites:
Grey Nuns Family Medicine Centre, MacEwan University Health Centre, Misericordia Family Medicine Centre, Northeast Family Medicine Centre, Family Medicine Clinic - Kaye Edmonton Clinic and Westview Physician Collaborative Community Teaching Sites in Spruce Grove. Community teaching sites (including those in St. Albert, Leduc, south Edmonton and Meadowlark areas) affiliate with core sites for administration and academic activity.
Maternity Stream: Based at Heritage Medical clinic (all residents get Primary Care Obstetrics exposure).
Westview, Leduc and St. Albert sites are considered suburban or rural-like in their settings, utilize their local community hospitals, and each is located within a 15 minute commute from the city boundaries.
All residents enter an internal match after CaRMS for their choice of site. Requests are considered to choose sites based on interest and plans for future practice. Site Representatives to answer your questions and Site information will be available virtually prior to the interview period.
Other resources:
Outpatient departments, family physicians' offices in Edmonton and rural locations, specialists' offices, and other community hospitals outside major metropolitan areas.
Additional Information
International Medical Graduates
Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are graduates of non-LCME accredited medical schools who wish to do postgraduate medical training in Alberta are eligible to apply to CaRMS provided they have been assessed by the Alberta International Medical Graduate program (AIMG). Website: http://www.aimg.ca/
Driver's License: A current driver's license and access to a vehicle are mandatory due to the distance between teaching sites.
Summary of changes
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