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University of Manitoba - Family Medicine - Palliative Care - Winnipeg

2022 Family Medicine/Enhanced Skills Match
Competitive Stream for All

Last approved on July 28, 2021

Approximate Quota:

 2 

Accreditation status : Accredited

Provincial Criteria


Dr. Nadin Gilroy
Family Medicine  
P228 - 770 Bannatyne Ave 
Winnipeg, R3E 0W3
(204) 594-5352
University of Manitoba Enhanced Skills Palliative Medicine

Program Contacts

Collette Thiessen
Administrative Assistant
collette.thiessen@umanitoba.ca
(204) 594-5352


Important Information

The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.  The Department of Family Medicine additionally participates in clinical programs in Inuit communities.  We respect the Treaties and Agreements that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Orientation for all residents, which is MANDATORY, will be held on June 29, 2022.


Return of Service

Applicants must declare any Return of Service obligation at the time of application and may be disqualified if their provincial obligations preclude R-3 training.

 


General Instructions

Program application language: English

You are required to fulfill ALL of the most current Provincial Criteria.

The criteria can be found at:  https://www.carms.ca/match/family-medicine-enhanced-skills-match/eligibility-criteria/


Supporting Documentation / Information

Canadian citizenship
CaRMS partners with third-party organizations to verify your citizenship or permanent resident status. If your status is verified by one of these organizations, you will not need to provide citizenship documents in your application. If your citizenship status is not verified, you must provide one of the documents listed below.
Document must be notarized/certified
Required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your Canadian citizenship:
• 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)

Notarized/certified photocopied proof of citizenship must be provided. Photocopies are accepted but citizenship documents other than what is listed above are not accepted.                    

Language proficiency
Required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your language proficiency:
• IELTS

Language Proficiency
English is the language of study at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba. All applicants whose first language is not English must submit proof of English language proficiency to CaRMS by the file review opening date.
 
CMG/USMG

  • If you graduated from an English medical school in Canada or the US, you are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency.

Candidates who attended medical school in Canada or the United States where the language of instruction or the primary language of patient care was not English, must fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements.

IMG’s

  • IMG applicants must fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements.

 Candidates are exempted from English language proficiency testing under the following circumstances:

  1. the language of instruction and patient care throughout the entire undergraduate medical education curriculum was in English. A letter of attestation mailed directly from the Dean of the candidate’s medical school confirming that the language of instruction and patient care was conducted completely in English is required.
  2. their undergraduate medical education was taken in English in one of the countries that have English as a first and native language (see list below)

All other candidates must have taken the Academic Version of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7 in each component with an overall band score of no less than 7in the same sitting.  IELTS scores will be considered valid for 2 years from the date taken.:

List of countries that have English as a first and native language - Countries: Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, US Virgin Islands - Caribbean Islands: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Grenadines, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago

Please note the following:

  • Photocopies are acceptable.
  • Language Proficiency Attestations will not be accepted from the candidate or a third party.
  • Language Proficiency results will not be accepted by fax or e-mail.
Reference documents
Required
Number requested: 3

Please ask your referees to provide examples they have observed which illustrate your strengths and weaknesses, comment on your fitness to work in the field of Palliative Medicine.

Additional documents
Required
Custom Résumé / CV 

Include a current CV in the Custom Resume section.  Please tailor your resume to provide us with a better understanding of your experiences and commitment to the Enhanced Skills Palliative Medicine program.

Personal Letter 
Word count
Minimum : None
Maximum : None

A personal letter is required. We are looking for mature, enthusiastic physicians who bring with them a broad range of life experiences, are committed to providing excellent patient care and can embrace the depth and breadth of experiences our program offers.

In 500 words or less, please address the following areas:  What have you done to prepare yourself for entering the Palliative program? How would you benefit from this extra year of training? How would you contribute to the community of Palliative medicine upon completion of your residency? Specifically address why you are suited to the Enhanced Skills Palliative Medicine program at the University of Manitoba.

Certificate 

Practicing Physicians must include a Certificate of Conduct from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba or from the regulatory body of your home province. 

Optional - will be reviewed
Photo 
[Note: Photograph is used as memory aid only]


Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on September 15, 2021


Supporting documents that arrive after file review has opened  on  September 15, 2021



Interviews

Program will notify all applicants through CaRMS Online and will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview.

Selection Criteria

Program goals

Enhanced skills (ES) programming at the University of Manitoba is focused on supporting and extending the delivery of comprehensive, community-adaptive care by family physicians in Manitoba  (or in proximal jurisdictions served by Manitoba).

The goal of the University of Manitoba Enhanced Skills Palliative program will cover the key priority topics outlined by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and CanMeds 2017 key competencies. Our goal is to provide enhanced skills in palliative in order to prepare physicians who are capable of working in rural or remote environments. We aim to train future leaders or teachers in palliative medicine who will contribute to their Palliative medicine community and/or department.

Selection process goals

As part of its commitment to Manitobans, priority shall be given to candidates who demonstrate intent for future practice in Manitoba (or in proximal jurisdictions served by Manitoba).

We aim to select a diversity of candidates who will serve in urban and rural centers. Our program values residents who have strong interpersonal skills, and who are team and community minded. We select candidates who are professional, mature, self reflective, have critical thinking skills and are invested in self improvement. Must be open to constructive feedback and coaching, the program is an intensive year. Candidates must be prepared to meet demands of the program.
• All positions are filled through the CaRMS process
• Strong academic record
• Proven interest in Palliative Medicine
• Professionalism
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

File review process

Review team composition : Program Director
Enhanced Skills Program Director
Representative from Palliative Medicine

Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50

Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %

Evaluation criteria :
File component Criteria
CV Standard document, gives an overview of the candidate, prior experiences, electives, timelines
Electives Valuable, not required
Examinations Not routinely assessed
Extra-curricular Demonstrate interests outside of medicine
Leadership skills Demonstrated through personal letter, CV, reference letters
MSPRs Not routinely assessed
Personal letters Introduction to the candidate and their interest in Palliative Medicine training, suitability to Palliative medicine
Reference documents Demonstrate prior clinical experiences, clinical skill set, professionalism, collegiality
Research/Publications Valuable, not required
Transcripts Demonstrates prior academic performance

Interview process

Interview format :



We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.

Interview evaluation criteria :
Interview components Criteria
Collaboration skills Minimal requirement, team work skill essential
Collegiality Global assessment during interview
Communication skills Demonstration of communication skills during interview
Health advocacy Not routinely assessed
Interest in the discipline Necessary, do not apply if you are not interested in Palliative medicine
Interest in the program Necessary, do not apply if you are not interested in program at University of Manitoba
Leadership skills May be assessed during interview
Professionalism Demonstrate professionalism through punctuality for interview
Scholarly activities Valuable and helpful but not mandatory
Other interview component(s)  The interview committee would like to get a sense of who you are as a person.

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 :
   
   
   


Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 1 year.

Program length of training exceeds the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

  • Eight weeks  on the Tertiary Level Palliative Care Unit, located at St. Boniface General Hospital (SBGH)
  • Eight weeks at the Riverview Health Centre Palliative Care Unit
  • Two weeks with the medical oncology service at CancerCare Manitoba
  • Two weeks with the radiation oncology service at CancerCare Manitoba
  • Eight weeks working with the Community Consults and Home Visit Team
  • Four weeks with the Hospital Consult Service at the Health Sciences Centre. Our largest tertiary care centre.
  • Twelve weeks of elective time in an area of study of your choosing. This may include:
    • Interventional anesthesiology
    • Psychiatry
    • Psychosocial oncology
    • Bereavement counselling
    • Research
    • Other areas related to the delivery of palliative care medicine
  • Four weeks of vacation that can be distributed throughout the training year
  • The final four-week period is Senior Rotation, during which the resident will act as a junior attending physician on the SBGH Palliative Care Unit

Optional

You may have an option to participate in the following:

  • Horizontal exposure in CancerCare Manitoba’s Pain and Symptom Clinic
  • Up to one half-day clinic a week in your area of certification
  • Rural Manitoba palliative experience with rural palliative care practitioners

Training program details

  • Eight weeks supervised training period on the Tertiary Level Palliative Care Unit, located at St. Boniface General Hospital (SBGH). This rotation will include inpatient care on a 15-bed academic unit in a tertiary care teaching hospital. This hospital is in the centre of the culturally French-speaking part of Winnipeg. There is a diverse exposure to different cultures, languages and spiritual beliefs. 
  • Eight weeks at the Riverview Health Centre Palliative Care Unit. This would involve inpatient care on a 30 bed unit in a community-based long-term care facility. 
  • Two weeks with the medical oncology service at CancerCare Manitoba. The resident will participate in outpatient clinics associated with several Disease Site Groups, as well as hospital consultation and academic rounds. The rotation will focus on issues related to learning principles of malignant disease, its diagnosis and treatment. This includes solid tumours as well as hematologic malignancies.  
  • Two weeks with the radiation oncology service at CancerCare Manitoba. The resident will rotate through several of the Disease Site Groups, and learn some of the principles of therapeutic radiation as well as the use of radiation as a modality for treatment, especially as therapy for the palliation of symptoms.  
  • Eight weeks working with the Community Consults and Home Visit Team. This will include the assessment and management of the terminally ill in the home, as well as preparation of the patient and family for death at home. The resident will work in conjunction with an interdisciplinary care team and will provide consultative services to other community hospitals. This is done in conjunction with clinical nurse specialists providing supportive and palliative consultation. 
  • Twelve weeks of elective time in an area of study of the resident’s choice. This may include interventional anesthesiology, psychiatry, psychosocial oncology, bereavement counseling, or other areas related to the delivery of palliative medicine. Prior to commencement of the rotation, the Program Director/Committee will approve the program, as well as the specific rotational objectives developed by the trainee.  
  • Four weeks vacation that can be distributed throughout the training year.  
  • The resident will undertake a scholarly project, which will be ongoing throughout the year of training. The resident will be able to use one of the elective rotations to help with the completion of this or other scholarly projects. This block can be used to learn further techniques in biostatistics or clinical trial design. Supervision can be under any of the palliative care physicians with research experience, or may be under a physician from another but related area (e.g., radiation or medical oncologist). The resident will also be encouraged to present any findings from the research project at local, national or international conferences.  
  • The final four-week period is the Senior Rotation. The resident will act as an attending physician on the SBGH Palliative Care Unit. The resident will take responsibility for teaching of other trainees on the unit at this time. Supervision will continue to be provided by the faculty.  
  • The resident will have the option to participate in the CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) Pain & Symptom Clinic as a horizontal exposure. This clinic has a multidisciplinary focus, with the participation of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychosocial oncology and nutrition (CCMB site). It is located at the St. Boniface Site of CancerCare Manitoba. Research and education are an integral part of the clinic. The resident is strongly encouraged to participate in this clinic when available.   
  • The resident has the option of pursuing up to one ½ day clinic a week in the area of their certification. This must not interfere with their progress in the residency, and should be timed to cause the least disruption to their work on the individual rotations.
  • The resident will have the option to spend time in a rural setting under the supervision of rural palliative care practitioners. This would involve inpatient and home palliative care, both primary and consultative. The resident will be exposed to the unique aspects of the provision of palliative care in the rural setting.