Interviews
Virtual interviews for eligible first iteration applicants are scheduled for Wednesday, January 17 and Thursday, January 18, 2024.
Memorial’s Discipline of Family Medicine will have a virtual social on Thursday, January 18, 2024. A link to this social will be sent out in advance to all those applicants chosen for an interview.
Please see Memorial University's Provincial Criteria and admission requirements for postgraduate medical education.
Family Medicine Structured Reference Letters
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.
Family Medicine Professional Choices (FMProC) - Situational Judgement Test
Memorial University Family Medicine Residency Training Program is excited to be one of the participating Family Medicine Residency Programs to use in their selection process, FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices), which is a Family Medicine-context specific Situational Judgement Test.
All applicants will be required to write FMProC for their application to be deemed complete. More details and information about registration for FMProC can be found here: www.fmproc.com
Contract with Memorial University
As stated in Clause 5.5 of the CaRMS Applicant contract: "If the Applicant matches with a Residency Program, the applicant must meet all the criteria to obtain the appropriate licensure, certificate, permit, or registration from the medical regulatory authority in the province or territory to which they have been matched by the start of the residency training, inclusive of any pre-assessment period, of the year in which the residency commences. Failure to meet the criteria by the commencement of the Residency Program or pre-assessment period may result in the automatic release from the Residency Program and void the CaRMS match.
COVID-19:
Memorial University continues to follow the most up-to-date advice provided by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada on COVID-19 response. Please refer to the University's COVID-19 website for up-to-date information.
Post Match:
Please note that Memorial University does not participate in a post match.
CMGs/USMGs:
No return of service (RoS) is required for CMG seats in the first iteration.
Program application language: English
Family Medicine Structured Reference Letters
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.
Please refer to the Curriculum and Information sections for additional information.
Exemption to English language proficiency testing
Who is required to provide English Language Proficiency?
The accepted English language proficiency exams, and the required scores, are as follows:
Exams must be dated within 24 months of the residency start date (July 1). Results must be available by the CaRMS document review deadline.
Your FMProC assessment result is sent directly to CaRMS. The FMProC assessment is only valid for one admissions cycle. If you have taken the assessment in previous years, you are expected to re-take it.
To register for the FMProC assessment visit www.fmproc.com.
Family Medicine Structured Reference Letters
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.
Three Family Medicine structured reference letters are required from three different clinical preceptors who supervised you in a clinical setting. All references must be from clinical staff, one of which must be collected since spring 2023. References from senior residents will not be accepted.
If you are applying to Memorial Family Medicine Residency as an MOTP/MMTP, please ensure you self-identify in your personal letter and CV. Please note, not all streams may accept MOTP/MMTP.
A personal letter is required and should include your reason for choosing Family Medicine at Memorial. Please also include your intellectual, athletic, cultural and social interests apart from medicine. Any gaps in training must be addressed in your personal letter as well as the Memorial Declaration of Interruptions form. Maximum 750 words.
Custom Résumé / CVPlease submit a detailed resume.
Memorial Declaration for InterruptionsALL applicants must submit the Declaration of Interruptions form with their application.
Consent for disclosureALL applicants must submit the Consent to Disclose form with their application.
Medical School TranscriptYour medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
For current year Canadian medical graduates (CMGs), there is no action required from you. Your medical school will automatically submit your MSPR to CaRMS on your behalf for you to assign.
If your MSPR is in a language other than the program language of English or French, you are required to have the document translated.
Note: Photograph is used as memory aid only.
If available.
All applicants must graduate from their medical school by June 30, 2024.
Undergraduate Transcript (Bachelor's Degree)If applicable.
Applications submitted after file review has opened on December 2, 2023
Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened on December 2, 2023
Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on December 2, 2023
Application Information will be reviewed up until 12:00 noon ET December 1, 2023.
Dates:
Preference will be given to applicants who are RECENT graduates.
Our comprehensive two year program has been developed to train physicians for urban, rural and remote practice, using the unique medical and geographic charactersitics of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut.
The goal of our residency training program is to develop professional competence to the level of a physician ready to begin practice in the specialty of Family Medicine.
Aligning with the mission and vision of the Discipline of Family Medicine at Memorial, residents will learn to advance health through leadership in socially accountable education, research and patient-centered care.
To facilitate a learning environment that will prepare the resident to be a confident and competent physician who is able to manage a variety of clinical situations in urban, rural and remote practice environments.
Identify applicants who have interest in Family Medicine, particularly rural and remote Family Medicine.
Identify applicants who have interest in Family Medicine residency training at Memorial.
Identify applicants who have working knowledge of Family Medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador through core or elective training or life experiences.
Identify applicants who have interest in meeting the needs of the diverse people and populations we serve.
Identify applicants who are well rounded, self starters who have a sense of responsibility and are motivated, honest and reliable.
Identify applicants who are insightful and reflective learners.
Review team composition : The review team is comprised of the Program Director and the Assistant Program Director, urban and rural faculty members and our Program Coordinator.
The file and interview review teams consist of family medicine faculty distributed across our training streams, with help from our residents.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 201 - 400
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
File component | Criteria |
---|---|
CV | To clarify application information and timelines. |
Electives | To determine a broad range of Family Medicine elective experiences, including Rural Family Medicine. |
Examinations | We review exams required by PGME and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador (CPSNL). We also require and review the FMProC exam results. |
Extra-curricular | To highlight volunteer work, cultural, family, athletic and intellectual pursuits. |
Leadership skills | Demonstrated through reference letters, personal letter and CV. |
MSPRs | To review performance, progress and professionalism concerns through medical school. |
Personal letters | To determine interest in Family Medicine at Memorial University. To clarify gaps in training, electives and achievements |
Reference documents | To demonstrate medical knowledge and performance, collegiality and communication skills. |
Research/Publications | Participation in undergraduate research in medical school. |
Transcripts | To determine academic performance. |
Other file component(s) |
The Postgraduate Medical Education's Declarations of Interruptions form must be completed by all applicants. Memorial University of Newfoundland Family Medicine Residency Training Program is excited to be one of the participating Family Medicine Residency Programs to use in their selection process, FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Choices), which is a Family Medicine-context specific Situational Judgement Test. All applicants will be required to write FMProC for their application to be deemed complete. More details and information about registration for FMProC can be found here: www.fmproc.com |
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 | Works effectively on a team/in a team environment |
Collegiality | We do not directly evaluate this interview component |
Communication skills | Demonstration of excellent communication skills during the interview - both listening and speaking |
Health advocacy | We do not evaluate this interview component |
Interest in the discipline | Demonstrate interest in Family Medicine |
Interest in the program | Demonstrate interest in Family Medicine at Memorial University |
Leadership skills | We do not evaluate this interview component |
Professionalism | Demonstrates professional behaviour during interview |
Scholarly activities | We do not evaluate this interview component |
Other interview component(s) | Demonstrate the ability to learn from and reflect upon experiences |
The Residency Training Program in Family Medicine at Memorial is an accredited residency training program through the College of Family Physicians of Canada. It leads to eligibility to sit the certification exam of the CFPC. This program uses the unique medical, geographic and cultural characteristics of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut to train family physicians for rural/remote practice https://www.mun.ca/medicine/familymedicine/.
Why Memorial?
There are many reasons to come to Memorial for Family Medicine training! To name a few:
What Are Our Unique Learning Opportunities?
Streams and Training Templates
Western
The Western Stream (WestFam) is based within the western region of the island of Newfoundland and offers a two-year rural family medicine residency that aims to train physicians to be confident and competent to practice within a wide range of rural settings.
The Western Region
Western Health's geographical boundaries serve a population of approximately 78 000 residents. The region spans from Port aux Basques, southeast, to Francois, northwest, to Bartlett's Harbour and on the eastern boundary north to Jackson's Arm.
Western Health provides a broad range of programs and services to the people of western Newfoundland. These programs and services are based in community and facility settings.
The region boasts community based services from 26 office sites, community based medical services from 26 medical clinic sites (including traveling clinic sites) and eight health facilities.
Educational Opportunities
With a broad range of medical illnesses, a diverse patient population and a variety of practice opportunities, the region is poised to offer rich training opportunities for family medicine residents.
The combination of inpatient and community based practices, involvement of specialty colleagues such as palliative care, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology, with access to diverse practices in more remote communities all add to the educational opportunities within the Western Stream.
Teaching Sites
The Western Stream offers opportunities to engage in residency training within a number of teaching sites located throughout the western region including: Port Aux Basques, Stephenville, Corner Brook, Deer Lake and Bonne Bay.
All of these sites combined offer a distributed learning system with opportunities for Small Group Learning sessions, Family Medicine Rounds and Medical Rounds.
Templates
In the Western Stream, the majority of training will occur in western Newfoundland and Labrador. Residents will have the opportunity to complete rotations in St. John's should a training opportunity not be available locally.
Templates within the Western Stream will allow residents to work and live in several areas of the western region for the majority of their two years of training. Collectively these sites offer a wide range of practical experiences with broad-scope family medicine including:
Lifestyle
In addition to the variety of training opportunities, the western region of Newfoundland offers a wide range of extracurricular opportunities in which to enhance your lifestyle and promote a healthy work-life balance. There is so much to see and do in this area of the province, whether it is engaging in our rich arts community through theater, dance or visual arts, challenging yourself with our breathtaking, rugged terrain or embracing the diversity of our dynamic ocean playgrounds, all residents can become actively involved in almost any aspect.
Our Goal
The goal of the Western Stream is to provide a dynamic, rich learning environment that will prepare family medicine residents to be confident and competent physicians ready to manage a variety of clinical situations in a wide range of practice environment.
Resident Training Templates
Once matched into a training stream, residents receive a list of two year template choices that are centered around that stream. Residents will travel outside of their training stream when necessary, such as if a learning experience is not available locally. All residents rank their template preferences indicating any special considerations that should be taken into account. Should residents all rank a template(s) low on their lists, residents will be given the opportunity to re-rank their template choices. Should a template(s) remain low on the rank lists, a lottery will be completed to fill the template. Residents may be assigned to a template that is not high on their rank list in order to use all teaching resources available.
Ranking
CMG candidates have five options when applying to Memorial's Family Medicine Program: Eastern, Central, Western, Goose Bay and Nunavut. As such, residents are able to rank the five streams in order of personal preference.
FAQ
Are the applicants responsible to schedule interviews in the first iteration?
No. If selected, the applicant will be notified of an interview by the program.
Where Do Memorial Family Medicine Residents Train?
We have training sites across Newfoundland and Labrador, in New Brunswick, and in Nunavut.
Where Do The Residents Come From?
Our residents come from all over Canada and beyond. We have previously accepted residents who have trained in the United States and throughout the world, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Australia, and India. Having a diverse class provides rich learning opportunities!
Housing
Housing for residents, who are traveling outside of their teaching site, is facilitated through Distributed Medical Education (DME) Office.
Residents are responsible for their own housing at their primary teaching site/homebase, which is determined by the location where the majority of their core rotations occur in a given academic year. Please note that primary teaching site/homebase may change from one academic year to the next depending on the template schedule. Should residents be required to complete a core clinical experience outside of their main teaching site/homebase, housing, including a private bedroom and shared living space, will be provided free of charge. If residents require alternate accommodations, such as the accompaniment of a family member for the full duration of their clinical experience or as a result of a medical issue, we ask that you reach out the DME Academic Program Administrator (APA) responsible for that region (family) or the Blundon Centre (medical), at least 8 weeks before the start of the clinical experience.
If residents have any questions about their housing, it is recommended that they reach out to the Housing Coordinator (dme.housing@mun.ca) for information prior to their rotation.
Please note that future changes by Memorial University, the Professional Association of Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador contract and/or Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services in specific, to housing coverage, may result in alterations to the above statements.
Accommodations policy: https://www.mun.ca/medicine/administrative-departments/distributed-medical-education/supporting-learners/accommodations-overview/
DME website: https://www.mun.ca/medicine/administrative-departments/distributed-medical-education/
DME contacts: https://www.mun.ca/medicine/administrative-departments/distributed-medical-education/contact-info/
Funding
Transportation for core clinical experiences and Core Content is reimbursed as per the Eastern Health Guidelines for Travel Reimbursement.
Resident Pay
Resident pay is based on the Professional Association of Residents of Newfoundland and Labrador (PARNL) provincial contract. Please see PARNL for further salary information.
What If I Am Pregnant Or I Get Pregnant During The Program?
The Family Medicine Residency Training Office will endeavor to work with you to select a training template that best suits your needs. However, once templates have been assigned, further changes may not be possible and are only considered under extenuating circumstances.
What If I Get Sick During The Program Or What If A Family Member Gets Sick?
As residents you build up 1 sick day for each month worked. Should an unexpected personal illness, or illness in your family happen please follow up with our Family Medicine Residency Training Office so that we can work with you to determine best steps forward.
Can My Family Travel With Me?
Absolutely! We encourage your family to travel with you.
Applying As A Couple - Will We Be Together?
Please let us know if you are applying as a couple so we can do our best to offer training templates that keep you close together if you match to the program.
Enhanced Skills Programs
We have three Enhanced Skills training programs - (1) Family Medicine - Emergency Medicine. Each year, the FM-EM program accepts 4-6 residents into their program. (2) Family Medicine - Enhanced Skills in Care of the Elderly. There are usually three 12-month positions available. (3) Care of Underserved Populations Enhanced Skills Program. There is usually one 12-month position available.
Interviews - For File Completion
When applying to our program through CaRMS, your application file must be complete (application, reference letters, personal letter, supporting documents i.e.) exam scores, CV, etc.). Interviews are mandatory for all candidates. All interviews are virtual. CaRMS is competitive. We would encourage applicants to consider applying to all of our program streams. While your personal letter does not have to reflect your interests to train in a specific stream, you are more than welcome to include this information in your letter if you have a particular reason(s) that you wish to share with the program. Candidates applying to multiple streams will still only complete one interview.
Am I Needed In The Province Upon Graduation?
We have a need for family physicians across the province. While the exact areas of need can change from year to year, there will certainly be work opportunities upon completion of the program. The Practice NL website offers up-to-date information on job opportunities: www.practicenl.ca. You can also contact Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (Eastern, Central, Western and Labrador-Grenfell).
As a resident you are eligible to apply for return of service bursaries. Please see the following site: http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/grantsfunding/bursaries.html#med
Quick Facts - What to do in Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut!
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.
Our teaching curriculum focuses on the Triple C Competency-based Curriculum (Triple C). We offer a number of experiences where residents have the opportunity to be centered in a Family Medicine Clinic to provide comprehensive care and continuity of care for patients over an extended period of time. While each teaching site has its own unique curriculum based on the local opportunities, all are unified under the overarching Family Medicine Residency Training Program.
The Triple C Competency-based curriculum provides the relevant learning contexts and strategies to enable residents to integrate competencies, while acquiring evidence to determine that a resident is ready to begin practice in the specialty of Family Medicine.
Triple C ensures all graduates are:
This curriculum addresses accountability, social responsibility, patient safety, and efficiencies in educational programming.
The curriculum is based on the Four Principles of Family Medicine and the CanMEDS-FM roles. The Four Principles are foundational concepts regarding the nature and practice of family medicine whereas the CanMEDS-FM roles focus on outcomes of care and competencies expected of the practicing physician. The CanMEDS-FM roles retain the Four Principles by integrating them into the appropriate CanMEDS-FM roles. In some cases a principle appears in multiple roles.
June Orientation
All incoming residents complete a mandatory orientation program prior to the start of residency. During this time, there is orientation to the Family Medicine Residency Training Program, the Postgraduate Medical Education Office and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services. Incoming residents may also complete ACLS (offered at a reduced rate), ALARM and NRP during this time. Residents should be available to start in person orientation in St. John's as of June 15, 2024.
Please note that residents must complete BCLS prior to orientation, as this is a prerequisite for ACLS.
Eastern and Nunavut Stream residents will also complete a 1 day orientation to Academic Family Medicine during this orientation week.
Orientation
Orientation sessions are mandatory in order to begin your residency on July 1, 2024. Please note these sessions are scheduled two weeks prior to the start of the program. Residents should be available to start in person orientation in St. John's as of June 15, 2024. A daily orientation schedule will be sent out to all residents closer to the orientation start date.
*Orientation Dates Subject to Change
*BCLS is mandatory in order to do ACLS
Academic Curriculum
All residents attend the weekly Academic Half Day teaching sessions that are held Tuesday afternoon from 1:30 to 5:00 pm.
Residents and Faculty are involved with facilitating the Academic Half Day sessions and content is based on the 105 Priority Topics as defined by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
The Behavioural Medicine curriculum encompasses Wednesday morning teaching sessions or equivalent, the Counselling Centre curriculum, Psychiatric Emergency and Crisis Intervention (PEACI) sessions during Core Content, the Urgent Mental Health Care Experience (Psychiatric Assessment Unit), sessions during Academic Half Day and the completion of two Behavioural Medicine Reflections (BMRs). Delivery of Behavioural Medicine curriculum may vary from stream to stream.
The EBM teaching curriculum consists of 3 components: 1) Critical appraisal of evidence, 2) Clinical practice audit and 3) The resident scholarly project.
Residents may gain experience in Family Medicine Obstetrics during their Academic Family Medicine clinical experience. As part of this experience, residents will work alongside family physicians who practice low risk obstetrics to provide care to prenatal patients. This may involve taking part in the Family Centered Maternity Care clinics and Friday afternoon coverage of the Case Room (for residents doing integrated Family Medicine Obstetrics) providing experience in intra and post-partum care. In addition, some residents will participate in the low risk Obstetrics call clinical experience.
Residents will receive Practice Management teaching during Core Content and R2 designated Tuesday afternoon Academic Half Days.
Team teaching can include: Questions in Practice (QUIPs), chart reviews, practice Simulated Office Orals (SOOs), or best practice reports.
Core Content
There are 2 mandatory one-week Core Content sessions held each residency year (Fall and Winter). During these sessions, residents gain training in Medical Ethics, Practice Management, Psychiatric Emergencies and Crisis Intervention, Teaching Skills and Point of Care Ultrasound (when available). CFPC examination preparation is also provided during Core Content weeks.
Resident Scholarly Project
All residents undertake a scholarly project during their residency. The scholarly project may take a variety of forms: research, clinical chart audit, systematic review, policy or creative project. In the second year of residency, all second year residents present their Resident Scholarly Project at the Resident Forum during the Fall Core Content.
Please see program website for information on training sites
All files must be complete in order to be considered. If documents are missing, the application will not be reviewed.