Program Highlights

Dear candidates,

Thank you for your interest in our residency training program.

At Western we specialize in training comprehensive family physicians and future leaders in family medicine. We do this through a highly adaptable program that includes tailor-made curriculum and educational programs for residents. At Western you’re more than just another resident.  

The way we see it residency is a rite of passage that is much more than just a means to getting a medical license. We believe you are the best judge as to what kind of experience will assist you in becoming the physician and person you aspire to be.

Our program is built around three core values:

1. Flexibility – we let you take charge of your own learning
2. Support – at Western you're more than just another resident
   
3. Dedication – we're committed to your education and training

We mean business when it comes to developing leaders. Our new Leadership Development Program launched September 2010 at no cost to our residents. The goal of the program is to equip our residents with key skills in personal and organizational communication. The first module is Crucial Conversations by VitalSmarts.

The second module of this program is the Richard Ivey School of Business Leadership Foundations Program that has been tailored made for residents by the renowned Richard Ivey School of Business at Western. 

I have personally visited all of the communities that provide training for our program and can attest that they are excellent places to train, live and have fun! Southwestern Ontario truly offers an enormous range of enjoyable cultural and recreational activities without a hefty price tag!

I look forward to meeting you in person at our information sessions so that I can show you more about our program!

Sincerely,


Eric Wong, MD, MClSc (FM), CCFP

Flexibility that can be tailored to your unique learning needs:

• We offer training programs that span the complete urban to rural spectrum:
• London Urban program and Windsor program offers urban and suburban experiences
• London Regional program offers rural experiences within driving distance from London in Mount Brydges, Ilderton and Strathroy; residents can live in London yet obtain comprehensive rural training
• Chatham-Kent and Stratford/Tavistock programs offer rural experiences in larger rural communities and community hospitals
• Rural program offers rural experience in Goderich, Hanover, and Petrolia at smaller community hospitals


• Ample elective time and geographic choices for electives:
• London Urban /Windsor residents have 4 weeks of electives in PGY1 and 16 weeks in PGY2; 6 half-days of horizontal electives are available in PGY2 during family medicine training
• London Regional residents at Mount Brydges and Strathroy have 4 weeks of electives in PGY1 and 24 weeks of electives in PGY2; 6 half-days of horizontal electives are available in PGY2 during family medicine training
• London Regional residents at Ilderton have 8 weeks of electives in PGY1 and 16 weeks in PGY2
• Chatham-Kent residents have 4 weeks of electives in PGY1 and about 16 weeks-equivalent of electives in PGY2 (PGY2 is a longitudinal curriculum)
• Goderich/Hanover residents have 8 weeks of electives in PGY1 and about 16 weeks-equivalent of electives in PGY2 (PGY2 is a longitudinal curriculum)
• Stratford residents have 20 weeks of electives in PGY2
• Tavistock residents have 4 weeks of electives in PGY1 and 24 weeks of electives in PGY2
  
• Petrolia residents have 4 weeks of electives in PGY1 and 16 weeks of electives in PGY2
• 3 blocks (12 weeks) of electives can be taken outside of Southwestern Ontario and 1 of these 3 blocks can be taken out-of-province or internationally

• Special Interest Electives (takes place for a limited number of sessions in the evenings) for those with added interests in specific areas. We currently have an emergency medicine special interest elective and have plans to develop more.


• An academic program based on a credit earning system that allows you to customize learning to your preferred style and make use of opportunities such as formal faculty development sessions, workshops, conferences, self-reading and online CME activities to fulfill required learning objectives.


• The ability to take a 1-month vacation elective.


• The ability to take a 1-month research elective for purposes on working on a research project that fulfills the requirement of the residency project.


• Strong support for research interests from world-renowned primary care researchers:
• The Centre for Studies in Family Medicine ( http://www.uwo.ca/fammed/csfm/ ) is a world-renowned primary care research facility
• Experienced staff at the Centre is available to assist residents who want to undertake research activities during their residency
• The Canadian Library of Family Medicine ( http://www.cfpc.ca/English/cfpc/clfm/main/ ), the library service of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, is located in the Allyn & Betty Taylor Library at the University of Western Ontario. It provides accessible and comprehensive support for academic endeavours

At Western you're more than just another resident:

• Faculty advisor where a faculty member will provide 1:1 support for you throughout your residency training program whether you’re doing on- or off-service rotations. Mandatory meetings/discussions are held quarterly.


• Resident to faculty ratio is 1:greater than 1 to 2:1 depending on the training site.


• Patient volume during family medicine training is tailored to the needs and skills of the resident. Generally,
• PGY1s see patients about every half-hour
• PGY2s see patients about every 15 minutes
• On a weekly basis, residents see between 40-50 patients


• FMRW (Family Medicine Residents of Western) ( http://fmrw.uwofm.ca/ ), a non-profit, resident driven, organization that looks after your educational and social needs:
• Annual orientation BBQ and games
• Annual golf tournament
• Annual spring formal
• Informal gatherings throughout the year
• Annual 3-day retreat at a nearby golf resort that emphasizes issues on practice and financial management

A program that's dedicated to your education and training:

• Family medicine training that lets you take charge of "your” practice:
• You will be the primary health care provider for the same group of patients throughout your training, ensuring continuity of care for your patients as well as allowing you to experience building special relationships with your patients
• You will be participating in all aspects of care for your patients: office, house calls, palliative care, child birth, long-term care facilities, acute/chronic hospital care, minor surgical procedures
• Requires NO half-day back, which is often disruptive to the educational experience in your off-service rotations


• Ample time and opportunities are provided for educational activities:
• During family medicine training there are scheduled weekly teaching sessions
• Throughout the entire residency, there is a weekly half-day of protected time from all clinical duties on Wednesday afternoon for purposes of educational activities. This time is allotted for you to complete the requirements of the academic program. You have a choice of either:
• Attending pre-arranged seminars on selected topics
• Doing your own learning the way you like it: reading, online CME, workshops, faculty development sessions


• A behavioural medicine curriculum that replaces mandatory psychiatry rotations at most programs. It includes:
• Mental health teaching seminars on selected Wednesday mornings
• Small group learning on effective interviewing, communication and relationship building skills
• Regular direct observations of your patient encounters with feedback done by your family medicine preceptors
• Opportunities to work with other mental health professionals (e.g. social workers)
• Optional clinical psychiatry rotations for some programs


• A comprehensive procedures curriculum that is based on multimedia teaching tools such as videos and anatomic models. It has the most comprehensive resource list/links on where you can learn required procedures based on free resources available to our residents ( http://www.familymedicineuwo.ca/residents/rh_procedural.html ).


• A comprehensive palliative care curriculum that includes choices in different type of palliative care rotations and education sessions ( http://www.familymedicineuwo.ca/residents/rh_end_of_life.html ).


• A curriculum map ( http://www.familymedicineuwo.ca/residents/rh_objectives.html ) to help guide you and let you keep track of your own learning.
  

• A wide variety of PGY3 programs (all are one year in duration unless otherwise specified):
• Academic Family Medicine
• Anesthesia
• Care of the Elderly
• Child Health
  
• Emergency Medicine
• Hospitalist Program - Windsor
  
• Palliative Care - Windsor
• Palliative Care - London (starting to accept residents for July 2013)
  
• Obstetrics (6 months)
  
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Women's Health
  
• Individualized Program (6-12 months)
  


• A program where you can make a difference:
• We have resident representation on almost every committee, subcommittee and task force of our postgraduate programs
• Regular feedback sessions are held at each teaching site
• Evaluations of all rotations and educational seminars are reviewed regularly and necessary improvements made

If you have additional questions about the program, please visit our contact information page for directors and residents' emails: http://www.familymedicineuwo.ca/page8010165.aspx