THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL EDUCATION IN CANADA POSTGRADUATE (FMEC PG): COLLECTIVE ACTION
We are pleased to provide the second of regular updates on the activities of the FMEC PG implementation project. Since our last update, there have been a significant number of activities that have taken place and the consortium partners would like to thank all the stakeholders who have voluntarily contributed to implementation activities.
Committee membership And Staff Update
The FMEC PG Management Committee (MC) and Strategic Implementation Group (SIG) continue to convene on a regular basis as drivers moving implementation efforts forward. Two new members have agreed to participate on the MC: Dr. Anurag Saxena, Associate Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education at the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, joins the committee as the postgraduate dean representative and Dr. Kent Stobart, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta, joins the committee as the undergraduate dean representative. Mr. Robert Shearer, Director General of Health Care Programs and Policy Directorate at Health Canada and Mr. Terry Goertzen, Provincial/Territorial Co-Chair of the F/P/T Committee on Health Workforce (CHW) and Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Health and Primary Health Care for Manitoba Health have also agreed to participate on the SIG as government representatives.
Melissa Shahin, who has taken a 6-month maternity leave, is replaced by Natalie Russ in the role of FMEC PG Project Coordinator. Gillian Carter has also been hired by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada to assist with implementation of the FMEC PG recommendations.
In 2011, the AFMC and the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health created a working group to explore strategies to jointly advance implementation of the FMEC PG recommendation #1 (Ensure the right mix, distribution and number of physicians to meet societal needs). This working group of deans and Deputy Ministers of Health, is supported by the F/P/T Committee on Health Workforce (CHW, formally ACHDHR) and continues to meet regularly.
The first phase of the work plan for this group is to (a) identify existing HHR planning models which could be used/adapted across jurisdictions, (b) identify specific areas of misalignment between physician resources and the needs of Canadians, (c) jointly decide on 4 clinical areas that would benefit from a national modelling approach, and (d) assess jurisdictional interest in jointly applying an identified existing model in a consistent manner.
The second phase would see the working group draft a specific plan for moving forward with the application of a specific modeling tool to the identified clinical areas in as many jurisdictions as possible. The purpose of this would be to create proof of principle for a model of national HHR planning. The plan of action will include a budget and detailed work plan for discussion at the group`s next meeting (Spring 2013).
Once a proof of principle for a model has been taken forward, a larger group of stakeholders will be formed to provide advice as we consider how to utilize the model more broadly and to discuss ways to address the evidence that the models generate.
On February 1st, 2013, Canadian accrediting bodies (Accreditation Canada, Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education, Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, Collège des médecins du Québec, College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada) and other stakeholders met in Ottawa to discuss the recommendation for aligning accreditation across the medical education continuum. Accreditation processes and program strengths were shared and meeting participants engaged in discussions to envision what the future should look like, current challenges, and strategies to overcome them. Action items included forming a working group to map current accreditation standards, collectively fine-tuning a vision statement and guiding principles, and developing a communications strategy. Moving forward the group will look to bring other key stakeholders to the table.
On January 14th, 2013, a group of key stakeholders, led by Dr. Kam Rungta and Dr. Jay Rosenfield, met at a national forum to discuss the recommendation for effective transitions along the educational continuum. A sub-committee has been formed to lead and support project activities and to ensure that the key transformative actions of this recommendation are completed. Three working groups have also been formed comprised of representatives who participated in the national forum: Transitions to Residency, Selection & Entry Disciplines, and Transition to Practice. Next steps will include identifying leads to convene the working groups and for each working group to develop a detailed work plan that will unfold over the next 2 to 3 years.
The CMA hosted a day on September 28, 2012 to begin implementation of the recommendations in both the FMEC MD and PG reports relating to leadership. Discussions led to the identification of core competencies relating to leadership that all participants felt were important for medical students and residents. Proposed accreditation standards were drafted to be taken forward to CACMS and LCME for UGME accreditation and to CMQ, CFPC and RCPSC for PG accreditation. Participants will work with the RCPSC and the CFPC as they review the CanMeds roles to ensure that the leadership competencies are captured in the roles. A recommendation was also made to develop a repository of currently available tools and resources to help programs and schools develop leadership curriculum.
At the time of this update going to press, we are still waiting for confirmation from Health Canada that our funding proposal has been accepted. If we receive the Health Canada funding, it will be a huge support to helping implement the recommendations relating to transitions, alignment of accreditation standards and governance.
For more information on the FMEC PG project, contact Natalie Russ, Project Coordinator, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada at nruss@afmc.ca, (613) 730-0687 Ext. 243 or visit the website
March 8, 2013