Training Programs

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

1 year

Number of positions annually

2

Program Description

The Category 1 Addictions program  is run in conjunction with the existing Addictions Fellowship offered by the BC Centre on Substance Use.

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

1 year

Number of positions annually

5

Program Description

The UBC FPA year is a diverse and challenging blend of high volume/high acuity tertiary centre rotations and rural FPA educational experiences.  The design is intended to provide adequate volume of clinical exposure to achieve learning objectives while still providing adequate exposure to rural broad spectrum FPA practice to prepare our residents for the unique challenges they will face working in rural surgical and critical care environments  with limited resources.

This program is primarily based in Vancouver-area hospitals except for a core community rotation in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory,  and elective block which is also often rural based. The Whitehorse rotation in the Yukon Territory is very popular and highly valued as excellent clinical exposure to broad scope FPA practice.  The elective block provides further opportunity in several rural BC communities for additional time with FPA preceptors and further FP clinical exposure.

There are up to four positions available each academic year (July 1-June 30).

A brief outline of year structure is as follows:

• Adult anesthesia: A total of 6 blocks at Vancouver General Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, Lions Gate Hospital, and/or Royal Columbian Hospital.
• Pediatric anesthesia: 2 blocks each at BC Children’s Hospital
• Obstetrical anesthesia: 2 blocks at BC Women’s Hospital
• ICU: 1 block at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, BC
• Community Rotation: 1 block in Whitehorse, Yukon
• Elective: 1 block

Successful completion of this enhanced skills program requires passing:

• Rotations
• Written exam
• Oral exam

Specific FPA CBD curriculum is in process of being developed

These programs are matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

1 year

Number of positions annually

Nanaimo: 2
Northern (Prince George): 2
Surrey: 2
Vancouver: 7
Kamloops: 2
Total Positions Available: 15

Program Description

This program is a continuation of the CCFP Residency Program and is designed to meet the needs of the physician who wishes to acquire extra skills in Emergency Medicine. The CCFP-EM program aims to train physicians with strong clinical, academic, advocacy and leadership skills, focused within the field of Emergency Medicine. Graduates of the program are anticipated to act as leaders in emergency medicine with a major commitment to emergency care and teaching, regardless of where they practice. The program, though very clinically based, has a strong academic component. St. Paul’s Hospital, in Vancouver, is the largest training site, with 7 Residents per year. 8 additional Residents are based in other locations (Nanaimo, Prince George, Surrey, and Kamloops). All Residents undertake clinical rotations at a variety of Emergency Departments to ensure high-quality exposure to Emergency Medicine in different settings.

A brief description of the five primary training sites follows:

Nanaimo: Located on Vancouver Island, NRGH has an annual census of approximately 68,000. They are provincial leaders in ultrasound training.

Kamloops:  Royal Inland Hospital is a high-acuity, Level II trauma centre that sees 75,000 pediatric and adult ER visits per year.

Prince George: The University Hospital of Northern British Columbia is the largest Level III trauma centre in Northern BC and has an annual census of around 45,000. This is the main site for the Regional/Northern program.

Surrey: Surrey Memorial Hospital is the busiest emergency department in the province. This is a high volume, high acuity department with both adult and pediatric emergency departments. Annual visits are, on average, over 165,ooo.

Vancouver: St Paul's: St. Paul's is a busy, fascinating, tertiary-care hospital in the heart of downtown Vancouver with over 88,000 patient visits per year.

Physicians interested in this program should obtain all information/application as early as possible.

Length of Program

2 years @ 50% part-time

Number of positions annually

2

Program Description

Do you have an idea for how to improve practice, health care delivery or any aspect of community-based primary health care?

The UBC Department of Family Practice is pleased to offer two-year, part-time, Clinician Scholar positions for family physicians in family practice scholarship starting July 1 each year. The Clinician Scholar Program is one of seven across Canada. These positions are Category 1, Enhanced Skills residency positions, accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

We will help you to develop your research ideas into  scholarship. Our program includes scholarship related to:

• Developing and conducting research
• Community engagement
• Contributions to education
• Knowledge translation

Objectives

• To support the development and enhancement of core scholarship skills
• To cultivate scholarship within family medicine
• To contribute to the knowledge base of family    practice and primary health care
• To engage practicing family physicians in conducting  scholarly work
• To foster innovative, interdisciplinary, community-based scholarship

Program Structure

• Clinician Scholars work with their identified Family Practice faculty research mentor. The CSP Mentorship Agreement guides the level and type of support the Clinician Scholar will receive. This is a requirement to apply to the Clinician Scholar Program.
• Overall facilitation of the program is the responsibility of the CSP Director, Dr. Wendy Norman, with the oversight and guidance of the CSP Steering Committee.

For more information, please visit http://research.familymed.ubc.ca/clinician-scholar-program-2/

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

26 weeks

Number of positions annually

2

Program Description

The mission of the Health Care of the Elderly residency is to promote the education of family physicians to enhance their competence and confidence in health care for seniors. Our goal is to develop leaders, teachers and researchers in elder care in the community. Training may occur in Vancouver or Metro Vancouver.

This program includes defined objectives for each rotation, including the requirement of a completed research project:

• family practice, assessment and treatment program
• geriatric medicine
• geriatric psychiatry
• palliative medicine
• rehab objectives
• electives and time for research project.

Please refer to CaRMS website for the application process and deadline.

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

26 weeks

Number of positions annually

2

Six-month advanced obstetrics surgical skills training is available at Surrey Memorial Hospital. The goal of this program is to train physicians who are intent on practicing in rural communities to be competent in performing C-sections.

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

1 year

Number of positions annually

5

Program Description

The Family Medicine Palliative Medicine Program is for physicians seeking added competency in palliative medicine, who intend to focus their career on palliative medicine.  They must satisfy one of the following criteria:

1. CCFP certification
2. Residents in their final year of family medicine residency who are eligible for CCFP certification (current or expected to be obtained within the Palliative Care residency year).
3. A physician who is practice-eligible to sit the CFPC certification examination during the Palliative Care residency year.

On completion of the program, the physician will be able to provide primary and consultant palliative care services, including the education of medical students and physicians, and receive the right to use the CCFP-PC (Palliative Care) Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) designation.

The resident will gain knowledge, skills, and clinical experience in pain and symptom management and the psycho-social and spiritual dimensions of caring for patients and families facing terminal illness.

The program is based primarily in Vancouver or Victoria, but there will be opportunity to gain palliative care experience in other B.C. centers. The resident will gain experience on palliative care units, acute care hospital palliative consultation services and at BC Cancer and community hospice programs.  There are also a variety of elective options available depending on the specific interests of the resident.

Residents are expected to complete a scholarly project during the one-year residency.

This program is matched via CaRMS. Please visit Carms.ca for a full program description and an outline of the application process/timeline.

Length of Program

1 year

Number of positions annually

1

Program Description

Enhanced Skills offers a primary care Sports and Exercise Medicine year of training. This is a comprehensive training program to create expertise in the assessment, management and ultimately prevention of sport and exercise concerns. The endpoint is the creation of community leaders in this relatively new area of medicine. There is 1 position per year.

The UBC Sport and Exercise Residency Program combines several longitudinal clinics with core rotations throughout the year.

Weekly Longitudinal Clinics:

• ½ day Varsity Clinic at UBC Student Health
  ½ day family practice clinic at UBC Health Clinic
• ½ day Ultrasound clinic at Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic
• 2 days of Sport Medicine Clinic at the Allan McGavin Sports Medicine Clinic, and various other Sport Medicine clinic locations in Vancouver and the surrounding area

Rotations:

• Foot & Ankle
• Radiology
• Sport Cardiology
• MSK-ER
• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Orthotics/Bracing/Physio
• Hands/Plastics
• Brain Health
• Physiatry
• Rheumatology
• Electives

Please refer to CaRMS website for the application process and deadline.

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

4

Program Description

The category two Addiction Medicine program seeks to educate and train practicing clinicians to identify and treat substance use disorders with three months of focused rotations. This time is typically divided between high yield clinical settings that include inpatient and outpatient Addiction Medicine, withdrawal management facilities, residential treatment centres, and culturally focused substance use disorder treatment clinics. Enhanced Skills trainees enter with the goal of providing specialized care to a particular community by developing focused competencies within Addiction Medicine. Previous trainees have completed training within various health authorities including Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver Island Health Authority, and Fraser Health.

Contact information:

Gender & Sexual Health (previously Women's Health) Enhanced Skills is a flexible training program for family physicians seeking to develop additional knowledge and skills to better serve underserviced British Columbia communities or populations.

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

1-2

Program Description

The Gender and Sexual Health Enhanced Skills program:

• encompasses a broad selection of disciplines within the realms of Gender and Sexual Health
• assists in finding training opportunities to address personalized learning objectives
• usually incorporates focused time in two chosen areas of skills development
• offers an opportunity to spend two weeks in a Sexual Health interdisciplinary practice
• provides mentorship and support in program development and training.

Applicants are expected to propose specific learning objectives to address knowledge and skills gaps in both personal and community practice. Successful candidates will map their skills training objectives into a personalized training program, with the assistance of the physician lead and program coordinator.

Some examples training areas:  primary care sexual & reproductive health focussed practice ● menopause ● sexual medicine ● transgender care ● vulvodynia ● abortion ● women’s cardiovascular health

Funding is at the R3 level for up to 3-months.  Depending on the training sought and site/preceptor availability, it may not be possible to complete the program as a contiguous 3-month block.

Contact information:

Dr. Marisa Collins, Gender & Sexual Health Program Lead
Email: marisa.collins@familymed.ubc.ca

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

Length of Program

26 weeks

Number of positions annually

1-2

Program Description

This program is designed to prepare licensed physicians to undertake clinical and/or public health work in a resource-limited international setting.  It also provides opportunities for enhanced learning local global health, including refugees and new immigrants.  The program consists of 4 months of Vancouver-based clinical training, live courses, online Global Health resources, in addition to participation in the Global Health journal club; the remaining 2 months will consist of a single placement in an approved, UBC-affiliated resource-limited, international site.  The clinical placement can be extended beyond the R3 program at the resident's discretion and pending site approval.  The overall program objectives are defined in terms of the CanMEDS competencies; the resident will be expected to define a set of shorter term learning objectives tailored to individual interests and goals to achieve within the 6-month training program

For more information about the program, please visit our Global Health Enhanced Skills webpage.

It is recommended that those who are interested contact the program co-leads prior to applying:

Contact information:

Dr. Videsh Kapoor
Dr. Ali Okhowat

All Program Co-Leads can be reached at ubc.globalhealth@ubc.ca

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

H2SUM (HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health)

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

1-2

Program Description

Providing care for marginalized populations with complex medical and psycho-social conditions can be challenging for most family physicians, as treatments for: HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health conditions, are in constant evolution.

To provide comprehensive training in the management of marginalized complex populations, the BC-Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, in partnership with the Vancouver Costal Health Department of Family and Community Practice, have developed a three-month postgraduate enhanced skills training program. The primary objective of this program is to enhance the skills of family physicians in the care and management of HIV, Hepatitis B and C, substance use disorder, mental health and other related conditions. With access to a network of clinics across the Vancouver Coastal Area including the Hope to Health Research and Innovation Centre, the John Ruedy Clinic (outpatient HIV primary care) and other specialist clinics at St Paul’s Hospital, this program is sure to provide a unique experience to physicians looking to increase their knowledge in these areas.

Contact information:

Dr. Val Montessori, H2SUM Program Lead
Email: vmontessori@bccfe.ca

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

Length of Program

26 weeks

Shorter training periods in hospital medicine may also be available depending upon availability and capacity.

Number of positions annually

2

Program Description

The Hospital Medicine program offers training and mentorship in integrated hospitalized complex patient, family and system-centered healthcare. Residents work in the context of a multidisciplinary team with the hospitalist having the leading role in managing patients with multiple co- morbidities, and providing a skilled resource to transition of care by meeting the patients, families, hospital and community needs.

Residents in this program are mentored by faculty with focused practices in in-patient care as hospitalists, and by faculty from various sub-specialty training programs. This training opportunity represents one of the pathways for obtaining the Provincial Hospital Medicine Clinical Privileges.

Outline of the Program/ Training Sites

• Internal medicine/ Clinical teaching Unit - Royal Columbian Hospital – 4 weeks
• Nephrology - Royal Columbian Hospital -4 weeks
• Hospital Medicine- Royal Columbian Hospital -4 weeks
• Hospital Medicine- Surrey Memorial Hospital / Eagle Ridge Hospital / Burnaby Hospital -4 weeks
• Hospital Medicine- Vancouver General Hospital / Victoria General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital - 4 weeks
• Hospital Medicine (elective) - Kamloops General Hospital - 4 weeks
• Elective - 6 weeks: Infectious Diseases/ Cardiology/ Addiction Medicine

Upon request, rotations in other hospitalist program sites can be arranged.

This program has a flexible format in terms of the block rotation sequence, and blocks 4, 5 and 6 will be tailored to the candidates’ learning needs.

Residents are expected:

• to attend weekly scheduled Internal Medicine rounds and M&M Hospitalist rounds
• to present a patient case while on each Hospital Medicine rotations that identifies an evidence-based learning point (case-based learning)
• to participate in a Quality Initiative project led by hospitalists or to complete a Scholarly Project (development of a clinical tool, literature review and presentation etc.)

During the VGH / in the next future RCH Hospital Medicine rotations, residents have the opportunity to utilize Point of Care Ultrasound as an important bedside clinical diagnostic tool.

Residents are involved in teaching Family Practice Junior residents, and medical students.

The training curriculum for this program is based on the Canadian Society of Hospital Medicine - Core Competencies in Hospital Medicine.

Contact information:

Dr. Diana Stancu, Hospitalist Program Lead
Email: diana.stancu@shaw.ca

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

1-2

Program Description

For more information about training opportunities in Indigenous Health, please contact us directly.

Contact information:

Dr. Terri Aldred, Family Practice Indigenous Site Director

Ms. Carlea Remodo, Family Practice Indigenous Site Coordinator
Email: cremodo@uvic.ca
Phone: 250-370-8980

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

4

Program Description

Training in low-risk obstetrics with Enhanced Skills usually takes place at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre, but the opportunity also exists to train at 2 additional sites - Surrey Memorial Hospital, and the Noakes Maternity Clinic/Richmond General Hospital.

Outline of the Program/ Training Sites

There are 3 options for the Obstetrics exposure at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. Some of these options can be combined for a more varied experience:

1. Integrated Maternity Rotation (iMAT): FP’s office that does primarily OB as part of a full-service family practice.  Mentored by a member of BCW Department of FP at BC Women’s.  Work in their office and be a SRMC resident on call with FPMS groups.
2. Ob Group Elective: Work as a Junior OB resident in high-risk labor and delivery.  Work with one of the attending obstetricians while on call.  Little or no ambulatory work, but would be busy in BC Women’s high-risk LDR and Urgent Care Centre for triage, assessment and admissions
3. PCM Rotation: AKA “Single Room Maternity Care” rotation. Work alongside midwives, FP’s and Ob’s in low-risk L&D at BC Women’s. Will join a number of ambulatory clinics including obstetrics and some gynecology if available.  This is a great elective and popular amongst our PGY1 residents.

The three-block Enhanced Skills Program in Obstetrics at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre usually looks like this:

• Consists of doing two blocks of PCM rotation (low-risk L&D), working as a resident on call with FP physicians and one block of Ob Group rotation (high-risk L&D), working as a resident on call with the Obstetricians or a combination of both rotations depending on learning objectives.  If you are a FP physician who is going into rural practice that incudes maternity care and obstetrics without an Obstetrician, then it is advisable to request to spend more time as an Ob Group resident working with the Obstetricians
• Will have exposure to various Women’s health clinics including prenatal,  menopause, obstetrics medicine, gynecology clinics and more depending on availability.  This exposure depends on learning objectives if you have preference to shadow certain clinics
• Will be evaluated by the Primary Care Maternity rotation supervisor

Additional Sites:

Surrey Memorial Hospital:

Training at SMH is done with FPs at the Surrey Prenatal Clinic. Surrey sees a very high volume of deliveries every year, and the FPs doing OB there often deal with moderate to high risk patients. Residents interested in training at SMH can do all or part of their 3 months there.

Noakes Maternity Clinic (Richmond General Hospital)

Richmond is the busiest non-tertiary hospital for maternity in BC. Last year there were 1463 total births at the Richmond Hospital Birth Centre. About 20% of patients had c/s which are listed under the OB numbers but with that taken into account see the statistics below.

2021/22 Fiscal Year:RH Birth Centre: 1463 total births

Deliveries by GP (Mostly Noakes) | 466 | 32.2%
Deliveries by Obstetrician (including all urgent C/S) | 832 | 57.5%
Deliveries by Midwife | 143 | 9.9%
Deliveries by Registered Nurse | 6 | 0.4%

The group is very collaborative and collegial, with supportive OB, peds and nursing colleagues. OB is always in house and peds and anesthesia are usually easily available.  You can anticipate an average of two deliveries in a 24 hour shift.

Residents interested in training at Noakes would combine it with their training at BCWH.

Contact information:

Dr. Eamonn Rogers, Low-Risk Obstetrics Program Lead

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

4

Program Description

Training periods of up to 3 months are available in Category 2 Palliative Medicine. The Palliative Program has developed specific competencies for a 3 month training period. This program is designed for physicians who intend to practice in an under-served rural community.  Applicants with a desire to practice in a larger centre, such as the lower mainland, Kelowna, or Victoria, should apply for the Category 1 Palliative Care program.

As with other Category 2 Programs, specific training locations are dependent on the resident's own goals and objectives.

Contact information:

Dr. Anoo Tamber, Cat 2 Palliative Program Lead & Cat 1 Palliative Program Director

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator
Email: Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca

Length of Program

12 weeks

Number of positions annually

2

Program Description

Pediatric specialists are less available in many rural areas in British Columbia, but there are a significant number of patients of the pediatric age group in these areas.  Efforts are being made to improve the number of pediatricians in rural and remote areas, but the presence of Family Medicine practitioners with Enhanced Skills in Pediatrics would provide better care to this patient population.  The trainee would receive skills training in acute management of pediatric patients. Individual learning objectives could also be accommodated.

Outline of the Program/ Training Sites

The initial training will be a three (3) month period with rotations through areas managing acute pediatric and neonatal presentations.

• Surrey Memorial NICU (3 weeks) - this training would have emphasis  on neonatal resuscitation and stabilization, and care of the “older” premature infant
• Surrey Memorial Pediatric Consult service (3 weeks) – assessment and stabilization of term infants, and management of common pediatric consultations/inpatient care
• BC Children’s Hospital Emergency Room (2 weeks) – this will allow exposure to General Pediatrics but also a significant exposure to pediatric acute mental health disorders
• Regional Hospital Experence (4 weeks) – experience in “full service” General Pediatric hospital practice, which includes neonatal care (resuscitation and stabilization) ideally in the regional hospital serving the trainee’s planned practice area (eg. Prince George, Kelowna/Kamloops, Victoria or Nanaimo)

The trainee should have current PALS and  NRP.  Completion of an APLS course is also recommended.  If the trainee has been unable to obtain above certification as a result of COVID-19, assistance can be given in accessing training opportunities

Contact information:

Dr. Tina Webber, Enhanced Skills Program Director tina.webber@ubc.ca

Ms. Lindsay Gowland, Enhanced Skills Program Coordinator, Lindsay.gowland@ubc.ca