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Certification Examination in Family Medicine

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Frequently asked questions about the family medicine exam

 

 

Examination of Added Competence in Emergency Medicine

Emergency medicine exam logistics

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Emergency medicine examiners

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Virtual and remote examination delivery

 

Virtual SOO for family medicine

Remotely-proctored SAMP for family medicine

 

 

Exam news & communication

    Latest exam news and communication

  • Modification to the simulated office oral (SOO) component

    To registrants for the spring 2023 Certification Examination in Family Medicine.

    This message includes a recent clarification, reminder, and modification to the simulated office oral (SOO) component of the Certification Examination in Family Medicine.

    1. The Board of Examinations and Certification wishes to clarify that for each SOO station you should approach the simulated patient interaction as if it is an office-based visit, despite the encounter occurring virtually. SOOs are designed to assess your skills in providing patient-centred clinical encounters. Although there is likely a significant overlap, SOOs are not assessments of the skills and attributes required for well-run virtual encounters.
    2. The Board of Examinations and Certification wishes to remind you that SOO examiners have always been trained to assess for effective integration of the standardized patient’s illness experience. Practically speaking, this means if you present FIFE-related questions (feelings, ideas, functioning, expectations) in a checklist or rote fashion without demonstrating appreciation for the patient’s illness experience, and/or not using active communication skills, it will be considered a non-certificate-level performance. The overall marking scheme of the SOO is unchanged, but the wording format within the problem identification side of the Illness Experience sections has been modified from bullet points to a paragraph.  Expectations for performance remain unchanged.
    3. SOO examiners have traditionally provided candidates with a verbal “You have three minutes left” warning along with the visual cue of holding up three fingers. This warning often disrupts the flow of the SOO and has been erroneously interpreted by some as a signal for candidates to stop gathering information and start managing issues.

    Given that both candidates and examiners have identical countdown clocks in the yellow bar provided by the software platform, starting in spring 2023 both the verbal and physical three-minutes-left warnings will no longer be offered by the examiner. Should an SOO have to be run where there is no yellow bar countdown clock showing the time remaining in the encounter, the examiner will then offer a three-minute verbal and visual warning.

    If you are a resident registered for this examination, all family medicine residency programs have been notified of these changes to ensure any SOO preparations they undertake can be aligned with this information. Should you have any questions related to this message, you can reach us at [email protected].

    Please note, you will receive an email within the next four weeks detailing your examination schedule.

  • Past CFPC examination communications

    The College of Family Physicians (CFPC) is pleased to announce that the oral component of the Certification Examination in Family Medicine will be administered virtually for all candidates moving forward.

    Examinations are a key component in assessing the skills, expertise, and competence of family medicine learners. They help consolidate the knowledge and skills gained through a competency-based medical education. The oral component remains an important aspect in preparing family medicine residents to apply a patient-centred approach in practice.

    For the 2022 administrations of the Certification Examination in Family Medicine, individuals who:
    • Write the exam for the first time in 2022 are required to take both the short-answer management problem (SAMP) and simulated office oral (SOO) components
    • Have a Fail standing from a previous SAMP component, including the 2020 or 2021 administrations that were SAMP-only examinations, are required to take both the SAMP and SOO components of the exam
    • Have a Fail standing on the SOO component of the exam, will need to retake only the SOO component if they are still within their eligibility period; if the candidate’s eligibility has expired, they must apply under a new eligibility and both the SAMP and SOO components must be taken
    • Have a Fail standing on both the SAMP and SOO components of the exam, must retake both the SOO and SAMP components if they are still within their eligibility period; if the candidate’s eligibility has expired, they are required to apply under a new eligibility and take both the SAMP and SOO components

    Please ensure that you are aware of upcoming dates, fees and deadlines.

    We are committed to providing quality certification examinations and want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times.


    Family Medicine Examination Update: 2021 SAMP exam (September 29, 2021)

    CFPC Update on Emergency Medicine Exam (September 13, 2021)

    The Simulated Office Oral examination moves to a virtual delivery (August 18, 2021)

    The simulated office oral exam component is going virtual (May 3, 2021)

    Spring 2021 Certification Examination in Family Medicine update related to COVID-19 restrictions (April 9, 2021)

    Information concerning the 2021 Examination (March 8, 2021)

    Virtual SOO 2021 (February 2, 2021)

    Important Changes to the 2021 Certification Examination in Family Medicine (November 24, 2020)

    Open letter to CFPC examination candidates and stakeholders (October 22, 2020)

    CCFP fall 2020 exam update (October 1, 2020)

General exam information

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