Preparing for the Certification Examination in Family Medicine
Candidate guide
Self-study
Because the certification examination is clinically oriented and reflective of the day-to-day practice of family medicine, the most effective way to prepare for it is to participate actively in clinics, family medicine offices, and learning opportunities such as case discussions, rounds, and journal clubs.
That said, it should be easy to study for the examination at home. Candidates should create an individual program of continuing medical education to fit their schedule.
There are many convenient ways of keeping up-to-date with developments in primary care and family medicine. A few of the most popular options are listed here.
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Review programs
Self LearningTM Program
The Self Learning Program is a voluntary, Internet-based, College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) educational program that allows physicians to evaluate how well they keep up with current issues in medical literature. Written by a group of family physicians from across Canada, the program is self-contained with all the information required to understand new research results and therapeutic techniques. Residents in family medicine may register for free online access to the Self Learning Program.
Request more information about the Self Learning Program
Home study and Knowledge Self-Assessment—American Academy of Family Physicians
Audio, monograph, and combined subscriptions are available on topics of current interest. For more information, please visit the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) website or contact the AAFP by phone at (913) 906-6000, ext. 5298, fax (913) 906-6285, or by email.
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Other programs
Many other continuing professional development (CPD) formats, including interactive online CPD, are also available. For more information, please refer to the lists of CPD programs eligible for Mainpro+® credits.
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Books and journals
Many physicians preparing for the exam found it useful to quickly review the current edition of their favourite textbook in each of the major clinical disciplines contributing to family medicine: obstetrics, pediatrics, medicine, surgery and psychiatry.
Journals also offer opportunity for review. Canadian Family Physician, the official publication of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), publishes useful clinically-oriented articles pertinent to the practice of family medicine in Canada. Journals of other national colleges and academic associations of family medicine include American Family Physician, Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, and the BJGP: British Journal of General Practice. Journals, such as Journal Watch and the ACP Journal Club, provide critical summaries of the original research literature, and are intended to help apply relevant, high-quality research to the practice of medicine.
The following three-part article may also be helpful:
Weston Wayne W., Brown Judith Belle, Stewart Moira A. Patient-Centred Interviewing Part I: Understanding Patients’ Experiences. Can Fam Physician. 1989;35:147-51.
Brown Judith Belle, Weston Wayne W., Stewart Moira A. Patient-Centred Interviewing Part II: Finding Common Ground. Can Fam Physician. 1989;35:153-7.
Stewart Moira A., Brown Judith Belle, Weston Wayne W. Patient-Centred Interviewing Part III: Five Provocative Questions. Can Fam Physician. 1989;35:159-6.
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The Canadian Library of Family Medicine
The College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC’s) library service is always ready to help with any information needs. CFPC members can request free literature searches and full text articles.
Contact the library for more information or to request help with preparing for certification:
Simulated office orals (SOOs)
The Certification Examination in Family Medicine is comprised of two components: a written examination and an oral examination.
The oral examination is comprised of five simulated office orals (SOOs), each 15 minutes in length. SOOs take place on Saturday or Sunday of scheduled exam days.
SOOs are designed to duplicate, insofar as possible, the actual “setting” in which the family physician conducts a practice. Family physicians are trained to role-play patients with specific complaints. The physician playing the role of the patient notes how the candidate manages the case and will score the candidate according to predefined criteria.
This examination will assess both the definition and management of health problems. The scoring system focuses on the candidate’s approach to dealing with patients—including their ability to understand the patient’s unique experience and to establish a positive doctor-patient relationship.
Getting the “right diagnosis” plays only a minor role in the scoring. There are no hidden agendas.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) believes that physicians who use a patient-centered approach best meet their patients’ needs. The patient-centered clinical method is explained in detail in the book, Patient-Centered Medicine: Transforming the Clinical Method.*
*Stewart M, Brown JB, Weston W, McWhinney I, McWilliam C, Freeman T, eds. Patient-Centered Medicine: Transforming the Clinical Method. 3rd ed. London: Radcliffe Publishing; 2014.
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SOO video library
The CFPC’s SOO video library serves as a resource with videos that are representative of the SOO encounter. The College advises exam candidates to read the preparatory material (e.g., instructions to the candidate and to the examiner, the marking schemes, and critique if available) as well as the Introduction, and Guidelines on the Optimum Viewing and Scoring of SOO Video below to become familiar with the process and the case presented before viewing the demonstration videos.
Guidelines on the Optimum Viewing and Scoring of SOO Video
SOO video library
Video
Summary
Instructions to Candidate: the only written material the candidate will see, provided five minutes before the interview
Instructions to the Examiner: an abbreviated version of the script that examiners study to familiarize themselves with the case
Marking Scheme for the SOO Video: a detailed outline of the unique scoring criteria developed for this sample case
Dr. Cohen interviews a 55-year-old patient, Margaret O’Brien, a retired teacher with osteoarthritis in her left knee and high blood pressure.
Dr. Jenny Clement conducts the interview with a 42-year-old male patient, Bill Snook, presenting with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and a gambling addiction.
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SOO scripts library
SOO Character Topics Ann Brown
- A flare-up of rheumatoid arthritis
- Hypertension
Aurora Enderby-Smith
- Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and fertility questions
- Acute recurrent sinusitis
Bill Evans
- A need for post-myocardial infarction medical management
- Depression following a cardiac event
Bill Snook
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- A gambling addiction
Bruce Crothers
- A desire to bank sperm because of an abnormal prostate-specific antigen test result
- Parents have dementia and deteriorating health
Charles Potvin
- Thyroiditis
- Post-concussion syndrome
Danica Williams
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Hyperhidrosis
Florence Bruneau
- Anogenital warts (condylomata acuminate)
- Victim of sexual assault
Gary Mcnicholl
- Hypertension
- Plantar fasciitis
Helen Pereira
- Caregiver burnout
- Headaches
Henry Brooks
- Cluster headaches
- Undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia
Irene Bouchard
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Financially abused by daughter
Jane Webber
- Grief secondary to husband’s death
- Diabetes
Jeffrey Dalmazian
- A new diagnosis of hepatitis infection
- An anal fissure
Jeffrey Hope
- Chronic disease as it presents in diabetes
- Culturally sensitive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Lilliane Lawrence
- Assistance with smoking cessation
- Memory loss
Maria Fournier
- Postpartum depression
- A breast mass
Mark Leeves
- Hypertension secondary to a stressful work environment
- Symptoms of chronic prostatitis
Michael Sears
- Concern about son’s headaches
- Concern about possible post-traumatic stress disorder
Mona Raymondo
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) for undiagnosed adult attention deficit disorder
Paul Lambert
- Malaria
- Concerns about a sexually transmitted infection
Richard Grandon
- Ulcerative colitis
- Anxiety attacks
Robert Martin
- A child with atypical behaviours
- Polyarthritis secondary to ulcerative colitis
Sheena Murdoch
- Rectal bleeding of unknown etiology
- Headaches following a concussion
Sunrise Barrister
- A feeling of responsibility for a dying father
- Pregnancy nausea
Victor Mcallister
- A thyroid mass
- A conflict with wife because of parenting issues
Wendy Frontenac
- Pregnant
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
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SOO documents and links library
Distinguishing a “Certificant” from a “Superior Certificant”: Exploration of the Illness Experience
This document features evaluation tools to assess a candidate’s performance with an emphasis on communication skills.Guidelines on the Optimum Viewing and Scoring of a SOO Video
This document outlines the CFPC-recommended protocol to create the optimum SOO video viewing and scoring environment.
Short-answer management problems (SAMPs)
The Certification Examination in Family Medicine is comprised of two components: a written examination and an oral examination.
The written examination is comprised of short-answer management problems (SAMPs), which are designed to test a candidate’s recall of factual knowledge and problem-solving abilities with respect to the definition of health problems, management of health problems, and critical appraisal. This portion of the examination will be delivered using computer-based technology administered by Prometric Canada. The video demonstration is designed to provide an orientation to the functionality and features of the Prometric testing interface candidates will use on exam day. Follow the link entitled “What to expect” for a description of the registration process that occurs in all Prometric administered testing centers. It will be approximately four hours in length and will take place on Friday. An additional 15 minutes has been incorporated into the exam session time to allow candidates to take a rest/refreshment break. This break is optional and can be taken at any time during the examination.
For the SAMPs basic information regarding the presentation of the patient will be provided and a series of three or four questions will follow for each scenario. When answering questions in this examination, the candidate must read the question carefully, and provide only the information that is requested. For the most part, each question will require a single word, short phrase or short list as a response. This portion of the examination will be four hours in length.
To help candidates prepare for the family medicine examination, the Committee on Examinations has authorized the release of some SAMPs used on previous examinations. The purpose is to give candidates some sense of the format and content they can expect during the exam, and to demonstrate the correct way to answer questions. These SAMPs are not intended to be study aids.
SAMPs Instructions to the Candidate
Frequently Asked Questions
Video Demonstration
SAMP Software Tutorial
Sample SAMPs
Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine
Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine (previously titled Defining competence for the purposes of certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada: The evaluation objectives in family medicine) describe the essential skills and observable competencies that are expected from residents at the end of their training. As such, the document serves as a major guide to both in-training assessment and the content of the Certification Examination.
Competencies are described in terms of their most salient key features and observable behaviours. Each competency is specific to the situation’s context and to the phases of the clinical encounter; furthermore, each competency is linked back to the appropriate skill dimension, reinforcing this essential relationship.
