Preparing our Future Family Physicians
About the Outcomes of Training Project
The status quo is no longer an option
More than five million people in Canada do not have a family doctor. At the same time, family physicians are managing the increasingly complex and evolving needs of communities. This is causing high rates of burnout.To address the crisis in family medicine, the CFPC’s Outcomes of Training Project (OTP) aims to contribute to the transformation of health care systems through education reform.
Specifically, the OTP presents educational recommendations for delivering on the expectations defined in the Residency Training Profile and strengthening health care in changing times. These recommendations will prepare future family physicians to:
- Work in comprehensive primary care teams
- Work and meet the needs of communities anywhere in Canada
- Respond to dynamic and ever-changing societal needs
Key Learnings: The bottom line
Here’s what we learned about the current landscape of family medicine:
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Family medicine is more than primary care.
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Current data are inadequate to properly evaluate the impact of graduates on the health care system
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Early career family physicians’ ability to serve all the needs of patients is decreasing
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Early career practice choices are linked to training location, educational exposures, and the availability of supportive practices/models
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Graduates are not prepared for the diverse societal needs of communities, resulting in the need for future training
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Training gaps and areas for educational enhancement need priority attention
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Family medicine training programs are under-resourced and the curriculum is full. This requires a longer training period.
Project Roadmap
Phase 1: Strategy – Discover and Define (2019 to 2022)
Through in-depth research and consultation, we were able to discover and define what is needed to strengthen family medicine education.
- Residency Training Profile for Family Medicine
- Enhanced Skills Programs Leading to Certificates of Added Competence
Phase 2: Execution – Develop and Deliver (2022 to 2027)
We are now in phase two, planning for implementation of the recommended changes. This phase is focused on curriculum renewal and change stewardship. By March 2024 we will have a national snapshot of what a renewed curriculum will look like, and what is possible in terms of implementation. This will inform the CFPC’s approach to implementing changes to educational standards between 2024 and 2027.We recognize the complexity and challenge of implementing changes in the current environment. The CFPC is committed to a responsible, iterative, and collaborative systems approach, coupled with evaluation to guide ongoing efforts. The CFPC has convened an Education Reform Taskforce with broad stakeholder involvement. The task force meets regularly to help guide the curriculum and change processes and is governed by the CFPC’s Family Medicine Specialty Committee and Board of Directors.
The urgency to get started dovetails with the urgency of health system change. Additionally, the professional well-being of family physicians and the ability to optimize their role is vital to improving health workforce capacity. The OTP recommendations outline educational changes that will support and enable broader system transformation.
The CFPC’s primary responsibility is to maintain and uphold an appropriately high and rigorous standard for training that keeps up with the times and prepares the next generation of family physicians.
Learn more about phase two
