Triple C Competency Based Curriculum

Triple C is a competency-based curriculum for family medicine residency training based on the CanMEDS–Family Medicine framework and the Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine.

Preparing our Future Family Physicians. An educational prescription for strengthening health care in changing times.

There are three components of Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum:

Comprehensive education and patient care
Continuity of education and patient care
Centred in family medicine

An internationally-recognized education model

Triple C ensures all graduates are:

Competent to provide comprehensive care in any Canadian community
Prepared for the evolving needs of society
Educated based on the best available evidence on patient care and medical education

This curriculum addresses accountability, social responsibility, patient safety, and efficiencies in educational programming. It highlights the College of Family Physician of Canada’s (CFPC’s) vision of graduating sufficient numbers of Canadian family physicians who can provide comprehensive, continuing care within traditional family practices and within newer models of interprofessional practice.

Triple C builds on the College’s internationally-recognized educational model offered by 17 university-based family medicine programs in Canada. Given the changing landscape in Canada and increasing attention to quality, accountability, and interprofessional patient-centred care, the CFPC is proactively recommending ways to ensure that our future family physicians are ready for the realities of tomorrow.

Triple C is endorsed by the CFPC in collaboration with the Section of Teachers Council and the former Triple C Task Force.

Resources

Triple C Tool Kit*

These tools explain the CFPC’s Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum, and the process of competency-based assessment:

Reports

Reports	Description
Triple C Competency-based Curriculum Report – Part 2: Advancing Implementation.	This report aims to assist stakeholders in the full implementation of the Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum. It gathers expert opinions, resources, and tools developed by members of various CFPC educational committees, and intends to guide the change toward the Triple C curriculum.
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum Report – Part 1	The Working Group on Postgraduate Curriculum Review (WGCR) recommended each family medicine residency training program in Canada establish a competency-based curriculum in family medicine that is comprehensive, focused on continuity, and centred in family medicine—the Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum (Triple C).
Defining competence for the purposes of certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada: The evaluation objectives in family medicine	This document articulates, for the purposes of assessment, the specific skills required by physicians to effectively function within the context of family medicine in Canada. Part I of the document describes the components and structure of these evaluation objectives, explaining and justifying the methods used in their development. Part II lays out, in detail, the operational level of all the evaluation objectives.
CanMEDS–Family Medicine 2017	CanMEDS–Family Medicine 2017 (CanMEDS-FM) is an adaptation of CanMEDS 2015, the competency framework for medical education developed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). In keeping with CanMEDS 2005, CanMEDS-FM’s purpose is to guide curriculum and to form the basis for the design and accreditation of residency programs. Its ultimate goal is to improve patient care and to ensure that postgraduate training programs in family medicine are responsive to societal needs.
CanMEDS-FMU: Undergraduate competencies from a family medicine perspective	The goal of this document is to provide a family medicine perspective on undergraduate medical education. This has been achieved by referencing the CanMEDS and the CanMEDS–Family Medicine frameworks to create a specific set of undergraduate family medicine competencies for undergraduate educators to use.
Length of Training in the Core Family Medicine Residency	As family medicine programs across the country adopt a competency‐based approach to education, the interplay between factors that could increase training time and increase efficiency will address questions about length of training. A minimum of 24 months is required for the development of the residents’ professional identity as a family physician. Rigorous evaluation of the impact of competency‐based systems in family medicine residency programs will be essential.
The Scope of Training for Family Medicine Residency	This document supplements the CanMEDS-FM document. It outlines the professional activities that delineate the scope of comprehensive care in family medicine: the settings in which care is provided, the spectrum of clinical responsibilities managed by family physicians, the clinical procedures performed in practice, and the varied patient populations cared for. These Domains of Clinical Care are the basis of the learning experiences in family medicine residency and educational assessments. They also provide the context that gives the CanMEDS-FM Roles practical meaning in patient care.

Videos

Videos	Description
Triple C Animation	Dr. AJ, a first-year family medicine resident, begins his journey to become a family physician. Using direct observations, field notes, and periodic reviews, Dr. AJ and his preceptor demonstrate Triple C curriculum’s competency-based approach to assessment and express the critical partnership between a resident who plays an active role in his learning and a preceptor who is committed to helping him reach his goal.
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum (short version)	Triple C curriculum 90-second version of the eight-minute video.
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum: Canada’s Family Medicine Curriculum (eight-minute version)	Triple C curriculum eight-minute version describes what Triple C is and what it intends to do for residents, teachers, family physicians, colleagues, and patients.

Presentations

Presentations	Objectives
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum: A Brief Overview	Describes the components of the Triple C curriculum Explains the rationale supporting these key directions
Key Concepts and Definitions of Competency-based Education	Defines the key concepts of: Competence and competencies Competency-based education (CBE)
Defining the Three Cs of the Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum	Describes the major elements of the Triple C curriculum (i.e., the Three Cs) Explains some impacts of each of the Three Cs on residency training
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum: Implications for Family Medicine Residency Programs	Describes how a Triple C curriculum translates into key characteristics of a family medicine residency program Explains teaching and learning strategies within a Triple C curriculum
Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum: A Competency-based Approach to In-Training Assessment	Participants begin to develop a process of in-training assessment for their institution that focuses on learner/patient interactions during daily clinical activity Participants clarify roles, skills, and tasks of learners, preceptors, faculty advisers and program directors Participants become familiar with the tools available to achieve superior assessments which include individual documentation, classification and progress reports
Evaluation Objectives in Family Medicine: Defining Competence for the Purposes of Certification	Describes the methodology leading to the development of the Evaluation Objectives in Family Medicine Describes the components of the Evaluation Objectives Outlines their use in both the certification examination and in- training assessment
CanMEDS–Family Medicine: A Competency Framework for Family Medicine Education and Practice in Canada	Explains the rationale leading to the development of CanMEDS-FM 2017 Describes the content of CanMEDS-FM Demonstrates how CanMEDS-FM can be used across the learning continuum
The Scope of Training for Family Medicine Residency: Domains of Clinical Care and Evolving Professional Competencies as an Outline for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment	Describes the content of the Domains of Clinical Care for residency training Explains their impact on residency training Describes the evolving professional competencies Discusses their impact on residency training Discusses the relationship between Domains of Clinical Care, CanMEDS-FM and the Triple C Competency-Based curriculum
Linking Curriculum and Assessment in a Competency-based Residency Training Program	Explains the integration of: CanMEDS-FM Domains of Clinical Care Evaluation Objectives within a Triple curriculum

Available graphics

Graphic	Description
	Triple C Competency-Based Curriculum
	Egg Puzzle Figure
	Triple C brochure
	CanMEDS-FM Tree: request permission to use by email
	CFPC In-training Assessment Table (ITA)

Articles

Article	Publication date
Defining competency-based evaluation objectives in family medicine
Communication skills	Canadian Family Physician April 2012; 58(4): e217-e224.
Procedure skills	Canadian Family Physician July 2012; 58(7): 775-780.
Dimensions of competence and priority topics for procedure	Canadian Family Physician September 2011; 57(9): e331-e340.
Key feature approach	Canadian Family Physician October 2011; 57(10): e373-e380.
Continuity: middle C—a very good place to start	Canadian Family Physician November 2011; 57(11): 1355-1356.
Comprehensive care and education	Canadian Family Physician December 2011; 57(12): 1475-1476.
The last C: centred in family medicine	Canadian Family Physician March 2012; 58(3): 346-348.
Competency-Based Achievement System: Using formative feedback to teach and assess family medicine residents’ skills	Canadian Family Physician September 2011; 57(9): e323-e330.
Renewing postgrad family medicine education: the rationale for Triple C	Canadian Family Physician August 2011; 57(8): 963-964.
Continuity of care: Differing conceptions and values	Canadian Family Physician August 2011; 57(8): 915-921.
Vital Signs: New competency-based family medicine curriculum	Canadian Family Physician July 2011; 57(7): 856.
Advancing Canada’s family medicine curriculum: Triple C	Canadian Family Physician June 2011; 57 (6): 739-740.

*Disclaimer

The Triple C toolkit and all content therein are published and owned by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and are protected by copyright laws. By using the tools on this site, you are agreeing to present the material in context and as the authors intended. Changing the content of the material is prohibited, except with explicit permission from the CFPC. You are encouraged to download and use these tools for educational purposes. The reproduction, redistribution or republication of any or all Triple C content, without proper acknowledgment is strictly prohibited. For copyright, permission, or terms of use inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Related Resources

Conquering CBME for Family Medicine Enhanced Skills Educational Leaders. Contact the CFPC for access to these online training modules.

Questions about the Triple C curriculum? Contact the CFPC