• Diagnose the common acute and non-acute disease entities requiring surgical treatment.
  • Priority Topics: Abdominal Pain
• Assess and manage surgical disease including referral to surgical specialties as needed.
  • Priority Topics: Abdominal Pain
• Manage routine pre-operative and post-operative care.
• Assess and manage pre-operative medical problems which affect surgical care (e.g. cardiorespiratory disease, diabetes, medication).
• Provide proficient surgical assistance.
• Perform minor surgical procedures and wound closures.
• Assess and manage common post-operative complications (e.g. atelectasis, infections, DVT, fluid and electrolyte imbalances).
• Manage wound care.
• Provide immediate resuscitative care in patients with major trauma (including placement of chest tubes).
  • Priority Topics: Abdominal Pain, Trauma
• Medically manage long term chronic surgical conditions (e.g. amputation, colostomy).
• Describe how surgical risks vary depending on patient profile (e.g. elderly, concurrent disease, pediatric).
• Explain the role of adequate nutrition to optimize healing in peri-operative care.
• Demonstrate selectivity in deciding whether or not to perform a given procedure (including indications/contraindications, personal skills and readiness and context).
• Explain indications and contraindications to a given procedure.
• Choose among several possible approaches to a given procedure.
• Counsel and educate patients on common surgical procedures including description of the procedure and possible outcomes and complications as part of obtaining informed consent.
• Prepare for a procedure by preparation of physical environment (e.g. equipment, personal protection, aseptic technique) and by cognitive preparation (e.g. mentally rehearse anatomic landmarks, technical steps and potential complications and their management).
• During performance of a procedure, keep the patient informed and ensure patient comfort and safety always.
• During performance of a procedure, continuously re-evaluate the situation, and stop and/or seek assistance as required.
• Develop a plan with your patient for after care and follow-up after completion of a procedure.

Please refer to the CFPC list of core procedures.