Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are FMRA fees for?

All family medicine residents need to be members of the FMRA. Membership dues vary from year to year and are due at the second AD of the year. The funds from membership fees go toward financing events and services throughout the year, i.e. orientation, retreats, grad, social events, photocopying, etc.

2. How can I get more involved?

There are many ways in which you can become more involved in the Family Medicine Residency Program. First, you can help out on the FMRA council (check out the committees). Elections are held at the beginning of each residency year. As part of the FMRA you play an integral part of communication between the faculty and the resident body. Second, there are many opportunities throughout the year to help out with medical student teaching, marking, examinations, etc. Solicitation e-mails are sent out by the U of A Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in this regard. Keep checking your e-mail as there are often many opportunities that pop up during the year to help out. We are always looking for volunteers.

3. Where and when are FMRA meetings?

FMRA meetings are for all those on the executive and any members wanting to find out what's going on. FMRA meetings occur during lunch hour on academic days typically in ECHA (or virtually during pandemics), location is shared before each AD.

4. What and when is academic day (AD)?

Academic days are mandatory, structured education sessions on the second Wednesday of each month. Each month has a theme (i.e. Cardiology). Half of the day is small groups with your home site. This session involves going over McMaster Modules, discussing new research articles, and going over practice CFPC exam questions.  The other half of the day is classic lecture style with speakers typically from the area of specialty we are focusing on that day. Academic day materials can be found on the eclass website. 

5. Why are ADs mandatory? Why is filling out an attendance sheet mandatory?

To qualify for and meet the academic standards as set forth by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the program has to educate its residents in a number of different, but key areas. Part of this is met by having rotations and electives, but the other part of this is by providing formalized and structured teaching sessions. These sessions, in order to be considered useful, needed, and of interest or benefit to the residents, must have a form of evaluation. This allows the sessions to be marked, graded and ultimately "approved" by the College. To meet statistical levels of validity, the evaluations have to be completed by no less than 75% of those in attendance.

6. What do I do if I'm on call during the half-day?

AD sessions are your priority. If you are on call, you need to let your rotations know of this commitment. Sign over whatever needs doing to someone else, let switchboard know you will be unavailable then go to AD.

7. What does "protected" time mean?

Protected time refers to events/sessions that are supported by the Family Medicine Department. This means that they have sent out a letter to all of our rotations 3 months in advance informing them that Family Medicine Residents will be away and unable to provide any service for that period of time. In some cases this simply means that other residents/staff will cover our duties. On the other hand, it may be as complicated as the rotation having to get extra physicians in to cover a service for a weekend, as with the Family Medicine resident's retreat weekend in the Spring. (Note: This does NOT mean that if you were scheduled to do call on a weekend when there is a protected event going on that you just leave. If you want to go, you should be allowed to go, but you obviously have to find someone to cover for you, and you have to make sure that you still do the same number of calls as everyone else as for that rotation.) Really, all protected time means is that the rotation you're on can't force you to be on call during a particular time if you are going to that event.

8. Just how much time off do I get per year?

Best place to refer to is your PARA agreement. Often you need to request time away using the special request for leave form.

For most residents you get:

• 8 Canadian Holidays: Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Heritage Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day

• 6 consecutive days off for either Christmas or New Years (or other religious holiday)

• up to 5 days to prepare for the CFPC and LMCC exams

• 4 flex days

• 4 weeks vacation

The above does not address or include Maternity/Parental leave, Sick leave, or Special leave.

9. What are flex days?

Flex Days are extra days off for any other reason. You will need to schedule flex days well in advance of most rotations (usually at least 1 month prior to the start of the rotation, but there are exceptions) and receive approval from your Faculty Advisor and Rotation Preceptor/Coordinator. Your site administrator will forward the request to the Program Director for their approval. Forms can be accessed here.

10. Do I need to go to AD if I’m post call?

No. 

It is recognized that academic sessions are organized for the benefit of resident education so it is anticipated that most residents will not schedule call days the day prior to academic day activities (if rotations are forcing you to do this, then please highlight this to the program director – it is not acceptable!). Should resident feel well rested despite being post call, they are encouraged and welcomed to attend academic sessions. If not attending due to post call, residents must inform the Family Medicine Residency Program office of this.

11. Can I take a post call day if I’m on home call?

See PARA article 35.05 (d) – Any resident on home call who works for more than 4 hours in hospital, one full hour of which is between 12am and 6am OR for more than 6 hours in the hospital is entitled to upgrade their "home call" to "switch call" which provides them with a post-call day and the same remuneration as for in-house call. However, if you sign up for several days of consecutive call, this means that there may be no resident to hand over to. So when you are negotiating your home call schedule for a rotations, make sure your staff is cool with the possibility that you may be post call and handing things over to them.

12. How do call stipends work?

On off-service rotations, your call schedule will be forwarded from the rotation coordinator to your site administrator for submission. Just make sure to update either of them if your call schedule changes (e.g. upgrading home call to switch call)! On blocktime, your site administrator will ask you for each block to complete a call log which they will then submit. Your site administrator is your best bet if you have any questions about PARA's call classifications!

13. Is there funding to attend conferences?

You bet there is! The amount of conference funding varies year to year. Please refer to your handbook for further details.  https://sites.google.com/ualberta.ca/urbanfmresidencyhandbook/expenses/conference-funding 

14. Do we get time away from clinical responsibilities for educational conferences?

You bet you do! See PARA article 12. Essentially, you need to ensure that the program director is in agreement that the conference is appropriate to your training or desired career path. Then you need to apply for leave using the “special leave request form”. It must be approved by your Faculty Advisor and the rotation preceptor. Once approved – away you go! This time is not deducted from vacation entitlement!

15. Do we get time away from clinical responsibilities to teach/participate in educational activities?

Yes! The Department of Family Medicine recognizes and expects that you should regularly participate in teaching activities outside your clinical duties. This could include OSCEs for medical students, workshops, or research events. You need to apply for leave using the “special leave request form”. It must be approved by your family med preceptor and the rotation preceptor. This time is not deducted from vacation entitlement!