Introduction:

The goal of an integration is to enrich the resident’s educational and career development by cultivating interest and providing deeper exposure in a specific medical field, which they can incorporate into their future practice. Residents pursuing an integration will fulfill these requirements concurrently with, and in addition to, their standard rotations.

Expectations:

Integrations are entirely self-directed—residents are responsible for organizing their own clinical, call, and academic activities using a combination of provided resources, personal networks, and support from their home site, colleagues, and peers. The Integration Curriculum Coordinator (Kat Pederson) is also available to offer guidance and support throughout the entire integration process, from start to finish.

Important Information:

●     Residents undertaking an integration must be highly motivated and well-organized. Completing integration requirements may require dedicating time during evenings, weekends, or unscheduled days on a rotation. 

●     The Family Medicine program and its core rotation responsibilities take precedence over integration activities. These must remain the resident’s primary focus.

●     Although successful completion of the integration will result in earned elective time, residents are not permitted to use elective time as unscheduled time to meet integration requirements.  Residents can use vacation time, but it is highly discouraged.

●     Residents may not take time off from rotations under the pretense that integration activities are mandatory (with the exception of the integrated Psych orientation). If a resident is found to have missed rotation time due to integration activities, they may be removed from the integration.

●     Participation in an integration is entirely optional.  Residents may withdraw from the integration at any time; however, it is strongly recommended they do so before the end of PGY-1 to avoid any impact on their PGY-2 schedule.  Withdrawing during the PGY-2 year may result in an extension of up to one month in the program.

Benefits:

By completing the objectives of their integration, residents will deepen their knowledge in that chosen area, enhancing their Family Medicine practice and patient care skills. Upon successful completion, residents will receive up to four weeks of additional elective time in place of the integration’s associated rotation.

Available Integrations:

(click on the integration names for detailed completion requirements)

Care of the Elderly      Associated rotation - Geriatrics                  Available to all residents                                         

Palliative Care       Associated rotation - Palliative Care          Available to all residents                  

Psychiatry           Associated rotation - Psychiatry                 Available to all residents             

PCHT                      Associated rotation - PCHT                       Available to all residents except WV

Reflections from previous residents who have completed integrations are available here for review.

Residents interested in pursuing an integration are encouraged to reach out to those who have completed or are currently completing an integration. These individuals have kindly shared their contact information and are open to answering questions and sharing their experiences.

Integration Application Overview:

Applying for an integration is entirely optional. If you feel that it doesn’t align with your residency learning goals or personal schedule, it’s perfectly acceptable not to apply.

●     For those interested, it's ideal to have a faculty advisor or access to a preceptor at your home site (or affiliated satellite sites) who has experience or a clinical focus in the integration area you want to pursue. 

●     You must maintain a good standing throughout the duration of your integration. Residents who fall out of good standing (e.g. need a major learning plan) may be asked to withdraw.

●     Residents who are off-cycle, or may become off-cycle, or have accommodations, are welcome and encouraged to apply.  We will work with you to adapt the integration to your needs and timeline.

●     Please note that you may apply for only one integration, so consider your choice carefully.

Completion Timeline:

PCHT

 ●     This integration must be completed during your FM blocktime.  You will have 7 days after the completion of your blocktime to turn your integration in. 

●     This integration requires the completion of 4 weeks of PCHT scheduled over 5 months of FM blocktime with the resident attending 5-6 days of each week.  Residents must still be able to meet all the objectives of their FM blocktime and FMObs while completing this integration.

○     Ideally, your faculty advisor—or another physician at your home clinic or an associated satellite clinic—will practice PCHT which would be worked in as a part of your FM blocktime. Your site administrator would help coordinate this.

○     If no one at your site (or satellite site(s) practices PCHT, your faculty advisor must approve of you finding an external preceptor and agree to let you integrate PCHT as a part of your FM blocktime schedule. 

○     Please note that this integration is intended to be in primary care, so hospitalist practices in focused areas of care (e.g. surgical hospitalist) would not meet the requirements of this integration.

●     Westview residents are not eligible to apply, as they already integrate PCHT as a part of their 7 blocks of FM blocktime.

●     You will have check-ins every 4-6 weeks with the Integrated Curriculum Coordinator (ICC).  If the ICC has any concerns about your progress, they may reach out to your site admin, faculty advisor, and/or Urban Assistant Program Director for additional support.

●     Successful completion of this integration will be the satisfactory completion of the integration objectives and final ITER(s) result.

Care of the Elderly, Palliative Care, and Psychiatry

●     The timeline to complete the integration is August 25, 2025 (Block 3 2025-26), to October 18, 2026 (Block 4 2026-27). This deadline is in place because much of PGY-2 is focused on exam preparation and the transition to independent practice. It also allows the program sufficient time to adjust your schedule if the integration is not successfully completed.

●     It is important that you do not enter this integration with the expectation that you will be able to complete all of the objectives while you are on blocktime; the earliest you can turn in your integration is June 30, 2026.

●     You will be asked to set up a meeting with your faculty advisor to review your integration progress at the start of Block 10.  If you have completed less than 40% of the integration by the end of Block 10 (April 5, 2026), you and your faculty advisor must submit a completion plan to the program.  The program will then decide if you may continue with the integration.

●     You will have check-ins every 4-6 weeks with the Integrated Curriculum Coordinator (ICC).  If the ICC has any concerns about your progress, they may reach out to your site admin, faculty advisor, and/or Urban Assistant Program Director for additional support.

●     Successful completion of the integration will be the satisfactory completion of the integration objectives and final ITER(s) result.

Application Process:

Residents can apply for an integration spot by completing this Google form.  Residents will be notified if their application is successful within 10 business days. 

Application Deadline:

Applications must be submitted by 0800 hrs on Monday, August 25, 2025. If you need an extension, your request must be received before the deadline to be considered. Reminder emails will be sent out two weeks and one week prior to the deadline.

For successful applicants, the integration start date will be backdated to July 28, 2025, to include any relevant work completed before formal approval—such as PCHT activities or eligible encounters during off-service rotations.

Questions:

Can be directed to the Integrated Curriculum Coordinator, Kat Pederson, at fmic@ualberta.ca.