McMaster University

Program Highlights

Type of curriculum: Block + integration  (half days back to primary family clinic when off-service)

PGY1: 4 blocks of FM, 2 blocks of care of the hospitalized adult, 2 blocks

of EM, 2 blocks of women's health and OB, 2 blocks of peds, 1 block of

FM/academic programming,

PGY2: 4 blocks of FM, 2 blocks of rural FM, 2 blocks of core

medicine/surgery, 1 block of Care of the Elderly, 3 blocks of electives, 1

block of FM/academic programming

Unique features:

• Broad Scope Practice

  • Family physicians in Owen Sound provide a wide range of services, including inpatient care, emergency medicine, newborn care, palliative care, and care of the elderly.

• Allied Health Collaboration

  • Residents will work closely with allied health professionals such as pharmacists, nurse practitioners, diabetes educators, and social workers.

• Specialty Exposure

  • The program offers opportunities to explore areas of interest such as maternity care, nursing home care, addictions medicine, emergency medicine, and anesthesia.

  • Residents will work closely with specialists in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, urological surgery, and ENT surgery in a supportive and collaborative environment.

• Rural Medicine with access to a well-established referral centre 

  • Brightshores Health Systems serves a catchment area of 160,000 people, providing residents with the volume and acuity of a larger centre while maintaining the rural lifestyle. The facility is equipped with advanced diagnostic tools like MRI and CT scanners.

• Individualized Attention

  • Family Medicine residents are the only full-time residents at the referral centre  ensuring a 1:1 preceptor ratio and priority access to procedures, interesting cases, and additional learning opportunities.

Scholarly activities:

All residents gain core competencies in research via the InQuiry Curriculum

Additional research opportunities beyond the core curriculum

PGY3 enhanced skills opportunities in research and scholarship 

Course funding:

Salary and benefits determined by PARO - 4 weeks of paid vacation, 17-35 of pregnancy/parental leave top-up, dental/extended health coverage

Community Highlights

Recreation:

Located near the Bruce Peninsula; activities include Nordic skiing,

sailing/boating, hiking the Bruce Trail, rock climbing, camping,

hunting/fishing, & kayaking.

Cultural notes:

Summer folk Music Festival, Festival of Northern Lights, Theatre.

Cost of living:

Average cost of 1-bedroom apartment between $1300 - $1600

Resident Testimonial

“The benefits of rural training, without being too isolating. Preceptors are

happy to have you and to teach, and it is not a service-based residency!”