Queens University

Program Highlights

Type of curriculum: Horizontal with block specialties.

Curricular outline:[1]

• First 6 weeks is a bootcamp (key skills and training). 

• 3 half-days/wk FM; 1 half-day/wk academic teaching. 

• Longitudinal specialty blocks of 4 or 8 weeks include hospitalist, emergency medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, geriatrics, psychiatry, maternal and newborn care, internal medicine, rural family medicine, surgery, orthopedic surgery, palliative care. 

• PGY1: long-term care horizontal component.

• PGY2: 8 wks rural FM.

Unique features:

• Nightmares Course (Critical Care simulation) and ALARM course (obstetrical emergency simulation), neonatal resuscitation training. 

• “Intro to Residency” boot camp block. 

• Annual wilderness retreat. 

• International electives. 

• Links with rural and remote community hospitals including Moose Factory and the Falkland Islands. 

Scholarly activities: Two projects over two years (scholarly project & PGY1 team QI Project).

Community Highlights

Recreation: Canoeing, rowing, and cycling or hiking on local trails. Trent-Severn Canal (transport in summer, skating in winter). Close to cottage and lake country in the Kawarthas, strong city sports leagues.

Cultural notes: Vibrant music and arts scene (bi-weekly free summer concerts, folk festival), multicultural cuisine and fair- trade coffee, support for partners seeking employment.

Cost of living: Average rent 3% above national average.[2]

Resident Testimonial

“I love being a Queen's Peterborough-Kawartha family medicine resident! I've felt incredibly welcomed by both the program and community from the outset. Our resident cohort is the perfect size (there are only 12 of us in total between the PGY1s & PGY2s) and we attend teaching sessions together so we get to be quite tight-knit. Family medicine is the only full-time program based in Peterborough, so there are rarely other specialties training in the community and we get really amazing opportunities for hands on experience. Preceptors only take learners if they want to - so our teachers are engaged and truly excited to have us on their team. I'm also a big fan of the curriculum and schedule design: we get to spend 1 and a half days per week with a local family physician throughout our entire 2 years in the program, and then spend the rest of our weekdays in block-based specialty rotations. I find this blended format really helpful for learning, and it's so nice to be able to build a relationship with your primary preceptor. Aside from the program itself, Peterborough is a wonderful community that is close to nature (less than an hour to drive to many nearby Provincial Parks, and the Otonabee River runs right through the downtown!), it has a great food scene, and is an easy 1.5-hour drive to downtown Toronto if you want to visit the big city during your spare time. I'm so glad that I decided to train here and can easily imagine staying in the area after I've completed residency.”

—Dr. Jaimee Carter, PGY2

1. On average, how much travel is required in this stream? (i.e. are you based on one community, or do you travel based on rotations, teaching, etc.)

All rotations are in Peterborough during R1. We are expected to make a couple trips (3-4x in PGY1) to Kingston for in-person training sessions, but our travel expenses are covered. In PGY2, we are expected to do 1 rural block and 1 community family medicine block (can be anywhere, including outside Ontario) outside the community.

2. What is the breadth/scope of family medicine in this program? Does your program's teaching emphasize particular rural skills (e.g. obstetrics, emergency medicine, mental health, etc.)?

Full scope family practice. Tons of opportunities for in-office procedures, an excellent GP-obstetrics group who we rotate with in PGY2, sexual health clinic, and a rapid access addictions medicine clinic.

3. What do you do for fun in your community?

Peterborough has a surprisingly great food scene, and the surrounding area is so much fun to explore. Our resident cohort has gone kayaking on the Otonabee River and we broke the record on completing an outdoor puzzle / escape room! There's also a rock-climbing gym, weekly hockey with a group of local physicians, and amazing trails for hiking and biking throughout the community.

4. What is the cost of living in the area where your program is primarily located?

Decent amount of rental properties given that there are 2 post-secondary institutions in the area (TrentU & Fleming College). I'm renting a 3-bedroom house for $2,400 per month.

5. What is the scope of practice of other specialties or rotations in this program? Do these specialties have their own residents or only family residents that rotate through?

No other specialties (apart from occasional +1 emergency medicine residents in ED or ICU)