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Enhanced Skills

McMaster University’s Department of Family Medicine offers a robust third-year (PGY-3) Enhanced Skills program for residents interested in pursuing additional training after the core two-year Family Medicine Residency.

With a focus on preparing physicians to be responsive to the needs of individual communities, the Enhanced Skills program provides additional experience and/or advanced training in a range of specific areas.

Program options

Our Enhanced Skills Program offers a wide range of options that give residents the benefit of additional experiences as they prepare for their future practices. Interested residents in their second year will apply to either Category 1 or Category 2 – Self-Designed programs based on their career intentions.

Category 1 programs are those designated by the CFPC as programs leading to a Certificate of Added Competence. The majority of these programs are offered in Hamilton (FPA excepted), but many offer training opportunities in other urban settings and/or rural/regional contexts.

Category 2 – Self-Designed programs are intended for learners to gain additional experiences in research and scholarship or an individual area of interest, or to enhance skills designed to fill the needs of a rural/regional community. Self-Designed and Category 2 programs do not lead to a Certificate of Added Competence at completion.

The department is committed to promoting flexible Enhanced Skills training options that provide community-in-need focus and allow FM graduates to pursue specialized practice opportunities in rural, remote and regional settings.

Expandable List

Click the name of each program for full details.

CATEGORY PROGRAM CERTIFICATE OF ADDED COMPETENCE MONTHS/POSITIONS AVAILABLE PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTING
CATEGORY 1 Care of Elderly Yes 12 Months Hamilton Area
Palliative Care Yes Four 12-Month Positions Hamilton Area
Sports and Exercise Medicine (SEM) Yes 12 Months Burlington/Hamilton
Emergency Medicine Yes Ten 12-Month Positions

(nine MOH funded and one Return of Service funded)

Brampton/Osler Return of Service (1)
Hamilton (5)
KW (2)
Niagara (2)
Family Practice Anesthesia (FPA) Yes Two 12-Month Positions Rural/Regional/Brantford/Hamilton
CATEGORY 2 Rural/Regional Self-Designed No 3-6 Months (6 to 8 positions) Rural/Regional
Research & Scholarship No 12 Months Hamilton Area
Family Medicine Obstetrics No Two Six-Month Positions Hamilton

The department can offer the rural/regional placements through its partnerships with the Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP) and Mac-CARE. For further information on Rural/Regional program experiences offered, please see our rural/regional information page.

Information Box Group

Information Box Group

Contact us

We are here to support you through every step of your ongoing skills enhancement. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you have.

For the Emergency Medicine Program, contact Zachery Baker bakerz4@mcmaster.ca 

For all other programs, contact fmpgy3@mcmaster.ca.