Principle

Overview 

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Department of Health and Community Services (DoH), determines, and funds, the total number of postgraduate training positions available at Memorial University (Memorial) on an annual basis. While there is flexibility in the allocation of positions for each postgraduate training program, this must be balanced with provincial service needs, as identified through physician resource planning, capacity for educational training, and available funding. With the ever-changing health care needs of Newfoundland and Labrador, and its variable financial resources, transparency in the allocation of postgraduate training positions at Memorial University (Memorial) is required.

Purpose

To provide oversight and guidance for the annual allocation of Postgraduate Training Positions at Memorial.

Scope

All Postgraduate Training Programs at Memorial.

Definitions

Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) — A national, independent, not-for-profit, fee-for-service organization that provides a fair, objective, and transparent application and matching service for medical training throughout Canada.

Learner — A trainee registered in a postgraduate training program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

Postgraduate Training Program — A period of training in a specific discipline of medicine prescribed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) leading to certification by one of these bodies.

Program Director — The faculty member assigned responsibility for the overall conduct of the postgraduate training program in a given clinical discipline.

Policy

1.0 The allocation of postgraduate training positions must protect the integrity of all Postgraduate Training Programs and address health care service directives from the DoH.

2.0 Annual consultations shall occur between the PGME office, Program Directors and the DoH, to facilitate optimal allocation of positions for each Postgraduate Training Program for the upcoming academic year.

3.0 During consultations for the allocation of postgraduate training positions, the following criteria is considered:

3.1 Available budget to fund postgraduate training positions and the impact on funding requirements for future years;

3.2 Capacity of each Postgraduate Training Program to provide effective educational training and supervision;

3.2.1 Capacity may be influenced by administrative infrastructure, faculty availability, access to procedures and patients, training resources, etc.

3.3 Postgraduate Training Program success;

3.4 Provincial demand for physician services;

4.0 Each year, at least one (1) first-year Postgraduate Training position should be available for each seat of the graduating class of the MD program at Memorial (i.e., the number of positions available for allocation is approximately equal to the size of the graduating MD class).

Procedure

A.0 The PGME office contacts the Program Director of each Postgraduate Training Program requesting their quota of positions for the upcoming academic year.

A.1. Program Directors must provide a detailed rationale for the number of postgraduate training positions they are requesting;

A.2. Where possible, this number should be supported by specialty-specific physician resource planning.

B.0 The PGME office submits the allocation requests from each program to the DoH for review.

C.0 The PGME office engages in consultations with the DoH until both parties approve the number of postgraduate training positions allocated to each program.

C.1. If there is an impasse in decision-making, the PGME office will consult with the Dean of Medicine.

Procedures:

There are no procedures associated with this policy.