Rotations

Competency-Based Program

Core Rotations

Inner City St. John's Total of 6 months
Indigenous Sheshatshiu Total of 4 months
International Nepal Total of 1 month
Elective   Total of 1 month

 

INNER CITY

The Inner-City health rotation is primarily based in St John’s, and typically is for a total of six months duration, asynchronously spread across the year. While this rotation has key community clinical experiences that are considered “pillars” and must be part of this rotation, there is some flexibility to incorporate specific clinical experiences of interest identified by the CUP resident into their schedule.

All residents will experience time working at the following different community clinical and non-clinical sites: Choices for Youth, Refugee Health Collaborative, Stella’s Circle JustUs Women’s Centre and the Dr. Walter Templeman Health Care Centre (Bell Island Hospital), Pleasantville Opioid Treatment Center, Gender Affirming Care with Dr. Mari-Lynne Sinnott and the Downtown Health Collaborative Campbell Avenue Clinic.

INDIGENOUS HEALTH ROTATION (LABRADOR)

The Indigenous health rotation takes place primarily through the Mani Ashini Health Centre, located in Sheshatshiu, an Innu community about a 30-minute drive from Goose Bay, Labrador. Sheshatshiu is adjacent to the neighbouring community of North West River, where the accommodations for the Indigenous rotation are located. Unique to this rotation, residents are scheduled for their routine Academic Half Day and also permitted an extra half day per week for community engagement. Residents are encouraged to participate in community events or activities to become more familiar with the people living in Sheshatshiu, their local culture, and the impacts of the social determinants of health on this community. Residents often choose to do Emergency Medicine shifts and a week in Hospitalist Medicine in Goose Bay as part of their Labrador rotation. 

Residents are often fortunate enough to be able to participate in the annual Innu Gathering at Gull Island (in September). If/when this can be arranged, the resident may provide clinical care during the camp alongside other residents completing their training through the NorFam Family Medicine Residency Training Program. 

Residents are responsible for their own ground transportation while in Labrador. They should be aware that renting a vehicle in Labrador can be prohibitively expensive. Most residents drive their personal vehicle from St. John’s to and from this rotation (30+ hours). If applicants have any questions about driving to Labrador or the program itself, please feel free to reach out to two of our past graduates, Dr. Thomas Ritche tritchie@qmed.ca and Dr. Hiliary Hasan hmc616@mun.ca. 

SITE ORIENTATION/ PRE-DEPARTURE TRAINING 

For the Inner City and Indigenous Health rotations, the CUP resident site orientations include meeting with diverse community resources, organizations, leaders and Elders. These introductions are in addition to routine orientation to EMR and clinical settings. Residents are given protected time to have these meetings, and are encouraged to get to know the communities they are working in and the different ways people can be supported, as well as form a better understanding of the social determinants of health at play where they are working.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ROTATION

CUP residents typically spend between four and eight weeks overseas at an international placement. This has been based in Nepal throughout 2017 – 2024, with ongoing collaboration in Uganda to develop a CUP site there also. This rotation usually takes place in April or May, but scheduling remains flexible from resident to resident, depending on site availability and residents’ learning needs. The focus of this rotation is the development of cross-cultural learning and teaching skills with a goal of developing an interest and experience in rural medicine.  

Residents typically spend time in placement in Kathmandu working with local community organizations, as well as time in a rural clinical teaching site. In 2025, part of this rotation will take place in rurally based Jumla, Nepal with Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (KAHS). CUP residents may provide bedside clinical teaching to medical students, other medical learners like MD -General Practitioners (MD-GP) residents, and when given the opportunity, physician and nursing colleagues at this site. Residents may also participate in morning clinical rounds along with the local GP in the hospital. It is important to note that CUP residents do not have a license to practice medicine in Nepal; this is a non-clinical rotation. For this rotation, Memorial University of Newfoundland covers the cost of travel expenses. Memorial’s guidelines for travel expenses apply. 

SITE ORIENTATION/ PRE-DEPARTURE TRAINING

Pre and post departure training are provided by the Global Health Office around March of each year. This usually takes place on a Friday and Saturday. 

ELECTIVE 

There are four weeks (one block) dedicated to elective time within the CUP program. These weeks can be broken up into two blocks of two weeks each. Residents have also chosen to integrate their elective time into a core rotation in order to intersperse an additional learning experience throughout it. 

Special Areas of Interest and Exposure

  • Prison medicine.
  • Addictions medicine.
  • Experience working in shelters and with homeless populations.
  • Refugee health.
  • LGTBQ and Trans Health Medicine.
  • Prenatal Care with underserved populations.

Opportunities for electives available, upon discussion with CUP Program Director.

Vacation: 4 weeks.
Conference Leave: 7 days.