Peterborough-Kawartha

If you are looking for a Family Medicine residency program that provides an optimal balance between learning and service, and the opportunity for continuity of care, then the Queen's Peterborough-Kawartha (PK) program will suit your needs. Residents work within well-developed, interdisciplinary Family Health Teams for 3 half days per week throughout most of the two year program.

The program features strong Family Physician led services, including the busy Emergency Department, Palliative Care Unit, and Partners in Pregnancy Clinic. Inpatient rotations take place in the new, state-of-the-art Peterborough Regional Health Centre. The new hospital incorporates cutting edge technology including fully computerized diagnostic imaging, a cardiac catheterization lab, MRI, and integrated bedside computer terminals.

Repetition of education experiences in PGY1 and PGY2 years to allow residents to consolidate knowledge, and increase confidence for hands on clinical experience. In fact, Peterborough-Kawartha family medicine residents will most often be the only learner on a rotation.

While acquiring optimal training, residents also enjoy a unique lifestyle that builds on the wonderful outdoor recreational and cultural opportunities of the Peterborough area, all within an hour of the Greater Toronto Area. Situated on the historic Trent-Severn Waterway, and surrounded by 135 lakes, the city is home to multicultural cuisine and the distinctive cafe district. Arts and culture abound, backed by a strong grassroots scene. Assistance for the partners of residents who are seeking employment in the area is available.

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Program Highlights:

  • Family Medicine-centred 2-year integrated, horizontal “Triple C” Curriculum (Comprehensive learning, Continuity of learning and Family Medicine-Centred education)
  • Community-based Family Medicine experience for 3 half-days per week throughout most of the PGY1 and PGY2 years
  • The opportunity to work within well-developed, interdisciplinary Family Health Teams
  • Inpatient and Emergency rotations in the new, state-of-the-art Peterborough Regional Health Centre, which opened in June 2008
  • Utilization of strong Family Physician-led services including the Palliative Care Unit and Partners in Pregnancy Clinic
  • Repetition of experiences in PGY1 and PGY2 years to allow residents to consolidate knowledge and increase confidence
  • Low ratio of resident-to-physician preceptor and abundant opportunity for hands-on clinical experience (Family Medicine residents will most often be the only learner on a rotation.)
  • An appropriate balance between learning and service
  • Long Term Care Horizontal component in PGY1 (4 LTC patients followed through PGY1 under supervision of LTC physician)
  • Sexual Health Clinic and NP360 horizontal component in PGY1
PGY1
  • Family Medicine Clinic 3 half-days/week
  • Academic Teaching 1 half-day/week
  • 8 weeks of Adult Inpatient Medicine (Hospitalist)
  • 8 weeks of Emergency Medicine
  • 8 weeks of Pediatrics
  • 8 weeks of Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • 4 weeks of Geriatrics 
  • 8 weeks of Psychiatry
  • 4 weeks of Electives (in Peterborough)
PGY2
  • Family Medicine Clinic 3 half-days/week
  • Academic Teaching 1 half-day/week
  • 4 weeks of Maternal and Newborn Care
  • 8 weeks of Internal Medicine (4 weeks Cardiology/Nephrology and 4 weeks outpatient IM clinics)
  • 8 weeks of Emergency Medicine
  • 12 weeks of Rural Family Medicine (could be 8 weeks Rural, 4 weeks Community Family Medicine)
  • 4 weeks of Surgery (General, ENT, Plastics)
  • 4 weeks of Orthopedic Surgery
  • 4 weeks of Palliative Care
  • 8 weeks of Electives (4 weeks in Peterborough; 4 weeks may be out of Peterborough)

During your two years in Peterborough-Kawartha, you will have 12 weeks to complete elective placements. There is one four-week elective block in PGY1 and two four-week elective blocks in PGY2.  One four-week block may be full-time and completed outside of Peterborough. The remaining two blocks are part-time, in Peterborough, and the three half-days of family medicine clinics are maintained.  

You will work with your academic advisor to choose electives that fill in gaps in your learning, are relevant to your future career goals (e.g. PGY3 options) and meet your interests. There are many opportunities to pair an elective with one of your core requirements in your PGY2 year. 

The vast majority of electives are completed within Ontario (as your salary is paid by the Ontario government), however some residents complete electives across Canada or internationally in conjunction with the Global Health module.

Program Scheduling

At the Peterborough-Kawartha site, we strive to help you make the most of your residency. We will work with you to build a schedule that meets your interests and needs. We do recommend that you have access to a vehicle during your residency in order to facilitate placements at various locations in the city.

For any joint Academic Days in Kingston, you will be provided with a travel stipend. If the session is more than one day, accommodation will be provided.

We work hard to accommodate parental leave requests and we always ensure that you receive your entitled vacation each year.
 
Resident Support

We also offer you Conference/Educational leave days and a Resident Allowance that can be used for conference registrations, textbooks, software or other educational resources.

You also have full access to the Queen’s library system and resources, as well as access to UpToDate.

During your residency, you will be paired with a faculty member who will be your Academic Advisor to help you through your development as a Family Physician. We also have a Faculty Advisor who is available to meet with any resident experiencing difficulty.

Peterborough is an active, thriving city of 82,000 that serves as the gateway to cottage and lake country in the Kawarthas.  All family medicine residents in Peterborough-Kawartha work in Family Health Teams with their family medicine preceptor(s) as well as various allied health professionals.  Peterborough Regional Health Centre is a 450 bed regional health centre that offers almost all medical services.  In Peterborough, you will see patients with a diverse mix of ages and presenting problems and you are guaranteed to see a high volume of patients in all services.  Patients tend to be complex with multisystem disease and they benefit from the well-supported specialist care that is available.  As all in-hospital rotations are done at PRHC, residents quickly become familiar with consultants from various specialties and feel comfortable developing working relationships throughout the hospital.  Family Medicine residents are valued and appreciated in Peterborough and the feedback from patients, allied health professionals, Family Physicians and specialist physicians alike has been excellent.

Primary Care in Peterborough

In 2005 Peterborough was selected as one of the first communities in Ontario to pilot the Family Health Team Model of primary care provision.  We currently have five well developed teams in the city and surrounding region which have incorporated allied health professions including Nurse Practitioners, Dieticians, Social Workers, and Pharmacists.  Offices of FHT physicians are now fully computerized and Family Physician remuneration and job satisfaction are dramatically improved.  The provincial government has recognized Peterborough as one of the most successful Family Health Team sites in Ontario.  Come learn with Family Doctors who are optimistic about the future of family medicine and see primary care renewal in action.
 

Peterborough Regional Health Centre

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre is a newly constructed, state-of-the-art hospital that opened in June 2008.  It has a bed capacity of 494, and is physically larger than both Mt. Sinai and Toronto General Hospital.  The new hospital incorporates cutting edge technology including fully computerized diagnostic imaging, a cardiac catheterization lab, MRI, and integrated bedside computer terminals.  Serving a regional population of more than 300,000, PRHC offers an extensive range of services including one of the busiest emergency departments in the province.  Peterborough Regional's 25 year connection to the Queen's University Medical School demonstrates our commitment to ongoing education and the training of tomorrow's doctors.

For more information visit: www.prhc.on.ca