The Academic Half-Day is an essential aspect of our curriculum, providing residents with protected time each Wednesday afternoon for focused teaching and learning. The sessions follow a one- or two-year cycle with a mix of sessions targeting either all residents or a specific level (R1/R2). Residents engage in a variety of learning activities, including lectures, workshops, simulations, and case-based discussions. Examination practice is also integrated throughout the curriculum, preparing residents for their licensing exams.

Key features of the Academic Half-Day include:

• Priority Topics: Although CFCP Priority Topics are also covered through clinical rotations, these topics are mapped over a two-year curriculum and extensively covered over the course of academic half-days for local and combined teaching sessions.
• CanMEDS-FM Competencies: Sessions are not limited to Priority Topics. Academic sessions also provide teaching on the advocacy, leadership, and scholarship roles, including sessions related to communication, patient safety and quality improvement, practice management, resource stewardship, and wellness.
• Domains of Care: Academic Half-Day sessions also cover all clinical domains of care, including Indigenous health, marginalized populations, and procedures.

In the first year (PGY-1), our residents participate in four essential Mini-Courses designed to enhance their clinical skills:
 

• Advanced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ACLS)
• Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM)
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
• Bedside Ultrasound for Primary Care Clinicians

Our Scholarship Curriculum is dedicated to developing residents’ abilities in self-directed learning, critical appraisal, scholarly activity, and teaching. It is delivered through a combination of online courses and practical experiences.
Every resident is required to undertake a scholarly project during their PGY-1 year, fostering the integration of research and evidence-based practice into their clinical work. Most often, this project is in quality improvement.

To complement the in-person learning experiences, residents must complete several mandatory online modules focused on quality improvement, patient safety, teaching skills, and research methodologies.

Recognizing the importance of well-being in medical training, our program includes sessions focused on resident resilience and well-being offered by the Office of Medical Learner Affairs (OMLA).