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EditorialEditorial

Should family medicine residents in Canada do a third year of training?

Nicholas Pimlott
Canadian Family Physician August 2023; 69 (8) 520; DOI: https://doi.org/10.46747/cfp.6908520
Nicholas Pimlott
MD PhD CCFP FCFP
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  • RE: Third Year of Family Medicine Residency Training
    Brendan M McCarville
    Published on: 24 October 2023
  • Published on: (24 October 2023)
    Page navigation anchor for RE: Third Year of Family Medicine Residency Training
    RE: Third Year of Family Medicine Residency Training
    • Brendan M McCarville, Physician, Nova Scotia Health Authority

    There is much debate about the proposed extra (third) year of training being added to Canadian family medicine residency programs. While I believe an extra year of family medicine training is a good idea, I also share many of the concerns of those who oppose the idea. There is a solution; eliminate the (mostly useless) fourth year of medical school, while adding a third year of residency training for family doctors.

    When I went through medical school (Dalhousie Medicine Class of 2014), my perception of fourth year was that it should really be called the “CaRMS suck-up tour”, and I believe it remains much the same today. Most students spend their fourth year travelling here and there across the country, spending time and money trying to impress staff members in their preferred areas of specialty. In my experience and observations, there relatively little actual learning that takes place in fourth year Canadian medical schools. As for the small amount of coursework required in fourth year, this could easily be folded into the first three years of study.

    While it is true that fourth year students interact with real patients in their fourth-year rotations, we all know that much greater learning takes place at the residency level, when trainees shoulder real responsibility, can order tests, and can write prescriptions, etc.

    One major benefit of eliminating the fourth year (aside from eliminating wasted time), would be students graduating medical school soon...

    Show More

    There is much debate about the proposed extra (third) year of training being added to Canadian family medicine residency programs. While I believe an extra year of family medicine training is a good idea, I also share many of the concerns of those who oppose the idea. There is a solution; eliminate the (mostly useless) fourth year of medical school, while adding a third year of residency training for family doctors.

    When I went through medical school (Dalhousie Medicine Class of 2014), my perception of fourth year was that it should really be called the “CaRMS suck-up tour”, and I believe it remains much the same today. Most students spend their fourth year travelling here and there across the country, spending time and money trying to impress staff members in their preferred areas of specialty. In my experience and observations, there relatively little actual learning that takes place in fourth year Canadian medical schools. As for the small amount of coursework required in fourth year, this could easily be folded into the first three years of study.

    While it is true that fourth year students interact with real patients in their fourth-year rotations, we all know that much greater learning takes place at the residency level, when trainees shoulder real responsibility, can order tests, and can write prescriptions, etc.

    One major benefit of eliminating the fourth year (aside from eliminating wasted time), would be students graduating medical school sooner and with less debt, and starting to earn an income earlier as residents. This would greatly ease the perceived burden that will be incurred by the extra year of family medicine residency training.

    There is already precedent for a 3-year medical degree in Canada, at McMaster University, so this idea is entirely attainable with a little effort and creativity. Unfortunately, this won’t come to pass as universities are addicted to their revenue stream which would be affected by reducing the years of medical training.

    Show Less
    Competing Interests: None declared.
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Canadian Family Physician: 69 (8)
Canadian Family Physician
Vol. 69, Issue 8
1 Aug 2023
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Should family medicine residents in Canada do a third year of training?
Nicholas Pimlott
Canadian Family Physician Aug 2023, 69 (8) 520; DOI: 10.46747/cfp.6908520

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Should family medicine residents in Canada do a third year of training?
Nicholas Pimlott
Canadian Family Physician Aug 2023, 69 (8) 520; DOI: 10.46747/cfp.6908520
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