PEI Family Medicine Residency Program

The Department of Health released a press release last week announcing that five family medicine residents will be starting their two-year residency at the QEH and Prince County Hospital. The idea behind the residency program is to encourage family doctors to establish practices on the Island following their training. Recruiting family doctors is becoming a challenge everywhere, let alone in a rural setting like PEI, so with any luck the program will be successful and we will see more family doctors setting up practice here. Incidentally, there is some evidence (like this study from Canadian Family Physician) to suggest that providing training in rural medicine to medical students increases the chances that they will go on to set up practices in rural areas.

For Immediate Release March 12, 2009
Five Residents Identified for PEI Family Medicine Residency Program

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- The province announced today that five family medicine residents have been identified to begin their two-year training program on the Island this July.

“This is tremendous news for Islanders and I’m extremely pleased that we now have five talented medical school graduates identified and ready to start their training on Prince Edward Island this summer,” says Premier Robert Ghiz. “Establishing the PEI Family Medicine Residency Program has been a top priority for my government, and it will help significantly in the recruitment of additional family physicians for the province.”

The five medical school graduates were identified by Dalhousie University. Four of the students are graduates of Canadian medical schools and one is a graduate of an international medical school.

To train as a family physician, a medical school graduate must complete two years of residency training under the guidance of a practising, credentialed physician – also known as a preceptor.
“I’m very excited about five exceptional medical school graduates who will receive their two-year training across the Island,” says Health Minister, Doug Currie. “Medical residents who train here have the highest potential to stay, plus second-year residents can work as qualified physicians under the supervision of a licensed physician, which will help with patient workload. This will enhance our current recruitment initiatives and assist in ensuring we have an adequate number of family doctors into the future.”

During the past two years, Island physicians have been part of curriculum and faculty development, and have been receiving training in integrating medical students into their clinical practice.

“This is the result of several years of planning for the implementation of the program, says Dr. George Carruthers, site director. “Currently there are about 30 preceptors on the Island who provide training at the post-graduate level. Island preceptors are looking forward to having the residents train here, which will result in enhancements to the Island medical community overall, and to patient care.”

The PEI Medical Residency Program will be based and operated from a site at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with rotations at Prince County Hospital and throughout communities across the Island.

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