From my perspective, this past year has been characterized by significant change. PGME had several new program director and department chair appointments, reduced residency intake positions, and re-focused resources to support departments by implementing Competency Based Medical Education.

While there has been concern with the provincial reductions in residency positions, we continue to work with our clinical departments and the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine on a fair and equitable distribution of positions in the province, based on the projected needs and supply of physicians and training capacity within programs.

Strategies outlined in our 2013 Best Practices in Application and Selection report have been shared nationally and endorsed by the national Postgraduate Deans. Our most recent Best Practices in Evaluation and Assessment initiative, led by Dr. Linda Probyn, promises to be equally helpful in providing faculty with tools and insights in assessing trainee competencies.

During the year, the national Postgraduate Deans met with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) regarding the sharing of evaluation data as part of the new accreditation structure and implementation of the RCPSC Competency by Design framework.

Dr. Susan Glover Takahashi and the Educational Innovations Group are spearheading the implementation of Competency Based Medical Education for PGME. Beginning with Medical Oncology and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, the group have been busy meeting with the Program Directors according to the RCPSC cohort schedule, working on identification of Entrustable Professional Activities and curriculum mapping within the context of CanMEDS 2015.

The total complement of postgraduate trainees in 2015-16 has grown by 3.5% over the prior year. In the CaRMS PGY1 intake match, all 407 positions were filled. International Medical Graduates made up 70 of those positions. Of the 337 Canadian Medical Graduate positions, 34% were filled with graduates of the UofT MD program.

The Faculty’s clinical and research fellow enrolment – reaching almost 1,500 this year – is the largest in Canada. Over 60% of the fellows are on work permits and will return to their home countries within 1-3 years after their advanced training, a testament to the Faculty’s global impact on health care.

I have reserved the final word in my message for the affiliated hospitals, health systems and training sites which form the core of our success as an Academic Health Science Centre. I am grateful to the highly skilled staff and faculty at both the University and hospitals for this strong partnership which allows us to maintain our robust medical education system and be an integral part of Canadian health care.

Glen Bandiera MD, FRCPC, MEd
Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education