PGME pilots Health Force Ontario Initiative

The PGME Office has partnered with Healthforce Ontario (HFO) Marketing and Recruitment Agency through its Practice Ontario program. Practice Ontario provides personalized career planning services for residents including one on one career guidance, facilitating community visits, arranging locums, providing support with CV preparation and assisting in finding suitable communities for residents who have a Return of Service obligation with the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care.

2015-16 data from HFO indicate that over 300 residents registered with Practice Ontario at U of T from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. Over the past academic year, 200 residents were placed in 264 positions throughout Ontario with the assistance of HFO. The positions included short term locums as well as part time and full time. Of the 264 positions filled, 28 were in communities in Northern Ontario, 28 were in communities in Southwestern Ontario and 12 were in Mississauga. The majority of positions were filled in communities outside of Central Toronto.

Practice Ontario at U of T has been particularly helpful in assisting residents with Return of Service Contracts with the Ministry of Health. Under these contracts, residents are obligated to find a practice community upon completion of training outside Central Toronto and Central Ottawa. 65 such residents accepted a total of 73 positions in communities throughout Ontario with 10 positions each in Northern Ontario and Southwestern Ontario and 35 positions in the rest of Ontario, outside Central Toronto, Mississauga, Northern and Southwestern Ontario.