Allocation of Ministry Funded Postgraduate Medical Education Positions

Postgraduate medical training positions had historically been allocated to achieve a provincial 60:40 ratio between Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) PGY1 programs – 40% of positions allocated to Family Medicine programs (urban and rural streams) and the remaining 60% distributed across direct entry Royal College programs. 

With the expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate programs and being cognizant of health human resource needs in Saskatchewan, there is a need for a clear approach to decision-making and for transparent allocation of PGY positions for the CaRMS match.

Current postgraduate medical training programs include: CFPC- Family Medicine Saskatoon, Family Medicine Regina, Family Medicine Moose Jaw, Family Medicine Prince Albert (rural), Family Medicine Swift Current (rural), Family Medicine North Battleford (rural), Family Medicine La Ronge (rural); Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine (in Saskatoon and Regina), RCPSC: General Surgery, Internal Medicine (Saskatoon and Regina), Obstetrics and Gynecology (Saskatoon and Regina), Pediatrics, Psychiatry (Saskatoon and Regina); Anesthesia, Diagnostic Radiology, Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Pathology (General), Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Public Health & Preventive Medicine and subspecialty programs Cardiology (post core IM), General Internal Medicine (post core IM), Nephrology (post core IM), Respirology (post core IM), Rheumatology (post core IM),and Clinician Investigator Program.

Programs should not be required to undertake training of Residents in excess of their capacity to provide effective training and supervision.

Core areas are generally disciplines in which there is demand for a steady output of practitioners, and where an increase in training numbers could be supported on a sustainable basis.

Programs with a proven track record of success should be given preference for additional positions over programs that are experiencing difficulties.  Program success will be measured by consideration of a wide range of factors.

This policy applies to postgraduate medical training programs offered at the College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

The process should balance the need for an objective and non-partisan approach to allocation, and the need for stakeholders to have input into the process. Stakeholders include Government of Saskatchewan (Ministry of Health), Saskatchewan Health Authority, College of Medicine, Departments, Faculty, Residency Program Committees, and Residents. While the process may not directly involve all stakeholders in the actual decision making process there should be ample opportunity for all stakeholders to inform decision making.

The process needs to function in a timely manner so that decisions can be made both proactively and on short notice.

Provincial health human resource needs should be considered in allocation of positions as training within the province does increase the likelihood of retention.

There are a number of primary and secondary entry programs that are not offered at this institution but for which there is a demonstrated provincial need. It would be advantageous to develop collaborative relationships with specific institutions outside the province. Where training is conducted outside of the province, and especially in the absence of a collaborative program, a return of service commitment should be entered into between the trainee and Saskdocs.

Capacity survey should be done on an annual basis. Capacity may be influenced by a variety of factors from administrative infrastructure, faculty availability, access to procedures and patients, training resources, etc.

Position allocation should be reviewed on a regular annual basis to facilitate optimal allocation of positions and responsiveness to capacity and health human resource needs.

Although the annual review will be primarily directed at allocation for the upcoming academic year, it is recognized that a longer term perspective is helpful and the Allocation Committee will have the ability to make long range recommendations for position allocation.

Ministry of Health should make provincial health human resource needs data available for the decision making process. Efforts should be made to obtain more objective and robust data and to obtain information that looks 4-8 years ahead rather than focusing on immediate needs. Health human resource needs information should be coordinated through the Ministry of Health rather than submitted independently by various agencies. 

In considering health human resource needs it is important to consider the fact that training of a specialist requires 4-7 years and therefore planning based on these needs must be anticipatory rather than reactionary.

Allocation Committee is composed of representative from the Ministry of Health, Vice-Dean, Education, Associate Dean, PGME, Associate Dean, Regina, PGME Staff (CaRMS/planning, as non-voting), PGME administrative assistant (non-voting), and two members of the PGME Committee as observers and non-voting members whose role is to observe the process and report back to PGME if necessary, not to advocate on behalf of any particular stakeholder(s). 

Allocation Committee will meet to review capacity survey, health human resource needs, entry positions, undergraduate medical student interests, PGME discussions and any written comments provided, and to decide on the allocation of the position.

The Allocation Committee may identify programs for which discontinuation may be appropriate, but does not have the mandate to formally discontinue a program. The Allocation Committee may make recommendations to review the viability of programs, but will not have the ability to make binding decisions regarding discontinuation of programs.

Instances or concerns of non-compliance with this policy should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean, PGME.

Procedure for allocation of Ministry funded PGME training positions

Coordinator, Academic and Non-academic Processes, PGME Office

Phone: 306-966-6145