Hands On Ccfp Residencies

[masterb]

Its getting close for me to start thinking about narrowing down programs/locations. Looking for CCFP residencies and sites in Ontario, Alberta and BC that have a reputation for lots of hands on skill opportunities in acute settings e.g. tubes/lines etc... and opportunities to develop decision making skills in said settings. My goal is to do the +1 but seeing that it is very competitive, I'd like to develop the skill sets so that I can work in a small community ER competently and get those 400hrs/yr X 4 yrs. 

 

Don't have a preference for Rural/Urban, just want to have an overall list of solid programs and then narrow programs down after doing some more leg work. 

Thanks MB

[W0lfgang]

Opportunities are everywhere. It's up to you to seek them out! The small-to-mid size community hospitals known to take on a steady stream of residents are all great about providing hands-on. In my limited knowledge, red deer general, lakeridge health oshawa, and nanaimo are pretty good but I'm sure other centres are as good or better.

 

If you're thinking about doing rural ER and challenging the EM exam as a backup to the +1 EM, I suggest you look into which centres are open to hiring exam challengers vs. +1 EM grads. The two are not equivalent. At my institution, out of all the er staff, only one guy is an exam challenger, and he was hired over 20 years ago.

[BoyInTheBubble]

Small community ER will take anyone. Most are struggling to find people. You don't need the plus 1 to work there. Plenty don't have the residency training. 

 

There is no difference in challenging the exam vs the residency. Both have the title. It changes your CV only, but you have to prove that you learned all those skills on your own...

 

If you are really interested, make sure you spend as much time in community hospitals.

[masterb]

Thanks for the info. With the challenge, who do you need to prove you learned those skills? To the employer or college? Is a list of procedural skills that ccfp em programs provide?

[W0lfgang]

Small community ER will take anyone. Most are struggling to find people. You don't need the plus 1 to work there. Plenty don't have the residency training. 

 

There is no difference in challenging the exam vs the residency. Both have the title. It changes your CV only, but you have to prove that you learned all those skills on your own...

 

If you are really interested, make sure you spend as much time in community hospitals.

 

As I understand it, both methods get you the title (which is meaningless without employment) but when it comes to getting hired, +1s are much preferred over challengers. I've spoken to a few +1 residents as well as an ER staff at my institution about this. This applies to medium size communities.

 

Do you mean that challengers who prove skill competence have equal employment opportunities as +1s in small communities?

[BoyInTheBubble]

I'm saying that if you apply for a job and have done the +1, it is inherent in the training that you get ultrasound skills, resus/trauma skills, adn the rest.

 

Challenging the exam requires 4 years of work at whatever hours (400 or 500?). If you are then applying for a job elsewhere, it is your responsibility to prove that you have skills in ultrasound, resus and so on.  Your resume will probably have a lot more weekend courses and conferences that you arranged, whereas the +1 trainee would get that during the year. Getting ultrasound IP certified is a nuisance 'on your own' and it's built into the +1 programs. But once you have the title, you're done.

 

To the college, I'm pretty sure you just have to do the hours and sit the exam, or the residency and sit the exam. Then you get the title CCFP-EM. 

 

Lots of small communites need enough docs that they don't require ccfp em status. Big cities generally do, and mid sized ones are getting that way as the job market changes.