COVID-19 Information for Residency Programs - Week of May 2

Summary – Exam Eligible Final Year Residents – Appointments and Licensing Requirements

Physicians applying for hospital privileges must first apply for a license through CPSO – for final year residents the information for the CPSO License Policy for Final Year Residents is summarized below.

Physicians then must apply for hospital privileges through the normal process. For London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) or St. Joseph’s Hospital the process is provided here.

Remuneration is the responsibility of the department through the department practice plan and/or appointee through fee for service.

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario – License Policy for Final Year Residents

CPSO Links:

  1. Application for Registration: Canadian Final-year Residents (PDF)
  2. Guidelines for College-directed Clinical Supervision (PDF)

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) have postponed the written examinations for final year residents until the fall of 2020 and eliminated the oral/practical OSCE exam requirements.

CFPC written examinations are scheduled for October 13, 14, 15, and 16th 2020; the written component of the Examination of Added Competence in Emergency Medicine will be held September 14th. Royal College written examinations are planned for the fall of 2020, but specific dates have not been scheduled.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (CPSO) is providing a ‘Restricted Certificate of Registration for Exam Eligible Candidates’. This enables eligible residents to begin practice and be considered independent practitioners as soon as their training has ended (which will be July 1st for the majority), with minimal supervision. This is a time-limited restricted certificate being provided to physicians with the following conditions:

  1. Physician is examination eligible
  2. Physician is missing RCPSC or CFPC or MCCQE parts 1 and/or 2
  3. Confirmation of Completion of Training provided (eFITER). Note that this information has been forwarded by PGME to CPSO for final year residents.
  4. Physician is required to take the missing examination(s) at the first opportunity.
  5. Physician has arranged for a supervised practice in Ontario that meets the College’s Guidelines for Supervision and Monitoring of Physicians.
  6. The certificate expires in 6 months.

Supervision requirements for this license allow for supervision of more than one physician, as well as remote supervision.

Note: a criminal record search is a required component of the application - online applications are available and expedited for employment purposes for essential workers.

Royal College Update

For fall 2020 subspecialty examinations the oral/OSCE/practical examinations have been canceled, and the written exams will be modified to include information that was blueprinted to the practical component of the examination. Fees for oral/OSCE/practical examinations will be refunded.

Written examination dates will be provided with a minimum of 6 weeks notice.

Deadline for registration for fall exams is June 15th, 2020.

Deadline for re-affirmation of training is July 1st for rescheduled spring examinations, and August 1st, 2020 for rescheduled fall examinations.

PARO update re: vacations

Vacations – from PARO Update

‘We have also been working with CAHO to come to an agreement on how vacations that have been cancelled or denied will be handled. Some of the things we are advocating for include that Vacation, Professional Leave, Floating Holiday, and Lieu Days are to be granted, where possible, for the duration of this academic year. We are also asking that the 2-week response time for vacation requests be reduced and that the 90-day period to take lieu days be extended.

We are working through various scenarios with CAHO, including scenarios for residents who will be continuing residency in Ontario in the next academic year as well as for those who will not be. I recognize the urgency of resolving these questions for you and we continue to impress that same urgency upon CAHO. As soon as we have reached an agreement with CAHO, I will communicate it to you.’