Why Choose Western CCFP(EM)
Robust Simulation, Procedural, and PoCUS Teaching Curriculum
Western CCFP(EM) takes pride in its rigorous and multifaceted teaching curriculum which at its core is made possible by the enthusiastic clinician teachers that constitute the program, and which includes the following highlights
- Regular monthly low fidelity and high fidelity simulation
- Annual Airway Day dedicated to case-based teaching about airway management
- Cadaver labs throughout the year to practice chest tubes, cricothyrotomies, lateral canthotomies, and ED thoracotomies on cadavers.
- Transition to Practice Curriculum to help prepare residents for the non-clinical aspects of independent practice including but not limited to finances, billing, recognizing and preventing burnout, continuing medical education, and medicolegal and complaints.
- Ample opportunities for teaching junior learners throughout the year and particularly the on “Senior Block” of ED which involves self-scheduling shifts, and running different teaching sessions during the block.
- Internationally renowned PoCUS education through WesternSono. Well beyond the “core applications” which is supported by Western’s PoCUS fellows and fellowship-trained staff, and PoCUS teaching from the very experts who wrote the PoCUS textbooks.
High-Volume, High-Acuity Training
Victoria Hospital is a level 1 trauma centre, and the paediatric ED has the second highest volume for paediatric trauma in Canada. CCFP-EM residents in the latter half of the year have the option of picking up trauma associate shifts to gain further trauma experience, in addition to doing a trauma elective block.
Given that the CCFP-EM training is only a year, training in a high acuity place is all the more important.
Strong Research Support
Western has several dedicated clinical-researchers among our ED staff with ongoing EM-based research projects/studies going on at any given time. Residents are provided didactic research teaching as part of monthly journal clubs shared with the FRCPC residents, and funding to attend research-based conferences should abstracts be accepted.
Local Fellowship Opportunities
Of the fellowships available for application by CCFP-EM graduates, Western is home to a PoCUS fellowship, Prehospital Fellowship, and Sports Medicine Fellowship:
Western’s PoCUS fellowship is internationally recognized and is one of the few certified PoCUS fellowships by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Western also has a Sports Medicine fellowship program. Training at Western allows for close working relationships with those running the fellowship. With that being said, Western’s CCFP(EM) program trains residents who match to fellowship programs of their choice across Canada.
City of London
London is known as the “Forest City” because of its many trees, surrounding provincial parks and beaches, and green spaces. Highlights include the Pinery Provincial Park, Port Stanley and Grand bend beaches, and the Thames River Trails and Parks for walking, running and cycling
Whether it’s outdoor activities, shopping, cuisine, or music/arts, London has something to offer everyone.
Canada Life Place sees regular major events, hockey games, and concerts, and there are regular food, music, and arts festivals. There are multiple weekend farmer/artisan markets, maple syrup farms, and more to be discovered.
As a mid-sized city, London is big enough to have city amenities such as restaurants and nightlife, while small enough to have relatively less traffic than major cities, and overall a great place to settle and raise a family.
London is also a quick 2 hour drive for weekend trips to Detroit and Toronto, and has an international airport with direct flights across Canada and to international destinations such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.
