ACCREDITATION

Accreditation is a peer-reviewed process of continuous quality assurance, based on national standards common to all post-graduate medical education (PGME) institutions and training programs in Canada.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Collège des médecins du Québec maintain the national standards for the accreditation of PGME institutions and PGME training programs in Canada. The three Colleges have partnered to create the Canadian Residency Consortium (CanRAC), and they have spearheaded to the development of a new conjoint system of residency accreditation.

The work of CanRAC has resulted in the creation of new Standards for the accreditation of PGME institutions and residency programs, that aligns with competency-based medical education (CBME) and leading best practices in accreditation. The strength of Canada’s approach to residency accreditation is reflected in the increased focus on outcomes and improved processes, but it also preserves the strengths of the current system.

RDoC’s Role

The ultimate goal of accreditation is to improve the quality of residency education by ensuring that all necessary resources are used efficiently and that residents are able to meet the training requirements of their specialty, subspecialty, or area of focused competence. In order to ensure this, a system of regular accreditation reviews of the PGME institution and residency programs is facilitated by the three Colleges.

RDoC is committed to supporting the development of a robust accreditation system. Our work in this area includes:

Communicating the importance of, and advocating for, resident doctors’ participation in accreditation

Accreditation is an opportunity to evaluate and help improve the quality of residency programs. The feedback residents provide will help programs continue to promote areas of strength and at the same time, focus on areas that need improvement. Residents are a central part of the accreditation process and via RDoC, residents will continue to be represented and have a voice on the Colleges’ national accreditation committees.

Obtaining ongoing input from resident doctors

Accreditation is a key strategic area for RDoC and we engage with resident members on a regular basis, to gather their input on accreditation matters of importance to residents and to ensure that our accreditation documentation remains current and applicable.

Administering the RDoC Pre-Accreditation Questionnaire

The pre-accreditation questionnaire is an invaluable tool that gathers the resident on-the-ground perspective on their training prior to a full accreditation review. The results are made available to the resident surveyors on the Royal College and CFPC survey teams to guide their review during an accreditation review.

Facilitating the appointment of resident surveyors to the College of Family Physicians of Canada and Royal College accreditation survey teams

RDoC facilitates the appointment of resident surveyors on Royal College and CFPC accreditation survey teams. The team ensures that standards for residency education are being maintained in all programs. Interested in volunteering as a resident surveyor? Complete RDoC’s expression of interest form.

Facilitating the training of new resident surveyors

RDoC supports the transfer of knowledge about accreditation, and the accreditation process, to resident surveyors. This includes collaborating with the Colleges on accreditation workshops and supporting the involvement of residents in training opportunities.