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Editor: Danielle Simpson |
The Teaching Practice Program on Tour
By Elicia Ayoub & Danielle Simpson
The DFCM Teaching Practices (TP) program is on the road visiting preceptors far and wide. So far we’ve logged 3,500 hundred kilometres in 30 hours and visited 17 communities.
“It’s incredibly important to go out and meet our teachers because two months of core Family Medicine training for all second year Family Medicine residents is through the Teaching Practice program,” says Dr. Erika Catford, the teaching practices and rural residency program director. She lives and works in Orillia.
The purpose of the site visits is to better acquaint the program with rural faculty and understand their teaching needs and environments. It helps the residents as well because by becoming familiar with the community, accommodations, clinic, staff and hospitals the program can tell residents what to expect on their TP rotation.
The visits began on July 28 and ranged as far east as Campbellford and as far west as Goderich. Each site is different. For example, during a practice profile discussion in Goderich we learned that the salt mine in Goderich is the largest in the world. Because of the mine, the Goderich teaching practice provides occupational health services to the community.
Our furthest visit to date was to Canada’s largest natural harbour in Parry Sound. Our southernmost visit was to Old Fort Erie with its recreated battle site from the war of 1812. Both sites reveal that living history is a part of our teaching practice communities.
Dr. Erika Catford, Elicia Ayoub and Danielle Simpson have taken part in the site visits. Dr. Catford begins each visit by thanking the preceptor and presenting a framed certificate. She talks about faculty development opportunities, evaluations, faculty appointments and a bit about the expectations of preceptors and residents. It is a chance to ask and answer questions for both Dr. Catford and the preceptors.
Elicia Ayoub, the DFCM Teaching Practices and Rural Resident Administrator, takes the preceptors through some administrative forms. Together they complete the site assessment and practice profile. Practice profiles are used by residents to select a teaching practice.
Danielle Simpson, the Communications Coordinator at the DFCM, talked about the ways the DFCM communicates with faculty, such as the email Listserv, the website, the annual report and the portal. Then she takes preceptors on a tour of the new website and shows them how to access UpToDate® in the DFCM portal.
At the time of writing, the TP program has visited Lindsay, Orillia, Flesherton / Markdale, Fort Erie, Midland, Ajax, Markham/Stouffville, Parry Sound, Burlington, Mount Forest/Fergus, Haliburton, Campbellford, Bowmanville, Kincardine, Goderich, Port Perry and Cobourg.
Thank you to the people we have met. We enjoyed your warmth and humour, coffee and sweets. Thank you especially for your time. You are the reason for the success of the Teaching Practices program and we’re proud to have you.
Next stops: Stayner, Collingwood, Southampton, Lion’s Head, Moose Factory, Elliot Lake and Owen Sound. We look forward to meeting you!
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