Background
Family physicians play an important role in the care of cancer patients in Alberta. In addition to seeing cancer patients in their primary care clinics, some family physicians act as clinical associates in urban cancer centre clinics, supervise chemotherapy in community cancer centres, run supportive care survivorship clinics, and help care for cancer inpatients admitted to hospital. In the past, few general practitioners in oncology (GPO) have had formal training. The Alberta General Practitioner in Oncology Training Program started in 2019.
Program Objectives
The overall goal of this program is to improve the cancer-related education of family physicians and provide them with the necessary skills to proficiently function as members of the cancer care team. Such physicians may go on to work in an urban hospital setting or oncology clinic or may provide cancer services to patients in rural communities; areas that generally lack oncologists.
Program Outline
The duration of the program is six months. A shorter course of training (minimum 4 months) could be considered depending on the individual’s background. Training will include 2 weeks of didactic teaching (usually in August or September). The remaining time will be spent in clinical learning which will primarily occur at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary (and soon at the brand-new Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre. This will include outpatient clinics involved in the delivery of systemic therapy for common cancers, as well as clinics in radiation oncology and pain and symptom management. Attendance at all educational and clinical tumour board rounds related to the clinical focus of each rotation is expected.
The rotation schedules will be customized and allow learners to focus their experience in a way that prepares them for work in a particular disease site or environment. There will also be an opportunity to complete a limited number of rotations at a community cancer centre in Alberta.
Preference will be given to candidates able to pursue the program on a full-time basis, but candidates may also pursue the program on a part-time basis over no more than one year (from July 1/2024 to June 30/2025) to permit fulfillment of other professional or personal responsibilities. We welcome applications from both family medicine residents as well as practicing family physicians. Priority will be given to candidates that aim to practice in underserved communities.
Program Director
The Program Director, Dr. Gloria Roldan Urgoiti, will be accountable for all aspects of the conduct, supervision, and evaluation of the program and its participating learners. The Director will be advised by a Program Committee made up of one family physician and one medical oncologist.
Candidate Evaluations
A standardized in-training evaluation of the learner will be completed by clinical supervisors. The Program Director and Program Committee will review the learner’s evaluations and determine whether each learner has successfully completed the program. A certificate will be issued to each learner by Postgraduate Medical Education, University of Calgary upon successful completion of the program.
Faculty Evaluations
Confidential evaluations of each supervisor/rotation will be completed by the learner at the conclusion of each rotation.
Salary
Learners in this program will be paid the equivalent of a PARA PGY-3 resident salary, which is $5854.92 per month of training. No additional benefits will be paid. Funding will be provided through the Department of Oncology, University of Calgary and/or the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) where appropriate. Signing of a return of service agreement will be required.
Application Process
Applicants must be registered and in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). They must have successfully completed a two-year family medicine residency program and/or received their CCFP designation prior to commencing this program.
A complete application will consist of the following:
- Personal letter outlining learning and careers goals, as well as why the candidate is well suited for this GPO training program.
- Current curriculum vitae.
- Three signed professional letters of reference, written within three months of application.
- Copy of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Certificate (practicing physicians) or a letter good standing from the Family Medicine Program Director (residents completing training in 2024).
Please send all application material by February 2/2024 to:
Dr. Gloria Roldan Urgoiti
c/o Karen Evans
Tom Baker Cancer Centre
1331-29th Street NW Calgary, AB T2N 4N2
E-mail: Gloria.RoldanUrgoiti@albertahealthservices.ca
E-mail: Karen.Evans2@albertahealthservices.ca
