Backgrounder: Improvements to the Postgraduate Medical Education System

News Release: Government of Canada Supports Improvements to the Postgraduate Medical Education System

March 2010

The Government of Canada will provide funding of over $1.5 million to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) to strengthen the postgraduate medical education system. The funding will help provide physicians in training with the necessary skills to meet the health care needs of Canadians.

The Future of Medical Education in Canada -- Postgraduate Project

The Future of Medical Education in Canada -- Postgraduate Project will conduct a thorough review of postgraduate medical education in Canada in order to meet current and future health care needs.

In 2007, the AFMC embarked on a parallel examination of the undergraduate program of medical education in the country, which was also funded by Health Canada. The final report, "The Future of Medical Education in Canada: A Collective Vision for MD Education" was released in January 2010 and provides insight and a direction to strengthen undergraduate medical education in Canada.

The Postgraduate Project will build upon the results of the undergraduate project to ensure that both curriculums in Canadian Faculties of Medicine are well aligned with the evolving needs of Canada's health system.

The Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy

This funding for the AFMC is provided by Health Canada through the Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy.

The Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy was established to facilitate collaboration on pan-Canadian health human resources, approaches to collaborative practice and the recruitment and retention of physicians and other health care professionals.