application for accreditation of new programs - Faculty of Medicine

Postgraduate Medical Education
APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION OF NEW ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND
SURGEONS OF CANADA PROGRAMS
The application process for a new Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) residency
program comprises two steps:
1. Pre-approval by the Alberta Ministry of Health and Wellness
2. Approval by the RCPSC
1. Alberta Health and Wellness
The sponsoring department or division should begin by identifying a champion for this process. In most
cases, this person will also serve as the first Program Director and will be referred to as such throughout
the application process.
After an initial discussion between the Program Director and the Associate Dean Postgraduate Medical
Education (PGME), the proposal for ministerial pre-approval is submitted to the PGME Advisory Group
(PGME-AG). The proposal must include a covering letter from the Associate Dean PGME requesting preapproval;
a summary of the new program; the number of residents requested per year; data regarding
the societal need for the specialty (this should include national as well as regional information, but there
should be a clear focus on Alberta’s needs); academic intent of the program; the academic staff and
faculty required (existing or new); other program resources; and a brief overview of the curriculum. If
the program already exists at the University of Alberta (UofA), a letter of support from the UofA Associate
Dean PGME is also required.
The PGME-AG also requires a letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Alberta Health Services (AHS)
indicating that there is a need for graduates of the proposed program in Alberta according to the AHS
practitioner workforce plan (or for other applicable jurisdictions), that AHS supports the application, and
that they are prepared to provide any necessary infrastructure support.
2. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)
The group requesting accreditation of a new RCPSC residency program must apply by means of a
questionnaire supplied by the RCPSC. To be accredited, a program must comply with the “General
Standards of Accreditation” and the “Specific Standards of Accreditation” for the specialty or subspecialty
(found on the RCPSC website). The application must demonstrate that the program is capable of
providing the complete educational program, that the resources of faculty, staff, and facilities can be
provided, and that the full participation of affiliated education sites is assured.
The Program Director will complete a comprehensive draft questionnaire and work with the PGME Office
to produce the final version. The Associate Dean PGME will take the completed questionnaire plus the
proposal required in step 1 in sequence to: the PGME Committee, Council of Associate Deans Education
(CADE), Executive Faculty Council (EFC), and Faculty Council (FC) for approvals. (The Program Director is
only required to attend the PGME Committee and FC meetings.)
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The application package is then sent by the PGME Office to the Accreditation Office of the RCPSC. The
application package will include the completed questionnaire, a covering letter from the Associate Dean
PGME indicating that the faculty approves and supports this program, and letters from the chief executive
officers of the major teaching institutions or education sites, indicating their support of the program,
(The latter will normally be a copy of the letter from the Chief Medical Officer of AHS required in step 1.)
Applications are considered by the appropriate (sub)Specialty Committee and by the Accreditation
Committee of the RCPSC. Accreditation is granted on the basis of an assessment of the resources to be
provided within the program as a whole and the manner in which these resources will be utilized for
residency education. The Accreditation Committee meets 3 times per year, in January, May, and October.
An acceptable application for accreditation of a program is granted “New Program Approval” status by the
RCPSC. Within 18 months of a resident being enrolled, a RCPSC-mandated internal review of the program
by the University of Calgary PGME Office is expected to take place. In consultation with the Educational
Standards Unit, this review may be delayed until such time as the first resident(s) enrolled in the program
reaches the specialty-specific portion of the program, i.e. beyond a basic clinical year or core surgery
rotations, to allow assessment of the educational aspects unique to the program.
NEW RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAMS - PROCEDURES
Submission to the Postgraduate Medical Education Advisory Group (Alberta Health and
Wellness):
The Program Director requests a meeting with the Associate Dean PGME to discuss the possibility
of New Program application. The Program Director must come with the support of the sponsoring
Department Head and (where applicable) the Division Chief.
The Program Director submits to PGME a draft proposal including all of the information required
by Health and Wellness as noted above. The Associate Dean PGME suggests revisions as
necessary.
The PGME Office then submits the final proposal to the Chief Medical Officer of AHS, with a
request for formal written support of the application to be sent to the Associate Dean PGME.
The Associate Dean PGME requests a letter of support from the UofA Associate Dean PGME if
applicable.
The PGME Office submits the agenda item, a covering letter, proposal, and letter of support from
AHS to the chair of the PGME-AG. The proposal is discussed by the PGME-AG and a
recommendation is made to the Minister of Health and Wellness.
The Minister of Health sends the final decision to the Associate Dean PGME.
Submission to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada:
Once pre-approval from the Minister is obtained, the Program Director completes the first draft of
the application questionnaire and submits it to the Associate Dean, PGME.
The PGME Office reviews the application and returns it to the Program Director with any
suggestions for changes or additions. The final version is taken, along with an executive
summary (prepared by the Program Director), to the PGME Committee. The Program Director
makes a brief presentation to the PGME Committee and answers any questions. If the PGME
Committee approves the New Program application, then the following steps are taken:
The Associate Dean presents the executive summary and letter from AHS to CADE, EFC, and then
to FC for their approvals. EFC and FC meetings take place only four times per year, so this
process can take up to 6 months. Although the presentation to FC will be made by the Associate
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Dean PGME, the Program Director should be present at the FC meeting to support the motion
and answer questions.
Once all the approvals have been obtained, the entire documentation is sent to the RCPSC.
Deadlines for application to the RCPSC Accreditation Committee are as follows:
- the end of January for the May meeting;
- the end of May for the October meeting;
- the 15th of October for the January meeting.
If a program is approved by October, it can be entered into the CaRMS match and begin
accepting residents for the following July 1.
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