Develop your clinical reasoning through a patient-centred approach to the full spectrum and complexity of care in the role of Family Medicine Medical Expert. Form a community of practice to explore and address clinical questions through participation in problem-based, small group learning sessions.

Establish rapport and trust with patients and their families to build therapeutic relationships through effective and dynamic interactions in the role of Communicator. Topics include such essential skills as motivational interviewing, complex communication to address conflict, cultural sensitivity, patients in crisis, telephone and email medicine, and patient-centred care.

Provide optimal patient care in the modern multi-professional environment through collaboration, consultation and coordination with your healthcare team and community network in the role of Collaborator. Topics include office-based collaborative care, effective and efficient medical records, the referral process, accessing community resources to optimize patient care, and working with allied professionals.

Engage in continuous Quality Improvement to sustain and improve patient health through prioritizing, organizing and managing resources in the role of Manager. Quality Improvement is a structured, step-wise methodology to implement sustainable change in practice. Throughout, the impact of a change is measured to ensure it is indeed an improvement. Establish and articulate your overall goal. Assess, map and measure the current state of a procedure. Implement a small change expected to move the practice towards its goal, and evaluate its impact. Then take the next step, repeating the cycle of testing, evaluating and planning. Changes are tested on a limited scale to control impact and demonstrate improvement before applying them more broadly. QI Tools and Processes are applicable throughout clinical practice.

Apply your expertise and influence to advance the health and well-being of patients, families and communities through accessing appropriate health resources in the role of Health Advocate. Topics include non-medical determinants of health, the value of the periodic health assessment, managing patient expectations, and the role and limitations of the family physician as Health Advocate.

Empower your lifelong reflective learning through a critical and evidence-based approach to practice and patient care in the role of Scholar. Topics include developing a continuing professional development plan to meet your own needs and interests as they evolve, selecting and using clinical practice guidelines, and applying new knowledge and understanding to practice.

Demonstrate commitment to clinical competence, integrity and ethical practice in honouring the physicians’ social contract with patients and the community in the role of Professional. Topics include the leadership role of Family Physicians, your medical career life cycle, ethical issues in practice, work-life balance, and gaining practical value from collegial conversations.

Hone your computer and internet skills in web-based learning sessions. Addressing several CanMEDS competencies, topics include patient and family education on the web, optimal use of web-based CPD resources, formulating and answering clinical questions on the web, and optimal use of community web-based resources.

The CanMEDS-FM Roles will be addressed and developed in the context of a deeper exploration of clinical topics relevant to family practice. Therapeutic themes will include chronic disease management, family medicine across the life cycle, preventive medicine and health promotion, mental health, and challenging complex situations in practice.