18. The future of Canadian residency education: The core competency project

The Core Competency Project (CCP) is an initiative to reexamine fundamental recurring issues in Canadian medical education, including: (1) premature career decision making by medical students, (2) barriers to changing career disciplines by residents and practicing physicians, (3) lack of clarity on the role of “generalism” in medical training, and (4) the optimal structure and function of the PGME system. The CCP is a collaborative national endeavour of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. From 2005 to 2007, the CCP employed four primary methods, including: (1) a systematic review of relevant literature, (2) a series of commentary papers by leaders in medicine and medical education, (3) a series of focus groups across Canada involving medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, and (4) a national survey of stakeholders. This was supplemented by consultations with key groups in the medical profession. We describe the findings of these studies and the implications for medical education policy in Canada and around the world. The CCP is an unprecedented national medical education policy initiative.