| IMG Routes to Licensure in Newfoundland |
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IMG-Specific Program
Clinical Skills Assessment and Training Program (CSAT)
General
Information
Eligibility
Application
Selection
Contact
General
Information
The Clinical Skills Assessment and Training Program (CSAT) is
designed to assess core knowledge, skills and competencies of physicians in a
general/family practice setting. It provides specific, individualized training, as
prescribed by the assessment process, and evaluates the effectiveness of the training
through in-training evaluation and, in some situations, a re-assessment.
The Program was established in December
1997 within the Professional Development Department, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial
University of Newfoundland. It operates from Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner
Brook, Newfoundland. Administration of the program is provided by a faculty appointed
Director, and a Coordinator. A Medical Advisory Board with representation from the Faculty
of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland & Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association,
and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association provides ongoing policy guidance
to the program. An Academic Advisory Committee provides advice on academic matters within
the program. Clinical disciplines within the Faculty of Medicine, Professional
Development, and rural medicine are represented on this committee. The Program is further
supported by a network of faculty assessors and preceptors from each discipline, who
provide assessment and supervision for clinical trainees, depending upon the participants
individualized need.
Number of Positions a Year:
The CSAT Program is designed to be individualized. There are no
preset dates for assessments. When a physician candidate has been determined to meet the
eligibility criteria for entrance in the CSAT Program a date is established that is
mutually agreeable to the physician candidate and the CSAT Program. The CSAT Program is
able to accommodate any predetermined time frames for the assessment that may be
established by the provincial medical regulatory authority. The CSAT Program is able to provide on average 4
individual assessments each month.
Language of Testing, Assessment and Training: The
CSAT Program is provided in English only. Demonstrated fluency in English is required as
determined by the referring provincial medical regulatory authority.
Dates and Deadlines: Check with the CSAT Program
office for individual appointment times. Csat@swgc.mun.ca
Telephone: (709) 639-2728 Fax: (709) 634-9175
Prior Postgraduate Training: Postgraduate training is
determined by the referring provincial medical regulatory authority.
Recency of Practice/Clinical Training Criteria:
Physician Candidates for the CSAT Program will have to meet the
practice and training criteria as established by the referring provincial medical regulatory authority.
Discipline Offered: Family Practice
Return-of-Service Agreement (ROS): Physicians
entering the CSAT Program referred by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador are required to be
sponsored by a Hospital Board or Health Authority. This sponsorship may be in the form of
financial assistance for the CSAT Program in which a return-of-service (ROS) agreement is
then required. The length of the ROS will be dependent on the amount of financial support
and is usually two years in duration. When sponsorship does not include financial support for the CSAT
assessment and training, there is not a ROS requirement.
Duration:
The assessment portion of the CSAT Program is two days. There are four
assessment examinations, two each day for two consecutive days.
Location:
The CSAT assessments are held at:
CSAT Program Office
Room 420, 4th Floor
Western Memorial Regional Hospital
P.O. Box 2005, 1 Brookfield Avenue
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
A2H 6J7
The CSAT Program is located on the west
coast of the province and is 55km from the nearest airport in Deer Lake, Newfoundland. Bus
and taxi service meets all flights. A resident type accommodation is available at $15
a night with advanced reservation through the CSAT Program.
Costs of CSAT Program:
Assessment Fees - $3,500
Training Fees - $600 a week for prescribed training to a maximum of 25 weeks
Re-assessment Fees - $1,500 for those prescribed a re-assessment
Program Statistics (accumulated to Dec 31 2005):
Year |
Total Assessments |
Total Re-assessments |
In-Province Assessments |
Not Accepted for
Training
(NL)
|
Out-of-Province Assessments |
Accepted for Training
(NL)
|
| 1998 |
14 |
2 |
14 |
3 |
0 |
11 |
| 1999 |
21 |
7 |
21 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
| 2000 |
15 |
6 |
15 |
4 |
0 |
11 |
| 2001 |
8 |
5 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
| 2002 |
12 |
3 |
12 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
| 2003 |
27 |
7 |
21 |
4 |
6 |
17 |
| 2004 |
12 |
8 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
| 2005 |
21 |
4 |
19 |
3 |
2 |
16 |
| TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
32% |
|
|
|
75% |
Training Statistics:
Year |
Total Accepted for
Training |
Training Pending |
Successfully Completed
|
|
Withdrew
From Program |
In Training
(as of Dec 31 2005) |
| 1998 |
11 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| 1999 |
14 |
0 |
12 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| 2000 |
11 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| 2001 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2002 |
10 |
0 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| 2003 |
17 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| 2004 |
6 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| 2005 |
16 |
6 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
| TOTAL |
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
7% |
78% |
2% |
11% |
6% |
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Eligibility
Criteria
The CSAT Program is open to any family/general practice
physician who is a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident or holds a work visa, and:
- Meets the eligibility criteria as defined by the referring
provincial medical regulatory authority. A letter from the provincial medical regulatory authority is required prior to
scheduling an assessment.
- Holds a license and wants to participate in the assessment
as part of a continuing medical education program.
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Application
Process
The physician must first complete an application process with the
provincial medical regulatory authority. The CSAT Program accepts applications for the program
following a pre-assessment by a provincial medical regulatory authority. The provincial medical regulatory authority is
required to review credentials for practice and if not eligible for practice, the
provincial medical regulatory authority will then review the credentials for eligibility to practice following
successful completion of the CSAT Program assessment and training. A referral letter is
sent to the CSAT program following the review of the credentials indicating that
successful completion of the CSAT program will lead to a licensing arrangement with the
provincial medical regulatory authority, whether it is a provisional license, education license, etc.
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Selection
Process
Physicians selected for the CSAT Program will participate in a
two day, four part comprehensive assessment of knowledge, skills, competencies and
abilities.
Assessment:
The assessment instruments are standardized and are in the form of:
• Multiple-choice examination
• Therapeutic assessment
• Structured oral interview; and
• Standardized patient encounters.
Based upon the assessment, a comprehensive report is compiled outlining strengths and
weaknesses and, if appropriate, recommendations for training. Advancement to the training
component is recommended only if any identified gaps in knowledge, skills, competencies
and abilities can be addressed through an individualized one-on-one prescribed training
program of six months duration or less. The assessment results are discussed with the
Academic Advisory Committee which determined the training requirements of the candidates
based upon the assessment. If the physician is judged to require 6 months or less of
training from an academic point of view, eligibility for the training component of the
program is established and the prescribed training is recommended to the provincial medical regulatory authority. The provincial medical regulatory authority will ensure any gaps in the initial training or
rotating internship are addressed through this training component of the CSAT Program.
Training:
The Physician Candidate, when in training, will be placed on the
Education Registry of the Licensing Authority. The trainee will also require to have
membership with the Canadian Medical Protective Association as a PGY1. The training
process is a collaborative effort, between the physician participant, the Director of the
CSAT Program, and the Physician Preceptors. The training is implemented as prescribed by
the assessment process and consultation with the provincial medical regulatory authority and is directed with
individualized learning objectives and in-training feedback and evaluation. The program is
specifically designed to facilitate a style of ongoing change in the
participant's practice.
Re-assessment:
Upon completion of the training, the participant may undergo a summative,
focussed re-assessment. A comprehensive report is prepared outlining the
participant's progress identifying achieved and/or needed improvements. The
report may also identify a schedule for follow-up. There may be situations where a
re-assessment is not recommended. This decision is dependent on how well the participant
did in the initial assessment, the amount of training prescribed and in-training
evaluations. If the physician meets the requirements satisfactorily, he/she is then
referred back to the provincial medical regulatory authority to continue the process for licensure.
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Contact
Information
Clinical Skills Assessment and Training (CSAT) Program
Program Coordinator
Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland
c/o Western Memorial Regional Hospital
P.O. Box 2005
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
A2H 6J7
E-mail: csat@swgc.mun.ca
Telephone: (709) 639-2728
Fax: (709) 634-9175
Web site: Under development
NOTE: Email is the preferred contact method since the office may not always be open.
Additional Links
“CSAT program meets needs of physicians and rural communities” Munmed Article,
Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University: Vol. 16 No. 2 Spring 2004
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Other Programs
Special Funded
Postgraduate Positions
CaRMS
Provisional Licensure
Temporary License >>
Special Assessments
Special Funded Postgraduate
Positions in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador >>
For IMGs and physicians returning from practice, Memorial University of Newfoundland
offers a limited number of Specially Funded Postgraduate Positions in areas of recognized
need in the province.
For additional information on postgraduate training
programs, see the Memorial University
of Newfoundland, Faculty of Medicine web site.
Canadian
Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) >>
IMGs may apply for a postgraduate training position in Newfoundland and Labrador through the 1st
iteration of the CaRMS match.
Provincial Restrictions >>
See CaRMS web site for CaRMS application
procedure.
For additional information on postgraduate
training programs see the Memorial
University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Medicine web site.
Provisional
Licensure for IMGs
General Practice
Key Criteria:
Credentials: graduate of a school or faculty of medicine, which is
listed with the World Health Organization or FAIMER/IMED Directory of medical schools.
Postgraduate Training Component: minimum of one year postgraduate
training acceptable to the medical board
Exams: may be required to have satisfactorily completed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination with a score satisfactory to the Medical
Board or successfully completed the MCCQE Part I.
Language: may be required to demonstrate a reasonable fluency in the
English language
Sponsor: accepted for employment under a
sponsor approved by the board
Recency of Practice: in the opinion of the board, practiced primary care
without significant interruption in practice (have not been out of primary care practice
longer than one year)
For additional detailed information, see the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland & Labrador web site, Licensure
of International Medical Graduates for Entry to General Practice.
Specialist
Practice
Key Criteria:
Credentials: Graduated in medicine from an approved faculty or
school of medicine.
Postgraduate Training Component:
Specific Jurisdictions: minimum of four
years of postgraduate training in the specialty. Such applicants may be required to have
passed a specialist higher qualification examination administered by a medical authority
responsible for specialist training in the country where the applicant completed
postgraduate training.
RCPSC-Eligible Candidates: Postgraduate training accepted by the Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada providing eligibility to take the
certification examination of the College will be the basis for the Medical Board's
consideration of eligibility for entry to specialist practice.
For additional detailed information
see the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador web site, Licensure
of International Medical Graduates for Entry to Specialist Practice.
Special Assessments
by the RCPSC >>
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