Terms of Reference

Professionalism Committee TOR

General Provisions 

This committee is a subcommittee of the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) Committee. The committee’s mandate is to review and adjudicate on professionalism concerns involving a resident or fellow, as per the Faculty of Medicine Policy on Professionalism (henceforth referred to as “Professionalism Policy”. The Postgraduate Professionalism Committee (henceforth referred to as the “Committee”) reports to the Vice-Dean, PGME, or their delegate, on the cases and the decisions.

SECTION 1: MEMBERSHIP

1.1 Committee membership shall consist of:

1. Chair, appointed by the Vice-Dean, PGME (voting);
2. Vice-Dean, PGME or delegate (ex-officio – non-voting);
3. Four faculty members appointed by the Vice Dean, PGME (voting)
   1. One faculty member who is a certified Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC);
   2. One faculty member who holds Certification in the College of Family Physicians (CCFP);
   3. Two faculty members at large;
       
4. One resident representative appointed by the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO) (voting);
5. Director of Professionalism at the Faculty of Medicine (ex-officio – non-voting)

SECTION 2: TERM OF APPOINTMENT

The term for the Chair and of faculty members will be 5 years, renewable once. The term of the resident will be one year. 

SECTION 3: MEETINGS

3.1 The Committee will meet to review and adjudicate on matters related to residents and fellows as respondents to professionalism complaints.

3.2 Quorum will be four (4) voting members, one of which must be the Chair.

3.3 It is expected that committee members will attend at least 75% of meetings that occur over the academic year.  Inability to attend the required percentage of meetings may result in removal from the committee by the Vice-Dean, PGME.

SECTION 4: CONFLICT OF INTEREST 

4.1 A member of the Committee should recuse themself when dealing with a matter where the member

1. was materially involved in the completion of an evaluation; and/or 
2. made a recommendation and/or rendered a decision in the matter which is the subject of the complaint; and/or 
3. has a personal relationship with the resident or fellow.

4.2. Prior to considering any case, the Chair will disclose any conflict they have and require committee members to also declare any conflicts they may have. The Committee may also require a member to recuse themselves where the Committee determines that there could exist a reasonable apprehension of bias. All potential conflicts and concerns of bias will be reviewed by the Committee who will decide by vote if the declarations should result in the member recusing themselves from discussion.  These declarations and decisions will be noted in the official minutes of the Committee.  

SECTION 5: FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE 

5.1 At the request of the Vice-Dean PGME or delegate, in relation to a resident or fellow responding to professionalism complaints deemed at Level 2 or higher as per the Professionalism Policy, the Committee:

• Reviews and renders a decision on an investigation process. 
• Reviews and when necessary, further investigates a complaint. 
• Conducts a hearing for Level 3 complaints as per section 6 below.
• Renders a decision regarding the validity of a complaint.  Validity of a complaint speaks to the alleged events having occurred or not.
• Renders a decision on whether there was a violation of the Professionalism Policy related to a complaint.
• Determines a course of intervention and follow-up.
• Reports to the Vice-Dean, PGME.

SECTION 6: PROCESSES OF THE COMMITTEE 

6.1Professionalism database.

For any new concerns the professionalism database will be consulted to determine if there is a prior history of professionalism concerns.  

6.2Framework for Review of Complaints. 

i. The approach to review of a professionalism complaint will include, but is not limited to, the following elements: a) confirm the complaint; b) understand the context; c) communicate and discuss in a mutually respectful manner; d) encourage self-reflection; e) agree on a plan for remediation, especially at Level 2; f) document the interventions; and g) construct a plan for follow-up. 

ii. Confidentiality is maintained to the greatest extent possible, while allowing for necessary investigation and follow-up on complaints.

6.3Communication of outcome  

i. The resident or fellow, the Vice-Dean, PGME and the Program Director of the resident/fellow’s home program will be notified of the decision in writing. Consent is not required for sharing of information with these parties.

6.4Review of a complaint. 

i. The Committee is responsible for conducting the review of Level 2 complaints that are referred to the Committee by the Vice-Dean, PGME or delegate, as well as conducting the review of all Level 3 complaints as per the Professionalism Policy.

ii. The Committee may seek the advice or assistance of a third party in its review and investigations of the complaint (e.g. Hospital Human Resources, University of Ottawa Human Rights Office). 

6.5Determining the intervention. 

i. The range of interventions is outlined in the Professionalism Policy, section 6.2. 

ii. For Level 2 complaints, the Committee and the Program Director and Program Committee responsible for the resident or fellow will jointly create a plan for intervention and follow-up. 

iii. For Level 3 complaints, the Committee determines a plan of intervention and follow-up, taking into consideration past cases, stakeholder input, the complainant’s input and the respondent’s input.

SECTION 7: CONDUCT OF HEARING

7.1 The Committee will meet to review Level 2 complaints referred by the Vice-Dean PGME or delegate and all Level 3 complaints.

7.2 The meeting will be chaired by the Chair of the Committee. If the Chair is in conflict or is considered to be biased, an alternate Chair will be selected by the Chair.

7.3 The Committee will decide any issue as to procedure or evidence at the hearing.   

7.4 Third party advice, assistance, written statements or affidavits may be collected prior to the hearing.

At least 10 calendar days prior to the hearing, the Respondent (resident or fellow subject of the complaint) will be provided with the evidence collected by the Committee to date and will be given an opportunity to respond in writing five (5) calendar days before the scheduled hearing.

The Respondent will be invited to the hearing 10 calendar days in advance and may attend with their representative if they wish. The representative is there as a support person and will not speak on behalf of the respondent during the proceeding.

7.5 At the commencement of the meeting, the Chair will summarize the procedure for the meeting and reaffirm the allocated time provided for the meeting among the complainant, the respondent, appropriate witness(es) and written statements. 

7.6 The complainant and the respondent will be interviewed separately. 

7.7 The respondent will present after which the members of the Committee will be given the opportunity to question the respondent. The respondent will be given the opportunity to make brief closing statements.

7.8, The Committee may have to deliberate on the evidence and formulate a decision at a later date.

7.9 Summary minutes of the meeting will be taken by a member of the Committee and will be reviewed by the Chair within 5 calendar days. Once the summary minutes have been reviewed and approved by the Chair, they will be distributed to members of the Committee for review and comment.

SECTION 8: DECISION OF THE MEETING

8.1 The Committee may in assessing the evidence on a standard of balance of probabilities:

1. Find the details of the complaint valid;
2. Find some of the details of the complaint to be valid;
3. Find the alleged incident in the complaint to be unsubstantiated at this point and further investigations are needed; or
4. Find the alleged incident in the complaint to be unsubstantiated and no further investigations are needed.

8.2 The Committee will, if there is a determination that the complaint is valid, determine whether there was a violation of the Professionalism Policy.

8.3 The decision of the Committee will be by a show of hands and will be determined by a majority of the voting members present. 

8.4 The Chair will vote only in the event of a tie. 

8.5 The decision of the Committee will be recorded in the meeting minutes of the Committee. Individual votes will not be recorded.

8.6 The Committee will determine the appropriate course of action, which may include but are not limited to, additional monitoring, referral to services (e.g. Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Program), remediation, probation, suspension or dismissal.  

SECTION 9: NOTICE OF DECISION AND REASONS

9.1 The Chair will draft a letter outlining the Committee’s decision and reasons for the decision within 5 business days of the meeting and will send to the Committee members for feedback giving them an additional 5 business days to reply to the Chair with comments.  

9.2 The Chair will finalize the letter and send it to the respondent and the respondent’s home Program Director within 20 business days of the Committee’s meeting. 

9.3 Copies of the letter will also be sent to the Vice-Dean PGME.

9.4 The complainant is provided information on the process and follow up as appropriate.

SECTION 10: MINUTES

10.1 The minutes of any meeting will include the date and time of the meeting, those present, a brief summary of the meeting, and the Committee’s decision and reasons.

SECTION 11: REPORT TO THE PGEC

11.1 The Chair of the Committee will prepare an annual written report for the Vice-Dean PGME, summarizing the activities of the Committee and its decisions, without disclosing the name(s) of the respondents or complainants involved. The report may also propose any general recommendations to improve professionalism within the Faculty.

SECTION 12: APPEAL OF COMMITTEE’S DECISION

12.1 The respondent may appeal the decision of the Postgraduate Professionalism Committee to the Faculty Council Appeals Committee.

SECTION 13: CONFIDENTIALITY

13.1 The documents provided to the Committee at meetings shall be retained by the Chair of the Committee. 

13.2 All deliberations of the Committee and all information received by the Committee shall be confidential except for such disclosure as is necessary for the Committee’s investigations and reports.

References

1.Hickson GB, Pichert JW, Webb LE, Gabbe SG. A complementary approach to promoting professionalism: identifying, measuring, and addressing unprofessional behaviors. Acad Med. 2007 Nov;82(11):1040-8. PubMed PMID: 17971689. Epub 2007/11/01. eng

PGY-1 RESIDENCY ALLOCATION COMMITTEE (PRAC) TERMS OF REFERENCE

Mandate

The PGY-1 Residency Allocation Committee is a standing subcommittee of the Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) that acts in an advisory capacity for the allocation of residency positions in each of the PGY-1 postgraduate medical education (PGME) programs offered at the University of Ottawa, and reports on issues relevant to PGY1 resident placement planning.

Membership

The Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) or his designate will be a permanent member and will act as the Chair (ex-officio voting member).
 

NOTE: Program Directors from any PGY-1 entry program, Department Chairs and Division Heads are not eligible to sit as the faculty member representative.

Quorum: 

Quorum is three (3) voting members, in addition to the committee chair.

Appointment Process: 

PGME office will invite interested parties to participate on the committee when a vacancy is identified. Candidates will be reviewed to ensure they are in good standing, and that no professionalism issues have been identified, prior to presenting candidates to PGEC for approval. Once approved, the PGME office will notify all candidates as to the outcome of the process.

Important qualities for potential PRAC members include but are not limited to:

• Experience in Postgraduate Medical Education
• A demonstrated history of collaboration and impartiality

Frequency of Meetings: 

The committee shall meet once per year to review and determine allocation pursuant to Ministry of Health (MOH) reporting. Additional meetings may be scheduled, as required, for the Committee to respond to appeals, communicate with the PGEC concerning current issues, etc

Subcommittee Decisions: 

The decisions made at this committee will be submitted to the Dean for approval, then to COFM for approval by the Ministry of Health.
Decisions may be appealed to the committee for further deliberation, but do not go further than the committee. Of note, any appeal for one program to go have an additional position(s) entails a reduction to another program.

Reporting: 

The committee will report to the PGEC.

Minutes / Related Documents:

Minutes and related documents, if required will be filed and maintained by the PGME office.

Conflict of Interest: 

If a member of the PGY-1 Residency Allocation Committee assumes a position of Program Director in an active PGY-1 entry program, Department Chair or Division Head, the individual will be asked to step down as a member of the Committee.

Confidentiality: 

All committee members must acknowledge that all discussions, documents and correspondence, regardless of their manner of transmission, are deemed confidential and must remain confidential at all times. All information received and transmitted must be handled in accordance with the University of Ottawa’s policy 117. Items may be requested via the University of Ottawa’s Access to Information and Privacy Office, in accordance with policy 90.

EDI: 

The University of Ottawa aspires to promoting a work environment that fully represents the diversity of Canada’s population. As a result, it is committed to applying equity principles to enrich discussion, decisions, and outcomes of committees to support our EDI mandate.
 

PGME EVALUATION SUBCOMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Mandate

The Evaluation Subcommittee is a standing committee of the Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) that is responsible for reviewing Program recommendations for trainees in academic difficulty and requiring formal remedial action, including recommendations from the Program for extension of training, reassessment/reclassification, remediation, probation and dismissal.  The Subcommittee ensures that relevant policies are adhered to, and fair process is provided for trainees and programs.

Membership

The Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) or his designate will be a permanent member and will act as the Chair (ex-officio voting member).

Quorum:

Quorum is achieved with attendance of the Chair and four voting members, one of which must be a trainee.

Appointment Process:

PGME office will invite interested parties to participate on the subcommittee when a vacancy is identified. Candidates will be reviewed to ensure they are in good standing, and that no professionalism issues have been identified, prior to presenting candidates to PGEC for approval. Once approved, the PGME office will notify all candidates as to the outcome of the process.

Frequency of Meetings:

The subcommittee will meet monthly from September to June and ad hoc at the request of the Chair.   It is expected that subcommittee members will attend at least 75% of scheduled meetings.  Failure to attend the required percentage may result in removal from the subcommittee.

Subcommittee Decisions:

On behalf of the Faculty Postgraduate Medical Education Committee (PGEC):

• To review the Policy for the Assessment of Postgraduate Trainees at least once annually and suggest recommendations for revision as required.
• Ensure that PGME regulations and policies have been adhered to by the Program, and that trainees have had a fair process when identified as having academic difficulty.

At the request of the Assistant Dean, PGME, to review the cases of trainees in academic difficulty where there are recommendations from the Program for remedial action, including extension of training, reassessment/reclassification, remediation, probation and dismissal.  The review may include the evaluation of the trainee’s academic, behavioral, ethical and professional performance in the program, or the evaluation/recommendation from an independent process.

PROCEDURES:

1.   Relevant documents requiring review by subcommittee members are provided via secure portal to ensure confidentiality for the trainee.  Any written submission provided to the RPC by the resident may be included in the documents provided.

2.   Each subcommittee meeting will start with a discussion about conflict of interest and allow members to declare any such conflict to determine suitability to remain in the meeting

3.   If both resident subcommittee members are excluded from deliberations due to a potential conflict of interest, the Chair will seek a temporary resident replacement from PARO to maintain resident representation on the subcommittee.  

4.   The Chair will invite the Program Director or delegate to present to the subcommittee when any new remedial plans are being proposed involving a trainee.  Invited Program Director or delegate will provide background and answer questions regarding their own specific trainee(s).  and then recused from subsequent subcommittee discussions. 

5.   Subcommittee decisions are determined by a vote of members present.  The Chair will only vote in the case of a tie.

6.   The subcommittee may accept (ratify) or deny (fail to ratify) the Program recommendation.  If the Program’s recommendation is denied, the subcommittee will define an alternate plan which will be binding on the program and the RPC. The subcommittee may also make recommendations for modifications to plans proposed by the Program. 

7.   The Program Director, with the resident copied, will be informed of the decision by a letter within 10 business days of the subcommittee meeting.

Reporting:

The committee reports to the Assistant Dean, PGME.

Minutes / Related Documents:

Minutes and related documents, if required will be filed and maintained by the PGME office.

Conflict of Interest:

Subommittee members must state a perceived conflict of interest to the subcommittee, at the beginning of the meeting. The subcommittee will discuss and determine if one exists, and if so, will ask the subcommittee member to recuse themselves from any discussion and / or decision making.  If the Chair of the subcommittee declares a conflict of interest, an interim chair from the faculty membership of the subcommittee will be appointed by the Assistant Dean, PGME.

Confidentiality:

The subcommittee shall meet in camera.  All subcommittee members must acknowledge that all discussions, documents and correspondence, regardless of their manner of transmission, are deemed confidential and must remain confidential at all times. All information received and transmitted must be handled in accordance with the University of Ottawa’s policy 117. Items may be requested via the University of Ottawa’s Access to Information and Privacy Office, in accordance with policy 90.

EDI:

The University of Ottawa aspires to promoting a work environment that fully represents the diversity of Canada’s population. As a result, it is committed to applying equity principles to enrich discussion, decisions, and outcomes of committees to support our EDI mandate.

Accreditation Subcommittee TOR

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Accreditation Subcommittee is a standing committee of the Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) that is responsible for reviewing all internal accreditation documents and maintaining the overall standards of the University Internal review process.

MEMBERSHIP

The Accreditation Subcommittee has fifteen (15) members.  The Director of Accreditation chairs the subcommittee and sits for a 5 year term, renewable once.  Other committee membership is for a three-year term, renewable twice.  Membership is as follows:

1. Director of Accreditation – faculty member nominated by the Vice-Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and approved by the Postgraduate Education Committee;
2. Vice-Dean, PGME (ex-officio);
3. Assistant Dean, PGME (ex-officio);
4. Nine (9) additional faculty members having experience or committed to gaining experience in the standards of education and accreditation as required by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC):
   1. At least one faculty member with Royal College certification in each of the following categories: Internal Medicine (general or sub-specialty), Surgery (general or sub-specialty), Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics (general or sub-specialty)
   2. At least one (1) faculty members with CFPC certification
   3. Up to three (3) faculty members with Royal College certification in any other specialty (e.g. Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Psychiatry, etc.)
   4. One (1) faculty member with Royal College AFC certification.
5. Two (2) resident representatives, selected from the entire resident body following consultation with the University of Ottawa PARO General Council whose terms will be a minimum of 1 year to a maximum of 3 years.
6. Accreditation Program Administrator (non-voting)

It is expected that Subcommittee members will attend/participate by teleconference at least 75% of scheduled meetings.  Failure to participate in the minimum number of meetings will result in removal from the Subcommittee.

 

MEETINGS

The Subcommittee shall meet at least four (4) times a year and additionally as required.  Communication with the Faculty PGEC will be on an as needed basis for issues that arise.

Quorum is set at six (6) members in attendance including the Subcommittee Chair or his/her delegate.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A Subcommittee member must not participate in the review of his/her own academic program.  The Subcommittee member must declare a conflict of interest when their program’s review is to be discussed or in specific situations where the member plays an important role in the program that is to be discussed. The member will refrain from adding written commentary on the documents under review, and if appropriate, leave the meeting during the program’s discussion.

FUNCTIONS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE

1.  Review all accreditation preparatory and mandated internalreviews, and progress reports, and make recommendations regarding individual programs as necessary.
2. Report to the Vice-Dean, PGME and to the PGEC on issues that arise as they pertain to standards of accreditation of the RCPSC and CFPC.  The Director of Accreditation will convey at a minimum, an annual report to the full membership, but may report at additional meetings should the need arise.
3. Assume responsibility for the overall standards of the PGME Internal Review process and make recommendations as necessary to the PGEC.
4. Ensure reports generated by review teams are of high quality.
5. Provide feedback to review teams on the quality of the reports.
6. Provide faculty development and support on accreditation-related activities.

PROCEDURES

1. The Director of Accreditation, along with the Assistant Dean, PGME, set an eight (8) year schedule that outlines the timing of internal reviews for all RCPSC and CFPC training programs at the University of Ottawa.  It is expected that during the time between full external reviews of all University of Ottawa postgraduate programs (conducted by the RCPSC and CFPC every eight years), each program will be subject to at least one full internal review as per the Royal College or CFPC accreditation format.  Programs may also be subjected to additional preparatory reviews as deemed necessary.  At the discretion of the Director of Accreditation, Assistant Dean, and/or Vice-Dean, programs may be subjected to an increased level of scrutiny including, but not necessarily, additional internal reviews, particularly if programs are scheduled for an Action Plan Outcomes Report (APOR) or External Review.
2. Reviewers are assigned to reviews by the Accreditation Program Administrator with oversight by the Director and the Assistant Dean.  Internal reviews are conducted by two (2) Physician Faculty members and one (1) Postgraduate trainee from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa.  In most cases, the more experienced faculty reviewer will be designated as the Lead Reviewer by the Accreditation Program Administrator and will be the primary author of the report.
3. The Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing all internal review reports and providing formative feedback to the review teams.  Report documents can be accessed by Subcommittee members in a secure digital environment.  Comments and/or track changes will be used by members to ask for clarity or provide feedback in the draft report.  The Director is responsible for summarizing the comments/changes before returning the report to the review team for revisions.  Quarterly, the Subcommittee will meet to ensure that program reports are meeting the General Standards of Accreditation as set out by the RCPSC and CFPC.  Feedback regarding any program deficits will be provided by the Director of Accreditation to the Vice-Dean and Assistant Dean after each internal review, and each Program Director and Department Chair will have access to the report to guide programmatic change.

EXPECTED TIMELINES FOR INTERNAL REVIEWS

1.  The Accreditation Program Administrator receives the data from the CanAMS (Accreditation Monitoring System) from the program at least one (1) month prior to the review.
2. The Director of Accreditation, Vice Dean, PGME and Assistant Dean, PGME have approximately one (1) week to review and provide commentary on the information submitted.
3. The program has approximately one (1) week to make final edits before re-submitting the final documentation to the Accreditation Program Administrator.
4. Review team members receive access to the program’s documentation two (2) weeks prior to the review date.  The draft report must be submitted within two (2) weeks following the survey visit.
5. Formative feedback on the quality of the report and all requests for clarification from the Accreditation Subcommittee are provided back to the review team within 10 days.
6. All final edits by the Lead Reviewer are asked to be re-submitted within ten (10) days.
7. Once the report has been approved by the Director of Accreditation and/or the Assistant or Vice-Dean, PGME, the final report is sent to the Program Director and the responsible Clinical Department Chair.
8. The Accreditation Program Administrator will process the reviewers’ remuneration for completion of the review and the final report.  
9. Reviewers must submit an invoice to [email protected] and [email protected] to indicate to whom the funds should be paid.

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION AWARDS SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Mandate

To adjudicate a variety of awards offered via PGME and partners.

Membership

The Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) or his designate will be a permanent member and will act as the Chair (ex-officio voting member).

Quorum:

Quorum is achieved when the majority of committee members are present / adjudicate on the decision. 

Appointment Process:

PGME office will invite interested parties to participate on the committee when a vacancy is identified. Candidates will be reviewed to ensure they are in good standing, and that no professionalism issues have been identified, prior to presenting candidates to PGEC for approval. Once approved, the PGME office will notify all candidates as to the outcome of the process.

Frequency of Meetings:

The subcommittee will meet on an ad hoc basis. The committee may deliberate via e-mail to expedite the decision process.

Subcommittee Decisions:

Decisions rendered are not appealable.

Reporting:

The committee will report to the PGEC on an ad hoc basis. The committee will report to the PGEC on an ad hoc basis, and annually in the spring.

Minutes / Related Documents:

Minutes and related documents, if required will be filed and maintained by the PGME office.

Conflict of Interest:

Committee members must state a perceived conflict of interest to the committee, at the beginning of the meeting. The committee will discuss and determine if one exists, and if so, will ask the committee member to recuse themselves from any discussion and / or decision making.

Confidentiality:

All committee members must acknowledge that all discussions, documents and correspondence, regardless of their manner of transmission, are deemed confidential and must remain confidential at all times. All information received and transmitted must be handled in accordance with the University of Ottawa’s policy 117. Items may be requested via the University of Ottawa’s Access to Information and Privacy Office, in accordance with policy 90.

EDI:

The University of Ottawa aspires to promoting a work environment that fully represents the diversity of Canada's population. As a result, it is committed to applying equity principles to enrich discussions, decisions and outcomes of committees to support our EDI mandate.

Award Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for an award, PGME learners must meet the following criteria:

-          be enrolled in a PGME program at the University of Ottawa;

-          be in good standing (e.g no issues of professionalism); and

-          meet eligibility criteria of award (prerequisites and additional requirements).

Committee                                                         Approval

PGEC                                                                        March 27, 2019

PGEC                                                                       March 29, 2023

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION COMMITTE TOR
 

Mandate

The Faculty Postgraduate Education Committee is a standing committee of the Faculty of Medicine that coordinates Postgraduate Education in all recognized programs be they:

1. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada  Residency Training Programs
2. Canadian College of Family Medicine Residency Training Programs

Membership

The Vice-Dean of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) or designate will be a permanent member and will act as the Chair (ex-officio voting member).

There are 2 types of PGEC meetings:

1. Executive – representation from the departments noted in the table below.  All Program Directors are welcome to join any Executive meeting, even if not a member of Executive.
2. Full – includes all members of the PGEC Executive (as noted below) and all Residency Training Program Directors (or their delegate).

Guests from affiliated organizations will be invited to meetings as needed at the discretion of the Chair. (non voting)

Appointment Process:

PGME office will monitor the membership to ensure turnover as appropriate noted above.

Frequency Of Meetings:

The PGEC Executive will meet 10 times per year from September to June. Four (4) of these meetings will be held to include the entire contingent of Program Directors (or delegates) and will be known as the PGEC Full meeting.

It is expected that PGEC Executive members will attend all PGEC (Full and Executive) meetings and all other residency program directors attend all PGEC Full Meetings. Non-executive members are invited to attend any and all PGEC Executive meetings.

Quorum:

The quorum for PGEC Executive and PGEC Full meetings shall be at least 1/3 of the total number of voting members or such greater number of members as the PGEC may determine.

Function:

• Admissions and Registration:
  • Ensure appropriate admissions criteria and procedures are established for all levels of residency training programs.
  • Ensure that appropriate conditions of enrollment are in place, whether these conditions are local or provincial requirements (i.e. PRP, AVP, PEAP, immunization, licensure, and medico-legal liability coverage)
• Evaluation with respect to: 
  • Established Standards of Accreditation according to the RCPSC and CFPC and maintaining an effective Evaluation Policy and Promotions policy
• Monitoring of programs.

Administer an Accreditation Subcommittee for the purposes of:

• Preparing for the on-site Accreditation visits from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, as well as the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Faculty Accreditation visit. Ensuring that Educational Sites meet Standards of Accreditation.
   
• Conducting Internal Reviews and the review and approval of reports.

Accountability:

• The PGEC is accountable to the Dean and the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Medicine.

The PGEC is also accountable to report, as necessary, to:

• the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
• the College of Family Physicians of Canada
• subcommittees: 

The PGEC may establish Subcommittees as are necessary to implement policies and procedures as listed above. Terms of reference are to be determined by each Subcommittee and approved by the PGEC.

Chairs or delegates of these Subcommittees will report to the PGEC on an annual basis.

Subcommittees include:

• Evaluation Subcommittee
• Professionalism Subcommittee
• Accreditation Subcommittee
• PGY1 Residency Allocation Subcommittee (PRAC)
• Transfer Subcommittee
• Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Subcommittee

Recognition:

It is recognized that the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, has agreements with each hospital defining their affiliation with the University. It is recognized that the affiliated hospitals through the Ontario Teaching Hospitals (OTH) represent the teaching hospitals and the University of Ottawa for the purposes of negotiating non-academic terms and conditions related to residents with the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO). For matters pertaining to their employment status, residents are responsible to their employer.

Committee Decisions:

Decisions rendered are not appealable.

Minutes / Related Documents:

Minutes and related documents, will be filed and maintained by the PGME office

Conflict of Interest: 

Committee members must state a perceived conflict of interest to the committee, at the beginning of the meeting. The committee will discuss and determine if one exists, and if so, will ask the committee member to recuse themselves from any discussion and / or decision making.

Confidentiality: 

All committee members must acknowledge that all discussions, documents and correspondence, regardless of their manner of transmission, are deemed confidential and must remain confidential at all times. All information received and transmitted must be handled in accordance with the University of Ottawa’s policy 117. Items may be requested via the University of Ottawa’s Access to Information and Privacy Office, in accordance with policy 90.

EDI: 

The University of Ottawa aspires to promoting a work environment that fully represents the diversity of Canada’s population. As a result, it is committed to applying equity principles to enrich discussion, decisions, and outcomes of committees to support our EDI mandate.

Mandate

Provide collaborative support, orientation, and essential knowledge pertaining to the Program Administrator (PA) role in medical education. Encourage the professional development of all PAs in Postgraduate Medicine Education at the University of Ottawa in accordance with the CanMEDS-ATA.

Membership

The PA Executive Committee is made up of a core group 10 Program Administrators working in medical education at the University of Ottawa, plus 1 representative from the PGME Office.

PA Members:

• Chair
• Vice-Chair or Past Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Corresponding Members and/or Members at large

PGME Representatives:

• Manager
• PGME rep

PA Members of the PA Executive Committee are appointed for a term of three years.

Members wanting to renew for another term must notify the Chair at least two months prior to the end of the academic year. The PA Members of the Committee will vote to indicate agreement for the renewed term.

If an agreement is not reached, and the membership is not renewed, then the position will be opened for recruitment.

Recruitment

The recruitment process is carried out at the end of each academic year. A call for nominations will be done at the Spring Bi-Annual Program Administrators meeting. Each nominee will be asked to submit a bio and/ or letter of interest for consideration by the PA Executive Committee. The PA General Assembly will vote and select member(s) from the pool of nominees.

Members are expected to accept assignments involved in the planning of the professional development workshops and creation of ad-hoc working groups or sub-committees.

Member Eligibility

To be eligible for membership on the committee, the individual must be the designated Postgraduate Program Administrator for an accredited CCFP or RCPSC residency program at the University of Ottawa.  There may only be one representative per program on the committee.

Specific responsibilities of PA Members

Chair

• Normal mandate is for a two year term plus an additional year as Past Chair (total 3 yr term).  The length of the term may be extended by committee approval.
• Sets the strategic direction for the upcoming academic year in collaboration with the committee.
• Sets the agenda in consultation with the PGME manager for the meetings.
• Serves as the primary contact between the PGME Office and the PA Executive Committee.
• Reviews the PA Executive Committee Terms of Reference (TOR) on an annual basis and presents updated TOR for review and approval by the committee.
• Participates in all meetings.
• Assigns additional duties to committee members in order to achieve overall committee goals.
• Collaborates with other professional development groups in order to ensure shared goals and objectives.
• Presents the PA Executive Committee update to all PAs at the PA Bi-Annual meeting (General Assembly).
• Represents the PA Executive Committee on the Program Directors Postgraduate Education Committee
• Contributes ideas (sessions, speakers) to the professional development sessions, and serves as a resource for other committee members as questions arise.
• Solicits input from other member organizations regarding current concerns. Serves as an advocate concerning those issues related to PAs.
• Accepts Committee assignments for planning and professional development.

Past Chair or Vice-Chair

• The Past Chair will serve during the first year of the Chair’s mandate.  A Vice-Chair will be selected in the second year of the mandate.
• Serves as the chief advisor to the Chair.
• Participates in all meetings.
• Contributes ideas (sessions, speakers) to the professional development sessions.

• Accepts Committee assignments for planning and professional development.
• As Past Chair, provides historical background and knowledge of Chair duties and responsibilities to support the Chair and the Committee.

Treasurer

• Maintains the finances.
• Must be a member of the committee who has served at least one year.

Secretary

• Must attend all meetings.
• Records Committee minutes.

Corresponding Members and/or Member at large

• A corresponding member from all major sites (affiliated hospitals). Ideally, members are recruited from all the core sites and affiliated teaching hospitals to give perspective and a voice to committee with a perspective from each site.  If no one volunteers from a particular site, a member at large can be added instead. Participates in all meetings.
• Contributes ideas (sessions, speakers) to the professional development sessions.
• Accepts Committee assignments for planning and professional development.

Specific responsibilities of PGME Representatives

Manager

• Assists in setting the agenda for all PA Executive meetings.
• Participates in all meetings.
• Contributes ideas (sessions, speakers) to the professional development, and serves as a resource for other committee members as questions arise.
• Acts as liaison with PA members in the planning of the professional development curriculum.

Voting Process for PA Executive Roles

• Chair asks PA Executive Members for nominations for the open position.
• Chair will provide list of nominated names for PA Executive Members to vote.
• In the event of a tie vote, the Chair will cast the deciding vote.

Quorum

• A quorum will be 50% plus one.

Frequency of Meetings

The chair approves all scheduled meeting dates.  Meeting length is two-hours (maximum 2 ½ hours). These meetings occur a minimum of four times a year (with additional meetings as required) between September and June of every year.  The organization of the meeting is the responsibility of the Chair with assistance of the PGME Manager or other PGME staff.

Attendance

All Committee members are required to participate in at least 75% of the scheduled meetings, and are expected to participate in the professional development curriculum planning.

Dismissal

Concerns may be brought to the Chair in writing should a member of the committee demonstrate incompetence, dishonesty, personal conduct that substantially impairs the committee’s fulfillment of its responsibilities and mandates (see code of conduct document), or fails to maintain 75% attendance at the meetings. The PA Executive Committee Chair (or the Vice/Past Chair in cases involving the current Chair) and the PGME Representative (Manager) will review the charges and a motion to dismiss will be presented to the PA Executive Committee. The outcome will be based on the charges and voted among the PA Executive Committee members. Should the outcome be that of a dismissal the member will be approached and asked to resign from their position on the committee.

Accountability

The PA Executive Committee is accountable to the PGME Office and all program administrators and program directors at the University of Ottawa.

Procedures

All communications and documents presented on behalf of the PA Executive to external groups must be pre-approved by the PA Executive members either at a PA Executive Meeting or via electronic email approval.

Sub-Committees

All sub-committees will be chaired by a member of the PA Executive.  The number of sub-committees will be determined on an annual basis according to the PA Executive Objectives for that year. Professional Development activities are the exception as no separate sub-committee exists, rather these activities are coordinated by the main PA Executive Committee.

Any PA from the larger General Assembly group is eligible to participate on a sub-committee, they do not have to be a member of the PA Executive. 

CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Faculty’s Clinical Fellowship Committee (CFC) is a committee of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) that coordinates Faculty of Medicine Post-Residency Fellowship Education in all recognized programs.

It must be clearly understood that each Fellowship program must have a designated Fellowship Director.

A fellow is defined as a clinical trainee in postgraduate medical education undertaking an unaccredited fellowship or a fellowship in an Area of Focused Competence (AFC) post-residency.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership to the CFC include:

·         Vice-Dean, PGME (Chair)

·         Assistant Dean, PGME (ex-officio)

·         Dean, Faculty of Medicine (ex-officio)

·         Operations Manager, PGME (ex-officio)

·         One representative from each of the following clinical departments and schools:

oAnesthesiology

oEmergency Medicine

oEpidemiology, Public Health and Preventative Medicine

oFamily Medicine

oInnovation in Medical Education

oLaboratory Medicine

oMedicine

oObstetrics and Gynecology

oOphthalmology

oOtolaryngology

oPediatrics

oPsychiatry

oRadiology

oSurgery

·         The Program Director of each AFC program

·         TWO Clinical Fellow Representatives

·         One Program Administrator Representative

Guests may be invited to meetings, as required and at the discretion of the Chair (non-voting).

MEETINGS

The CFC will meet a minimum of four (4) times per year, from September to June.

Quorum for CFC meetings shall be at least 1/3 of the total members or such greater number of members as the CFC may determine.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE

Admissions and Registration.

a) Ensure appropriate admissions criteria and procedures are established for all postgraduate fellows.

b) Ensure appropriate conditions of enrollment are in place, whether these conditions are local or provincial requirements (e.g. Pre-Entry Assessment Program, English Language Requirements).

Evaluation

a) Standards around assessment for all fellowship programs as well as Royal College Standards for the AFC programs. b) Maintaining an effective Evaluation Policy and Promotions policy.

c) Monitoring of programs.

Accountability.

The CFC is accountable to the Vice-Dean, PGME.

Subcommittees.

The CFC may establish Subcommittees as are necessary to implement policies and procedures as listed above. Terms of reference are to be determined by each Subcommittee and approved by the CFC. Chairs or delegates of these Subcommittees report to the CFC on an annual basis.

RECOGNITION

It is recognized that the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, has agreements with each hospital defining the hospital’s affiliation with the University.

Committee                                                                 Approval Date

Faculty Council                                                                                      June 14, 2016

CFC                                                                                                    February 13, 2023

Faculty Council                                                                                        May 9, 2023

POSTGRADUATE COMPETENCY-BASED MEDICAL EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Mandate

The competency-based medical education (CBME) subcommittee is an advisory subcommittee of the Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) and is accountable to the Vice-Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine. This subcommittee is responsible for the overall oversight and strategic planning for the implementation of Competence By Design (CBD) in the RCPSC programs at the University of Ottawa as well as ensuring that there is overall alignment in our CFPC programs with the Triple C curriculum.

Functions of the Subcommittee

The CBME subcommittee will adhere to the mission and policies of the Faculty of Medicine. It is responsible for strategic planning in all areas related to CBME at the University of Ottawa, including but not limited to:

• Identifying and prioritizing needs (perceived and unperceived), actions and activities relevant to readiness for, fidelity with, and the intended outcomes of CBME implementation,
• Identifying resources / technology infrastructure that will enable the successful adoption of CBME at uOttawa.
• Identifying common needs across programs and users of Elentra, and prioritizing enhancements, changes, and new system developments.
• Suggesting support strategies for faculty, learners, and administrative staff.

• Proposing new policies and/or policy changes as needed to support competency based medical education
• Proposing and overseeing program evaluation of CBME implementation

Membership:

Quorum

Chair and 50% of the subcommittee members.

Appointment Process:

PGME office will invite interested parties to participate on the committee when a vacancy is identified. Candidates will be reviewed to ensure they are in good standing, and that no professionalism issues have been identified, prior to presenting candidates to PGEC for approval. Once approved, the PGME office will notify all candidates as to the outcome of the process.

Frequency of Meetings:

The subcommittee will meet at least 4 times per year.

Attendance at Meetings:

It is expected that subcommittee members will attend at least 75% of scheduled meetings. Failure to attend the required percentage of meetings will result in removal from the subcommittee.

Subcommittee Decisions:

Decisions rendered are not appealable.

Reporting:

The committee will report to the PGEC on an ad hoc basis.

Minutes / Related Documents:

Minutes and related documents, if required will be filed and maintained by the PGME office.

Conflict of Interest:

Committee members must state a perceived conflict of interest to the committee, at the beginning of the meeting. The committee will discuss and determine if one exists, and if so, will ask the committee member to recuse themselves from any discussion and / or decision making.

Confidentiality:

All committee members must acknowledge that all discussions, documents and correspondence, regardless of their manner of transmission, are deemed confidential and must remain confidential at all times. All information received and transmitted must be handled in accordance with the University of Ottawa’s policy 117. Items may be requested via the University of Ottawa’s Access to Information and Privacy Office, in accordance with policy 90.

EDI:

The University of Ottawa aspires to promoting a work environment that fully represents the diversity of Canada's population. As a result, it is committed to applying equity principles to enrich discussions, decisions and outcomes of committees to support our EDI mandate.

Resident_Wellness_Committee.pdf (pdf, 128.91 KB)

Accommodation_Planning_Committee.pdf (pdf, 105.82 KB)