Prospective Residents

Welcome to Family Medicine at Memorial!

Our two-year program offers training in urban, rural and remote locations across Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nunavut. With an emphasis on rural and remote training, our residents graduate with the skills, knowledge and confidence to work in these locations upon completion of the program.

Resident Streams

The Family Medicine Residency training brochure highlights the training sites, curriculum and enhanced rural and remote opportunities that are available through our program. The Academic Teaching Sites brochure details the clinics and hospitals where our residents train.

Excellent learning and teaching is offered at all of our teaching sites. Candidates applying to Memorial will see that there are six residency streams in CaRMS: Eastern, Central, Western, Northern – Goose Bay, Northern – Nunavut and an International Medical Graduates (IMG). Candidates can apply to any or all of the streams in CaRMS and then rank their choices in order of personal preference.

Eastern (EastFam)

Residents matching to the Eastern (EastFam) Stream will complete their clinical experiences in the Urban Center St. John's and in rural regions. There is a diversity of experiences from both inpatient and outpatient care as well as community and regional health authority practices. The learning environment is enriched from this broad base of learning environments.

The Eastern Region is the academic hub for medical training in the province.  It provides excellent access to academic rounds and multidisciplinary teaching and the academic curriculum is rich and well established.

First-year residents complete a longitudinal Family Medicine experience combined with Care of the Elderly in St. John's.  A number of longitudinal clinical experiences will be available during second year in rural locations throughout the Eastern Stream.

Rural clinical experiences give the residents the opportunity to gain experience and skills in the unique challenges that are encountered in rural and remote areas.  Issues such as transport medicine, trauma medicine, acute critical care and emergency procedures are experienced on a regular basis.

Central (CenFam)

Residents in the Rural - Central (CenFam) Stream receive rural Family Medicine training based out of communities and towns in Central NL over the two years of training. Training sites include Botwood, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Twillingate. Residents will complete training outside of the Central Stream (elsewhere in NL and/or NB) if a training opportunity is not available locally.

Western (WestFam)

A number of rural Family Medicine training opportunities exist on the West Coast of the province. Residents in the Rural - Western (WestFam) Stream complete training in Bonne Bay, Corner Brook, Port aux Basques and Stephenville over their two years of training. Residents will complete training outside of the Western Stream (elsewhere in NL and/or NB) if a training opportunity is not available locally.

Northern-Goose Bay (NorFam)

Residents in the Northern - Goose Bay (NorFam) Stream will complete the majority of their longitudinal integrated residency in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL. While gaining excellent exposure in rural and remote medicine, residents will have the opportunity to enhance their experiences by completing a number of rotations in NL and/or NB (e.g. Internal Medicine, ICU, Obstetrics and Gynecology).

Northern-Nunavut (NunaFam)

Residents will have the opportunity to train in the remote location of Iqaluit, Nunavut (NunaFam). This Norther - Nunavut (NunaFam) training opportunity will involve first and second year rotations in NL and/or NB with a six-month Rural Family Medicine experience in Nunavut in second year.

Both the NorFam and the NunaFam opportunities offer rural and remote training that includes visits to coastal or satellite communities. Residents in the Northern Stream will develop competence in working with Indigenous communities.

International Medical Graduates (IMG)

As of July 1, 2023, an International Medical Graduates (IMG) residency stream has been added to Memorial's Family Medicine Residency Training Program. Five seats are allocated for this stream. Candidates matched to this stream will receive training in urban, rural and remote locations throughout NL and NB.
Residents in the IMG stream will have a requirement for a 5 year return in service agreement with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Curriculum

The teaching curriculum at Memorial focuses on the Triple C curriculum. We offer experiences where residents have the opportunity to be centered in a Family Medicine clinic to provide comprehensive care and continuity of care for patients over an extended period of time. While each teaching site has its own unique curriculum based on the local opportunities all are unified under the overarching Family Medicine Program.

During the course of residency there is ongoing structured teaching. Prior to the start of residency, incoming residents take part in mandatory orientation sessions that include an orientation to the Memorial Postgraduate Medical Education Program and to the Family Medicine Program and they have the opportunity to complete three courses:

  • ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support).
  • ALARM (Advances in Labour and Risk Management).
  • NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program).

Note: BCLS is a pre-requisite for ACLS (Advanced CardiacLife Support) and must be completed prior to orientation.

In addition to weekly academic half-day teaching, residents participate in core teaching two times a year. Topics and courses covered during these times may include: Practice Management, PEACI (Psychiatric Emergencies and Crisis Intervention), Medical Ethics, Resident Research Forum and PoCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound Training).

Electives

If you are interested in our program and you have the opportunity to visit, consider completing an elective at one of our teaching sites. Detailed information, and application forms are available on Memorial’s Undergraduate Medical Education website.

If you require further assistance, please contact the Electives Academic Program Assistant Electives: (709) 864-6343, email UGME.Electives@med.mun.ca  

Applications for Residency
All applications to our residency program are processed through the Canadian Residency Matching System (CaRMS).

Related Sites

Memorial Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME)
Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA)
College of Physicians of Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador (CPSNL)
Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the College of Family Physicians of Canada
College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)
Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)

Tourism

Newfoundland and Labrador
New Brunswick
Nunavut

Why Family Medicine at Memorial University?

Testimonials to Family Medicine

The following quote from Dr. Mo Ravalia, former Assistant Dean of Distributed Medical Education and faculty member in Family Medicine who lives and works in Twillingate. Dr. Ravalia sums up the unique family medicine experience here in NL in a most wonderful way. This is what he thinks distinguishes family medicine training at MUN:

The unique "founder population" that welcomes and embraces medical trainees and firmly sows the seeds of altruism, fairness, spirituality and joy in the lives of those who are fortunate enough to experience it.
A wide array of medical experiences in a team based environment where the values of social justice and empathy grow with each clinical encounter.

These remarkable communities, scattered across gorgeous ocean vistas where the wind blows hard and the rugged rocky terrain beckons, that draw you in to a long history of survival against the odds and a fierce pride of family bonds and heritage.

A linguists haven, where dialects that have remained intact for centuries and echo in a sing song lilt to the uninitiated ear, make that (medical) interview just a little more special.


Come and join our family and transform both your life and your values in a way that will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Resources

Why come to MUN Family Medicine
If you are from Newfoundland and Labrador