Clinical Faculty Members
Why should I apply for a Faculty appointment and what is the process for doing this?
There are over 656 undergraduate medical students, 447 graduate students, and 1300 residents in the Faculty of Medicine. They are the future care providers for our patients and have successfully made it through a competitive application process into medical school and/or our postgraduate training programs. The Faculty of Medicine needs your help to ensure the ongoing provision of high quality learning and clinical experiences to these many learners. Applying for a Faculty appointment will allow you to be a part of their educational experience and be remunerated accordingly by the university. There are also a number of other benefits to being a faculty member (see the next FAQ).
The Procedures Manual for Academic Appointments in the Faculty of Medicine provides an introduction to academic appointments in the Faculty of Medicine, highlights the general principles for appointing clinical faculty members, lists the minimum requirements for appointment at each rank, and outlines the application requirements. All appointment requests should be sent to Faculty Affairs.
What benefits do I get as a faculty member?
In addition to playing a role in shaping the physicians of tomorrow, there are many other benefits to being a faculty member, such as:
- Savings on goods and services from many retailers including computers; museums, arts, and entertainment; health, sports, and well-bring; clothing; telephones; and more.
- 10% discount on books and special references at the bookstore.
- Discounts on computers and software.
- Parking and free shuttle service between the main campus and Roger Guindon Hall.
- Membership to sports services.
- Language classes:
- Free French language classes offered through Affaires francophones, Faculty of Medicine. Contact a team member .
- Language Training Services for Academic Staff offered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI), uOttawa
What programs can I get involved with at the Faculty of Medicine?
- Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME / MD Program): The Faculty of Medicine offers the Undergraduate Medical Education / MD program in both official languages, integrating the basic and clinical sciences throughout the four year program. Emphasis is placed on self-learning and principles, and facts are learned in a multidisciplinary fashion in the context of clinical problems. Whole-class lectures and seminars are used to discuss basic concepts, explore new developments, and provide overviews of the biomedical sciences fundamental to the practice of medicine. Training occurs in ambulatory, primary, secondary, and tertiary settings and the students function as members of the medical team in collaboration with other health professionals. Faculty members are expected to contribute to the UGME teaching program by giving lectures, being tutors, developing educational material, providing examination questions, and helping with student evaluation, for example (see below for other examples of how you can get involved in teaching medical students).
- MD / PhD Combined Program: The Combined Program for Degrees in Medicine and Philosophy (MD / PhD) offers exceptional students the opportunity to pursue two degrees over the course of seven years. The program is based on a single integrated curriculum. That is, it combines the existing undergraduate medical school curriculum with approved doctoral graduate programs in Biochemistry, Biology, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Human and Molecular Genetics, Microbiology and Immunology, or Neuroscience.
- Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME): The University of Ottawa offers 72 programs, that are either specialties or subspecialties, that lead to certification from the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians of Canada, Family Medicine programs that lead to certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada as well as five Area of Focused Competence (AFC) programs.
- Distributed Medical Education (DME): Distributed Medical Education (DME) refers to the offer of medical education outside the usual tertiary care setting. Educational sites may be in small or rural communities, while others may be in larger centers or small cities. The University of Ottawa has both undergraduate and postgraduate DME programs.
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): The Office of Continuing Professional Development aims to enhance healthcare through innovative, practical, and evidence-informed continuing professional development, enabling and supporting lifelong learning for the physicians, medical educators, and scientists in our faculty. This includes providing support to help faculty develop, organize, and accredit a learning program for medical professionals in their field or discipline. The Faculty Development Program is part of the Office of Continuing Professional Development.
- Master's and PhD Graduate Programs: The Faculty of Medicine offers master's and doctoral degrees in many fields of study through the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies .
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME): The Department of Innovation in Medical Education (DIME) is a non-clinical department offering teaching, research, and scholarship in the areas of anatomy, medical education, and the humanities and medicine. It enables and evaluates breakthrough advances across the medical education continuum.
- DIME Seminar Series: A forum for the exchange of scholarly ideas and activities in medical education. A wide range of presenters from across the country share their insights. Learn more.
- DIME Core Research Unit: The DIME Core Research Unit at the University of Ottawa is an international leader of innovation in medical education. The Core Research Unit offers individual consultation for medical education research projects.
- Meridith Marks Day: A full day of activities for the dissemination of research in medical education. Learn more.
- DIME / uOSSC Fellowship Program in Medical Education: A 1-2 year Fellowship in medical education. Includes the Healthcare Education Scholars Program (HESP) and Foundational Elements of Applied Simulation Theory (FEAST).
- Healthcare Education Scholars Program (HESP): A series of education sessions designed to initiate participants to medical education scholarship and research. Mandatory for DIME / uOSSC Fellows. Also available to non-Fellows. Learn more.
- Foundational Elements of Applied Simulation Theory (FEAST) : A series of interactive education sessions for DIME / uOSSC Fellows. Learn more.
- DIME Health Professions Education Research Grant: Supports research, development, and/or implementation of curricular projects to enhance medical education at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine. Learn more.
- Affaires Francophones (AF): Affaires Francophones (AF) is responsible for the development of French-language education programs for undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development in the Faculty of Medicine.
- Centre d'appui pédagogique en santé pour la francophonie (CAPSAF): Offers professional development opportunities for teachers and preceptors, and develops learning tools to enhance teaching. CAPSAF also offers support for medical education research projects in French (eg, ethics applications, securing funding, developing and implementing research projects, writing). It facilitates networking among francophones driven by medical education.
How can I get involved in medical education at the Faculty of Medicine?
There are many ways to get involved in the Faculty. For example:
- Become a Clinical Preceptor
- Case-Based Learning (CBL) small group tutor
- Tutor for simulated clinical sessions
- Become an ePortfolio coach
- Lectures, workshops, labs
- Physician Skills Development (PSD)
- Content expert for the MD program
- Medical Education Research
- Medical Education Administration
- Conduct admission interviews with applicants for admission to medical school
- Develop OSCEs
Undergraduate Medical Education
The Faculty of Medicine offers undergraduate teaching opportunities to physicians who wish to contribute to our program.
- Anglophone Stream: Please contact the Coordinator of Undergraduate Medical Studies
- Francophone Stream: Please contact the Coordinator of Undergraduate Medical Studies
Postgraduate Medical Education
The Faculty of Medicine offers postgraduate teaching opportunities to physicians who wish to contribute to our program.
- Please contact the Postgraduate Program Manager
Where can I go for support in my role as a faculty member?
Faculty Affairs offers free, confidential services to help you achieve your full potential in your academic life and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Assistance is offered in the areas of Wellness; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and Professionalism. At l'Hôpital Montfort, you can also get additional support from the Education Office.
Faculty Affairs works with the Dean’s Office on all faculty appointments and annual reviews. As a faculty member, you have responsibilities with respect to teaching, research, patient care, and administration. You may choose which of these you want to emphasize and show evidence of scholarship. It is expected that faculty members identify an Area of Focus that highlights their academic achievements, be it in Teaching and Education, Clinical Expertise, and/or Research.
When assessing career progress, including academic promotion, the university looks at your academic contributions primarily in your Area of Focus.Faculty Affairs will support you in your career advancement, and provides information on the promotion process and offers promotion workshops.
Faculty Affairs also monitors compliance with University policies, such as the conflict of interest policy and the professionalism policy. Assistance with understanding these policies and compliance is provided by the Office which can be reached at 613-562-5800 x8361, or at proaff@uOttawa.ca.
Who do I go to when I have questions?
For clinical issues talk to:
- Your Division Head/Service Chief
- Your Department Chair
- Chief of Staff
For educational issues talk to:
- Division Head/Service Chief
- Department Chair
- Vice Dean of Postgraduate/Undergraduate Medical Education
For research issues talk to:
- Division Head/Service Chief
- Department Chair
- Vice-Dean, Research
Don't forget the Faculty of Medicine Leadership Team either.
How do I succeed and get promoted as a faculty member?
It is expected that faculty members identify an Area of Focus that highlights their academic achievements, be it in Teaching and Education, Clinical Expertise, and / or Research. When assessing career progress, including academic promotion, the university looks at your academic contributions primarily in your Area of Focus. The three Areas of Focus are described below.
Clinical Expertise
Excellence in the domain of clinical care may be demonstrated by:
- Sustained and documentable clinical service and satisfactory peer review of clinical care, as well as reviews by the recipients of clinical service, including referring physicians, patients, and residents.
- Documentable community service and advocacy. This includes service to the discipline (eg, serving as a journal and grant reviewer on an ad hoc basis, committee or editorial membership, office in professional society), service to the University / Hospital, and service to the public (eg, communication of expertise to lay hearings, voluntary professional service).
Teaching and Education
Excellence in the domain of teaching and education may be demonstrated by:
- Significant and high quality contributions to teaching and / or other education related activities.
- An established reputation as a teacher or educator and deep engagement in scholarly work (which must include dissemination and may include publication).
Research
Excellence in the domain of research may be demonstrated by:
- A record of sustained and current productivity in research and research-related activities, including lab-based and population / patient-based research.
- Communication of research advances through the publication of papers, reviews, books, and other scholarly works.
- A strong and continuing record of external funding commensurate with the type and area of research.
- Training and mentoring of graduate or postgraduate learners, including residents / fellows and postdoctoral fellows, specializing in the area of research.
Promotion in the academic rank is based on scholarship in any of the areas above. For specific examples of metrics to support promotion in each of these areas, contact Faculty Affairs. Faculty Affairs will support you in your career advancement and provides information on the promotion process and offers promotion workshops. It is possible that some faculty members have more than one Area of Focus and it is the combined contributions that will be considered a measure of academic success.
Why do I need to participate in Faculty Development?
Faculty development will help you to:
- Enhance your potential as a teacher, researcher, administrator, and clinician.
- Connect with the Faculty and other faculty members.
- Receive better evaluations from your learners.
- Be an even more valued member of your department.
- Enhance your curriculum vitae.
- Help get yourself promoted.
- Meet continuing education requirements for the maintenance of your registration and competencies.
- Get a head start on activities that may soon be mandatory as a measure of ensuring faculty standards.
- Work towards a Teaching Skills Attainment Award.
The Teaching Skills Attainment Award provides recognition to faculty members who have shown commitment to the development of their teaching skills through faculty development. There are three levels of award, each with different requirements regarding the number of hours of faculty development that need to be completed.
How is the Faculty of Medicine governed?
The Faculty of Medicine offers a research and educational environment based on a structure of twelve clinical departments, three non-clinical departments, and a school; each under the leadership of a Department Chair/Director of School.
In accordance with established regulations and bylaws, overall governance of the Faculty is through the Dean of Medicine with support from the Faculty Council, Teaching Personnel Committees, and standing committees such as the Admissions Committee, Faculty Appointments Advisory Committee, Faculty Council Appeals Committee, and Professionalism Investigation Committee. Further, the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate medical education programs have academic committees (i.e., the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC), the Faculty of Medicine Graduate Studies Committee, and the Postgraduate Education Committee (PGEC) respectively), which provide central oversight of their educational programs.
What are the departments and schools within the Faculty of Medicine?
School
Non-Clinical Departments
- Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine
- Department of Innovation in Medical Education
Clinical Departments
What is the structure of the undergraduate/MD program?
The program leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree includes 147 weeks of instruction (72 weeks of which are devoted to clinical work) scheduled over four calendar years.
Pre-clerkship is devoted to the teaching and learning of biomedical sciences, whereas Clerkship is devoted to clinical work. During medical studies, students should demonstrate the intelligence, the integrity, and the personal and emotional characteristics deemed necessary for competent physicians. Their behaviour must be consistent with an acceptable code of professional ethics, such as stated in the Faculty's Standards of Ethical and Professional Behaviour.
This program is offered in English and in French.
Learn more on the Program MD Curriculum. and the undergraduate medical education (MD) program.
Where can I go to access all the tools I'll need to be successful in the undergraduate program?
ProfZone, the Professor's Portal, can be accessed from the Undergraduate Medical Education Faculty webpage. ProfZone includes quick links to tools such as One45, Outlook, CBLs, and SLMs, as well as an overview of the MD program and key resources.
Why should I engage in clinical research at the University of Ottawa?
Clinical research involves studying human subjects to answer questions relevant to their condition, well-being, and care. From the medicines you routinely prescribe to advanced robotic surgery, modern medicine needs clinical research to identify what treatments and diagnostics are safe, beneficial, and cost effective. Without (or before) clinical research, doctors would choose medical treatments and tests based on their best guess given experience and knowledge-base. Clinical research helps to remove the guesswork.
Beyond impacting patient care, clinical research also contributes to:
- Academic life: Research-friendly environments are dynamic places of learning and innovation.
- Personal career and skill development: Clinical research skills are applicable to many aspects of clinical and academic life.
- The growth and reputation of the institution
I'm interested in doing clinical research. Where do I start?
Developing a research agenda and building a team provides the foundation for research success. There are several resources available to support you with your research agenda. The following are able to help you learn about the research process from conceptualization to funding, to implementation to dissemination:
Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Medicine Research and Innovation Office: Provides support and mentoring for new faculty members to ensure a smooth transition to the Faculty of Medicine, the rapid and successful establishment of their research laboratories, and their competitiveness with funding expectations. Provides links to funding announcements and deadlines. Connecting with the Research Office will allow new faculty to identify a good match between opportunities and investigators. The Research Office offers special programs, including awards, chairs, mentorship, and core facilities.
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health: Offers expertise and advice related to research and training in epidemiology and related disciplines.
- Faculty of Medicine Core Facilities: There are over10 Core Facilities in the Faculty of Medicine providing facilities and assistance to the research community at the University of Ottawa.
- Department for Innovation in Medical Education: Offers individual consultations for research projects in medical education.
- Center d'pedagogique en santé pour la francophonie (CAPSAF): Offers support for medical education research projects in French (eg, ethics applications, securing funding, developing and implementing research projects, writing).
Hospitals
- Ottawa Methods Center (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute): Provides expertise and support to health professionals and researchers at all stages of a research project.
- Clinical Research Unit (CHEO): Offers a broad range of services to help CHEO investigators accomplish their clinical research goals, including support for study design and methodology, statistical analysis, sample size calculation, data management, budget preparation, study logistics, and more. Services are available to both new and experienced researchers.
- Research Services at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute: Provides a range of services, equipment, and facilities to support the research efforts of investigators and groups.
- Montfort Hospital Research Institute: Contributes to improving the well-being and health of the population, especially Francophone minority communities. Its research activities, conducted in a French-speaking environment, focus on the creation, application, and public dissemination of knowledge.
What behaviour is expected of me as a faculty member?
The Faculty of Medicine's Professionalism Policy defines the professional values, attributes, and behaviours that set the Faculty's standards of professionalism. The policy states the professional and ethical obligations you have as a faculty member during your interactions with other faculty, patients, staff, and learners. All faculty members are expected to adhere to, demonstrate, and promote the Faculty's core values which consist of:
- Respect
- Collaboration
- Excellence
- Compassion and empathy
- Integrity and honesty
- Altruism
- Wellness
- Equity
- Confidentiality
- Responsibility and accountability
- Dedication and self-improvement
I witnessed some unprofessional behaviour by a colleague. What do I do?
Faculty members are expected to be exemplary role models and maintain standards of professionalism in interactions with other faculty and learners in the academic, research, and clinical care setting. The Office of Professionalism, within Faculty Affairs, has an established Professionalism Policy for faculty, learners, and staff. When issues around professionalism arise, there are established processes for reporting and managing these incidents. Issues related to unprofessional conduct should be reported using the Incident reporting form. Reports can be submitted anonymously if desired.
The Office of Professionalism works with the affiliated hospitals and institutes, medical school, residency programs, and graduate studies on the implementation of the Professionalism Policy. In integrating professionalism across these institutions and programs, the Office of Professionalism can provide guidance on matters related to the policy.
Office of Professionalism
Phone: 613-562-5800 ext. 8361
Email: professionalism@uOttawa.ca
Location: RGN 3028 GI have concerns about harassment and/or discrimination. Where can I go for help?
The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, within Faculty Affairs, is mandated to raise awareness, encourage sensitivity, and highlight pathways to improve gender and equity issues in all aspects of Faculty activity (i.e., undergraduate and postgraduate education, research, faculty development, and the working environment for both faculty members and support staff). If you have concerns about harassment and/or discrimination, the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will listen to your concerns and identify a plan to remedy the situation. They will refer you to the appropriate individuals within the Faculty of Medicine who can help with the situation when necessary.
Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Telephone: 613-562-5800 ext. 8507
Email: edgissue@uottawa.ca
Location: RGN 3028 HI am feeling overwhelmed in my new role as a faculty member. Where can I go for help?
The Faculty Wellness Program, within Faculty Affairs, is an official working group of the Faculty of Medicine. It is committed to the enhancement of the well-being of all members of the Faculty, including faculty members, learners, and support staff. The program offers:
- Departmental/school consultations on wellness;
- Individual referrals to health care providers, financial advisors, counsellors, and therapists;
- Educational interventions shaped to suit the need of your group, program, or department/school;
- Information on conflict resolution.
The University of Ottawa Health Services is a primary care clinic. As an employee of the University of Ottawa, you can register with a doctor at Health Services and get access to a wide range of healthcare services.
Faculty Wellness Program, Faculty of Medicine
Telephone: 613-562-5800 ext. 8507
Email: wellness@uOttawa.ca
Location: RGN 3028 GUniversity of Ottawa Health Services
Telephone: 613-564-3950
Map of locationsHow can I find a family physician in Ottawa?
The shortage of family physicians in Ottawa is a serious concern and you may be unable to readily find a family physician who is willing to take you or your family members. The Faculty of Medicine’s Faculty Wellness Program can help should you encounter difficulties in finding a family physician.
As an employee of the University of Ottawa you can also register with a doctor at The University of Ottawa Health Services, which provides access to a wide range of healthcare services.
I'm creating a presentation/educational resource; can I use images or other material from the Internet?
It depends on what you want to do. Materials on the Internet are treated the same under copyright law as any other copyright materials, so if you want to use them, they have to either fall within one of the Copyright Act's exceptions (such as fair dealing or the educational use of the Internet exception) or be open access or in the public domain. If what you want to use isn't from an open access or public domain source and does not fall into one of the Act's exceptions you will have to obtain permission from the copyright owner.Learn more.
The Copyright Office provides a number of resources and a list of FAQs to help answer your copyright questions.
How can the librarians help me?
The Health Sciences Library is located in Roger Guindon Hall, Room 1020.
The librarians provide research support through consultation and reference services, publishing support, as well as teaching support, such as assistance with curriculum development, through workshops and seminars. Visit them at the reference desk or by appointment—either at the library or in your office.
The librarians will provide tailored sessions upon request, which can be structured around a subject area, course assignment, or specific question.
How do I access library resources when I'm off campus?
The Health Sciences Library has a large collection of resources, such as databases, ejournals, ebooks, and point of care tools, that are available to you on any computer with Internet access. You can even connect to the library's electronic resources from off-campus. Use the following credentials to login:
- Username: Use the information that precedes the @ in your uOttawa email address (e.g., jdoe123@uottawa.ca)
- Password: Use the Password Management Tool in InfoWeb to set your password for your library account. Forgot your password? No problem! Login to uoZone to change it.
Your library account gives you access to the library's electronic resources and the workstations that are located on site. If you have problems logging in or accessing an article, please feel free to contact them.
What are the top 5 things the library can do for me?
The Top 5 services offered by the Health Sciences Library are:
iPad loans
The library has iPads for 72 hour loan to faculty, staff, and students with a valid library account in good standing. For further details or to request a loan, go to the circulation desk or read the Library iPads Terms of Use.
Quiet spaces and rooms
The Health Sciences Library offers a variety of spaces (with the presentation of a faculty member identification card):
- Computers:
There are 14 public computers available at the library. All computer workstations come with Internet access and Microsoft Office software. Most have USB ports and CD-reader drives. You can borrow a laptop and/or iPad at the circulation desk.
- Computer Lab:
The computer lab is open to anyone when it is not being used for instruction or training. Requests for use of the computer lab can be sent to bibliorgnlibrary@uottawa.ca. Please note: No technical support (i.e., no multi-media technician) is provided.
Support for systematic and other literature reviews
The library offers advanced support for researchers and professors conducting various types of literature reviews including:
- Literature reviews, including narrative reviews
- Scoping reviews
- Systematic reviews
For further information, read the Literature Review Services Policy or contact the Health Sciences Library.
Citation management software/assistance
Citation and bibliography tools (also known as bibliography managers) provide many useful features to help you with your research such as storing and organizing articles, and generating citations and bibliographies in your preferred citation style.
Some helpful software tools include Mendeley, Zotero, and EndNote. Check out this guide on citation managers, or contact the Health Sciences Library to learn more about these tools.
Citation analysis
The librarians can help answer your questions related to citation analysis, including bibliometrics and altmetrics. Questions may range from locating a journal's impact factor, an author's h-index, a specific cited reference, or identifying the dissemination of an article through social media. Contact the Health Sciences Library to discuss your specific needs.
Scholarly communication is an ongoing process that involves the creation, evaluation, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge related to teaching, research, and scholarship. Altmetrics are sets of new emerging data sources that measure online social visibility of research artifacts through either lay or scholarly networks.
- Computers:
What is a research guide and why do I need to know?
The University of Ottawa Library staff has created a series of bilingual research guides full of resources and research tips to help students, faculty, and staff. Please view the Medicine Research Guide—your one-stop-shop to meet all your research needs.