Update - April 29, 2020
Dear Learners, UGME Leaders, UGME Teachers, Hospital Coordinators:
Below is the current update on UGME program activities. We will continue to send weekly updates and more frequently as needed as the situation evolves. The most recent version of this document will be available on the UGME website under Coronavirus (COVID-19) UGME Information.
Please note that all official communications regarding UGME curricular activities, cancellations, status reports, and updates will be sent by the UGME Office only.
Please note that due to rapid evolution of the situation and for efficiency purposes, communications may not always be translated.
All classes are online, students must not attend in person.
Please note cancelled items will not be rescheduled and postponed items will be reviewed at a later date or rescheduled.
During this time of uncertainty in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are worried or scared. This is a stressful time for everyone. Please take the necessary health precautions but also take care of your mental health. Reach out to friends and family and look after yourself and others. Social distancing is not equal to isolation. If you feel anxious, scared or have any other mental health concerns, please contact the Student Affairs Office by email at medsao@uottawa.ca to book an appointment with a counsellor. You can also book an appointment online at https://med.uottawa.ca/undergraduate/students/student-affairs. All appointments will be provided by telephone in order to keep everyone safe.
What’s new?
Working on implementing a process to gather feedback on experiences with virtual learning across the UGME curriculum.
Please continue to consult the UGME COVID-19 website for a summary of principles of COVID-19 contingency decision-making and a scorecard for determining ability to resume clinical teaching.
PRECLERKSHIP
Town hall:
Year 1 and Year 2: April 24 at 3 p.m.; student feedback noted they appreciated the town hall.
Integration sessions for pain in Unit IV and integration sessions in Unit 1 were very well attended and very successful.
CLERKSHIP
Year 3
Phase 1 starting May 4th
All Year 3 students will have access to all Year 3 online resources and schedules.
A Town Hall is being held on April 29, 12:00 to 13:30 to go over Phase 1 in detail and to answer
any questions.
Year 4
Working on providing continued access (beyond graduation) to all Back to Basics documents to
the MD2020 students as study resources for a potential Fall MCCQE Part 1 exam.
Update - April 23, 2020
What’s new?
Please continue to consult the UGME COVID-19 website for a summary of principles of COVID-19 contingency decision-making and a scorecard for determining ability to resume clinical teaching.
PRECLERKSHIP
The proposed dates for the Year 2 summative OSCE (MD2022) are entirely conditional upon return to class as directed by the hospitals, public health and the University.
- If the link block takes place as scheduled (August 10 to 28), the Year 2 summative OSCE will be held during the link block (August 15 or August 27 to be determined)
- If the link block is postponed beyond August, a new date will be proposed in due time.
Upcoming integrative lectures and wrap-up sessions will take place via MS Teams for Unit I and Unit IV (Integration Unit). All are pending teachers’ availability in both language streams.
Online examinations for Unit I and Unit IV (Integration Unit) will be bilingual.
Reminder: Preclerkship Town Hall - Friday, April 24 at 3 p.m.
CLERKSHIP
Year 3
Please ensure to complete ePortfolio components prior to May 4th.
Please look out for an invitation to a town hall session for Year 3 students the week of April 27, 2020. Students who require accommodations are asked to contact the Student Affairs Office as soon as possible.
Students who require technical support are asked to contact the UGME Clerkship Administrative Team as soon as possible.
Principle of return to studies – timelines and stage of implementation
- Phase 1 starting May 4th
- Options for Distributed Medical Education upon return to clinical rotations are currently being explored
Year 4
MCCQE Part 1
- Update from April 22: Exams will be taking place “in the very near future”. They will use remote proctoring. They are working on details. The MCC expects to provide more details regarding dates by the end of next week.
Convocation
- The in-person event scheduled on May 15 was previously officially cancelled.
- Virtual MD Program convocation ceremony to be held the week of June 8 (official date TBD).
- The ceremony will be broadcasted on the uOttawa website and open to public for viewing.
- We are looking into a fall celebration (date and details TBD).
Update - April 16, 2020
What’s new?
Joint Statement To All Ontario Medical Students
The well-worn phrase “we live in uncertain times” has never been more distressingly true. It’s particularly so for those of you who have had your clinical learning abruptly interrupted and are now facing uncertainty with respect to when your clinical education might resume, what it will entail, and how you will enter postgraduate training. As the individuals with responsibility for Undergraduate Medical Education at the six Ontario medical schools, we are writing to you jointly to assure you that we are very much aware of the issues you are facing and are committed to work together with many partners to develop effective and equitable solutions. Although much remains uncertain, we have come to common understandings on a number of key principles that were approved by all Ontario Deans of Medicine on April 9, 2020.
We have worked to develop common criteria that will allow Ontario schools to determine when circumstances have resolved sufficiently to allow for re-engagement in clinical rotations. These criteria have been developed from core principles: Patient Safety, Student Safety. Safety of Teaching Faculty and Health Providers, Learning Opportunities and Supervision. (Appendix A)
We have committed to review these criteria regularly and jointly to determine the earliest possible return date.
We have committed to work together to, as much as possible, coordinate clinical re- entry for all schools.
We are committed to making all efforts to ensure your anticipated entry to residency is not adversely affected by this pandemic.
We are committed to exploring new and innovative approaches to clinical learning and reconsidering long established clerkship structures that provide a full educational experience within available time and clinical learning opportunities.
We have committed to jointly consider the role of electives so that students are provided equitable opportunities and access.
We have committed to work with our postgraduate colleagues and CaRMS to ensure the postgraduate entry process properly reflects whatever revisions are required in the undergraduate experience, and ensure these are considered appropriately, fairly and openly.
Finally, although your clerkship experience will almost certainly differ substantially from that which you had all been anticipating, we want to assure you that it need not be viewed as educationally inferior. In fact, these unexpected circumstances are likely to provide novel approaches and opportunities that bring value and inform our approaches going forward. Many, such as virtual care, will be a key legacy innovation from the pandemic that each of you will use across your career. In fact, we’re already seeing this occurring.
In all this, we thank you for the forbearance and adaptability that you’re demonstrating. We take considerable pride in the numerous efforts that so many of you have undertaken to assist in the crisis in so many ways. We’re not surprised by this. The qualities that are allowing students and faculty to successfully engage this crisis are the same qualities that underlie effective patient care and were the basis for our admissions processes and our profession values.
Although not in our classrooms and hallways, you remain students in our schools. We are committed to providing you any supports you require. We encourage you to look after yourselves and each other. Our student affairs offices remain open and prepared to assist you. We will continue to communicate with you openly as we, together, engage these challenging times.
Melissa Forgie
Vice Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education University of Ottawa
Patricia Houston
Vice Dean, MD Program University of Toronto
Brian Ross
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Anthony Sanfilippo
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education Queen’s University
Gary Tithecott
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education Western University
Rob Whyte
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education McMaster University
Proposed criteria for re-engagement in clinical rotations
|
Principle |
Key considerations |
|
Patient safety |
Would the presence of students in the clinical environment jeopardize or promote optimal patient care?
|
|
Student safety |
Can students be protected from, or excluded from, excessive risk?
|
|
Safety of teaching faculty and hospital staff |
Would student placements jeopardize the safety or wellness of teaching faculty or other hospital staff?
|
|
Learning |
Can a valuable learning experience be provided?
|
|
Supervision |
Are there sufficient clinical teaching faculty available to provide student supervision?
|
1 The provision of PPE should be based on accepted and scientifically based recommendations, which may differ from local clinical site recommendations. This also ensures consistency across schools.
PRECLERKSHIP
Town hall:
Year 1 and Year 2: April 24 at 3 p.m.
Interviewing skills with simulated patients – pilot project (more information to come)
Year 1 summative OSCE (cancelled for MD 2023: course grading to be based on evaluations from PSD/DAC.
CLERKSHIP
Year 3
Phase 1:
Mandatory online learning will be provided to cover the didactic teaching material for the 4 paused rotations prior to resuming clinical activities.
Online learning to take place between May 4 to June 27.
Final plans are being reviewed this week.
Phase 2:
Clinical phase
We are working towards a July 6 tentative return to clinical duties date.
Planning of phase 2 will start mid-May.
The ability of the MD program to deliver Phase 2 is highly contingent on the status of the pandemic, availability of clinical faculty who have patient care obligations and the safety of the learning environment.
Year 4
We are working on both a virtual convocation in June (to be confirmed by central campus) and a celebration in the fall.
Update - April 8, 2020
What’s new?
Important reminder:
Rogue electives and observerships: These are strictly forbidden. They place patients, students, members of the public, members of the allied health care team and clinical faculty at risk and are in violation of University and regulatory authority guidelines, and required social distancing. Rogue electives and/or observerships are lapses in professionalism and will be managed as such for both the student and the faculty involved.
Town halls:
- Year 3 and Year 4 on April 9, 2020, at 4 p.m.
- Year 1 and Year 2 being booked for next week (date will be confirmed shortly)
PRECLERKSHIP
Unit 1 midterm exam: successful delivery of the exam (April 6) via Questionmark
Interviewing skills with simulated patients – pilot project (more information to be shared at the UCCPC meeting of April 14)
CLERKSHIP
Ongoing discussions at the provincial and national levels regarding start dates, electives and timing of CaRMS match.
For uO MD students a phased approach to resumption of Year 3 has been proposed.
Phase 1:
Mandatory online learning will be provided to cover the didactic teaching material for the 4 paused rotations prior to resuming clinical activities.
Online learning to take place between May 4 to June 27.
More details to be shared at the April 14 UCCPC meeting.
Phase 2:
We are working towards a July 6 tentative start date for clinical duties.
Planning of phase 2 will start mid-May.
The ability of the MD program to deliver Phase 2 is highly contingent on the status of the pandemic and the availability of clinical faculty who have patient care obligations.
ePortfolio: The ePortfolio program will resume as of April 14, 2020 (contingent on availability of individual clinical faculty). Students are to go ahead and start planning their meetings, finish their posts and complete their evaluations, prior to May 4. The Clerkship Academic Coordinator will be sending further information.
Year 4 Electives for MD2021
All MD2021 students are asked to postpone all Year 4 elective planning until further notice, including electives here in Ottawa. Approaching departments and individual preceptors for booking or holding electives are not permitted. We will let you know when electives can be booked.
Year 4
Students who have fulfilled the program requirements will have their degree conferred as planned. We are working on both a virtual convocation and a celebration in the fall.
Update - April 1, 2020
What’s New?
Student Affairs Office
The Student Affairs Office is offering a weekly virtual group support session with Dr. Kay-Anne Haykal and the SAO counsellors for all medical students every Wednesday morning from 11 a.m. to noon. This is an optional drop-in session to discuss any general concerns during this pandemic with the SAO. Counselling and psychotherapy will not be provided during those sessions although students can continue to book their individual counselling sessions with the counsellors. The link to those sessions is available on the SAO Facebook page as well as through your class presidents, the SAO student advisors and the Aesculapian society.
Volunteering during COVID-19 - a message from the MD program
Rogue electives and observerships:
These are strictly forbidden. They place patients, students, members of the public, members of the allied health care team and clinical faculty at risk and are in violation of University and regulatory authority guidelines, and required physical distancing. Any rogue electives and/or observerships are lapses in professionalism and will be managed as such for both the student and the faculty involved.
PRECLERKSHIP
CBL, CPM and TBL
Successful deployment of the first CPM session via MS Teams on March 30, 2020
Successful deployment of the first TBL session via MS Teams on March 31,2020
IPE MSK Day of May 20th: cancelled
SIM
Teaching material for self-learning will be available for students in Elentra
Small group sessions (Professionalism and FM) will be offered via MS Teams
Classes with patients are cancelled
CLERKSHIP
Phased approach to resumption of Year 3 has been proposed. Mandatory online learning will be provided to cover the didactic teaching material for the 4 paused rotations prior to resuming clinical activities. We are working towards a July 6th tentative start date for clinical duties. More information to come, online learning to take place after April 20th.
Ongoing elective learning resources for students to be made available through the class presidents
ePortfolio: postponed until April 20th
Pediatrics OSCE: will be postponed or modified as required
Exams: May 29, 2020 Clerkship Exam: Postponed until the resumption of clinical duties.
Year 4
Message from the Medical Council of Canada
Final year medical students who have completed or are about to complete their undergraduate training but have not yet taken the MCCQE Part I will still be able to obtain an educational license to enter residency training in Canada on 1 July 2020, provided that:
- you have an offer to start a residency position in Canada;
- the Medical Regulatory Authority has received confirmation of your graduation from the Deans Office of a Canadian medical school; and
- you understand that you must take the MCCQE Part I at the earliest opportunity.
Please monitor your physiciansapply.ca account regularly and visit mcc.ca/about/covid-19 where we will keep you updated on our decisions and where you can access FAQs for more detailed answers to your questions.
Update – March 27, 2020
PRECLERKSHIP
Details of status of individual learning activities are in Elentra
Lectures
Last year’s recordings will be provided
Teaching material will be provided if recording is not available
Any updated material will be provided
CBL, CPM and TBL
Will be via Microsoft Teams
The Tutor Guide to be released to student groups in real time if tutor is absent
Successful deployment of the first CBL session via MS Teams on March 24, 2020
DAC/PSD
All experiential learning involving patient contact is cancelled
Cliniques simulées: cancelled
Community preceptor program: cancelled
Year 1 summative OSCE, April 23, 2020: will be postponed or modified as required
Year 2 summative OSCE, May 13, 2020: will be postponed or modified as required
Mindfulness sessions: cancelled
Year 1 Community Week: cancelled
Year 2 Mandatory Clinical Week: cancelled
Students must inform their preceptor
Year 1 and Year 2 Electives:
Cancelled until the end of June (status review end of April)
Students must send email out to preceptors to cancel their electives
Community Service Learning: cancelled
uOSSC procedural skills elective: postponed
uOSSC, Year 2 SIM Harvey Sessions - April 16–20th: cancelled
Ottawa Psychiatry Enrichment Program (OPEP): cancelled
Exams: Will proceed remotely via Questionmark (details to follow)
Unit I mid-term exam of April 6, 2020 to take place via Questionmark (details to follow)
The 2020 Summer studentships program may be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The application process is open until April 6, 2020. We will keep you informed of the developments in the coming weeks
Leaving Ottawa
Students leaving Ottawa are expected to remain in full contact with the Faculty, checking email communications regularly as they are still in academic session, revisions and additions to the curriculum are ongoing and they may need to be mobilized to help with COVID-19 patient care.
CLERKSHIP
Year 3
All year 3 clinical duties cancelled since Monday, March 16, 2020
Year 3 compressed rotations to be organized when clinical rotations are able to resume
Schools in Ontario committed to July 6, 2020 as tentative date to resume clinical rotations
All year 3 didactic, small group and bedside teaching are cancelled as of March 16, 2020 through July 5, 2020.
Boot camps: cancelled
Pediatrics OSCE: will be postponed or modified as required
uOSSC Harvey Session Y3 MD program: cancelled
Core rotations in rural settings: cancelled
Impact of COVID-19 on future matches: Message from CaRMS
As we are still in the early days of an ever-evolving situation, we do not yet have a clear picture of any potential impacts the COVID-19 pandemic could have on future match cycles. We are working closely with our partners in the Canadian medical education community and will use our website carms.ca as the primary vehicle for communicating any developments as they occur.
A great many decisions are being made on an ongoing basis by governments across the country and around the world, and these decisions may have an impact on some applicants and faculties for future matches. We are staying connected to these conversations and decisions to ensure the application and match system continues to operate in a way that meets the needs of our clients, stakeholders and the wider medical education community.
Year 4 Electives for MD2021
All MD2021 students are asked to postpone all Year 4 electives planning until further notice, including electives here in Ottawa.
Year 4
Back to Basics lectures:
Recordings of last year lectures are provided
Updated presentations will also be posted on one45 when available
MCC practice tests (CDMQs and MCQs) were purchased for each student in year 4. Practice tests will be made available to year 4 students once the date of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1 has been determined. The goal is to release the practice tests closer to the date of the exam.
Ongoing learning resources for students to be made available through the class presidents
Changes to MD2020 Convocation Ceremony
Visiting Electives
Visiting electives: cancelled for medical students until September 2020
The portal was closed to all students on Friday, March 20 at 3 p.m.
All international electives: cancelled
Interest groups
All interest group activities are cancelled (SEAD, OPEP, REACT and IMED will be reviewed at the end of April)
Work-related travel is cancelled
The Faculty of Medicine has cancelled all work-related travel (e.g. academic conferences, presentations, etc.), both within and outside of Canada, for all personnel, including physicians, residents, medical students, and other learners. This decision was made in consultation with the Ottawa Hospital, and follows the same decision made at Sunnybrook and University Health Network, due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission at mass gatherings as outlined by the Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/mass-gatherings-risk-assesment.html
Personal travel
Students considering personal travel are recommended to make a careful decision as travel may be disrupted, and/or you may be required to be in quarantine upon your return.
A reminder that it is now mandatory for students and staff to register for any travel outside of Canada for official studies, research or work through the uOttawa International Travel Registry. Registration is strongly recommended for faculty members.
Taking a few moments to register your travel details will allow the University to provide you with access to alerts and travel advice from International SOS and enable us to contact you directly in the event of an emergency.
If you have questions regarding your travel insurance, please check with your insurance provider.
Clerkship students returning from travel, must notify occupational health and wellness at their receiving hospital.
Preclerkship follow instructions
Public Health:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html
Exposure
Preclerkship
A student exposed must self-isolate and follow the procedure on the Health & Safety website
https://med.uottawa.ca/undergraduate/students/student-zone/health-and-safety
Clerkship
A student exposed must self-isolate and contact occupational health at the hospital where they are placed.
If you are quarantined: a plan will be formulated for reintegration which may include but is not limited to: plan(s) of assessment, accommodation(s), remediation, repetition of curriculum elements, repetition of clinical rotations, mandated health programs and examinations.
New Emergency Fund to Students Available
The University understands that the measures that are being taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 may result in unexpected financial pressures on students. A Special Emergency Fund has been set aside that students can access for grants to assist with unexpected housing, transportation and moving costs. Students who are facing significant financial difficulties due to the pandemic are encouraged to contact loansandawards@uottawa.ca to make a request for funding.
Undergraduate Medical Education
Faculty of Medicine updates