PGY-1 Chief Tips
This can also be found in your resident dfm e-mail and is placed here with permission. These are directed for KTI PGY-1s nearing the completion of their first year.
1) Portfolio - It is in your best interest to get all of the modules complete in PGY-1, as you will NOT want to be doing this while studying for your CCFP exam and LMCC next year... Also, before you leave QFHT, organize your final PGY1 AA meeting.
2) LMCC Part 2 and CFPC Exam - It is my strong recommendation that you apply to write for the LMCC Part 2 in the fall rather than spring (congrats to those who are writing this May). Next April, not only will you be preparing for the CFPC exam, but there are also Queen's OSCEs and Research Day that you will be worrying about. Also, you MUST become a CFPC resident member in PGY-2 in order to get alerts for the CFPC exam sign up day and register for the exam (http://www.cfpc.ca/becomeamember/). The fee is $100. This also gives you access to useful CFPC Self-Learning modules that includes practice SAMPs.
3) Call stipends - Please ensure that they are submitted within 30 days of the block ending (KGH has asked us to remind you of this - if not submitted within this time frame, you risk not being compensated for your shifts). Also, please do not submit them early as we are not able to submit them before the block ends. 4) QI Projects - Down to the final stretch! You may not appreciate the project very much now, but I promise you that the tools and leadership skills you develop from this project will pay dividends in your future career. I encourage you to submit a poster for FMF of your group's QI project. I did this last year and it was very easy and rewarding - feel free to ask any questions if you have them.
5) Time-off requests - During PGY2, you will be dealing with different people for schedule with every rotation. Although they get reminders about academic days etc., they may not always be aware that you have a CCFP/LMCC exam coming up, or that you need to travel REALLY far to get to your next rotation. Even if it's months away, ask for the time off you need in advance, and keep in mind that not everyone can take time-off a rotation at the same time to study for exam - so there may be some first-come first-serve issues.
6) New KTI Co-Chiefs - Congratulations to Hao and Supreet! They will be your new representatives moving forward. Alex and I will be responsible for your scheduling until the end of PGY-1, but feel free to email this address with any other questions and call stipends for Hao and Supreet.
7) Transition to PGY2 - a few tips from the other side...
- Schedules and electives: One of the big topics to consider is what electives should I do? There is no definite answer, and this will depend on numerous factors. The large ones include whether you intend on pursuing a PGY3, broad-spectrum family practice, or have self-identified deficits in your residency training.
To help, we have re-created our electives database this year. Please see the Queen's FM Electives Database. It is far from comprehensive or complete. However, we hope it can give you some insight into what residents in the past have done, and what electives you can consider that may not necessarily be within Queen's DFM domain.
- Community: One thing to celebrate as you end your time at QFHT is all the people you have met. You have probably heard or been told that one of the big changes from PGY1 to PGY2 is how it may feel like all your peers and friends suddenly disappear. You will be going from essentially seeing your co-residents almost every day to almost a few times every few months. Rest assured, you will still see lots of your co-residents throughout PGY2, but stuff like Trivia Night and big social gatherings will be much more difficult.
With that said, make sure you spend time and enjoy the rest of your time at QFHT and these last few blocks before your final year of residency! As always, please reach out if you are experiencing any difficulty with the transition.
