River Valley Health Family Medicine Teaching Unit

Established in 1994 after seven years of planning, the region's Family Medicine Teaching program is an integrated two-year training program in Family Medicine associated with the Dalhousie University Department of Family Medicine. The goal of the program is to prepare residents to be family physicians who are skilled clinicians with excellent doctor/patient relationships. Further, these family physicians should be able to utilize community resources and act as a resource to their practice in terms of management skills, while incorporating appropriate health screening measures and patient education.

The program is structured to provide broad-based clinical experience. This includes office settings, emergency department, hospital admission and inpatient care, discharge planning and follow-up, as well as obstetrical experience and exposure to specialties and sub-specialties. The response to the program by the staff of the region has been tremendous. Nine Fredericton family physicians have taken residents into their practices. These residents are a welcome and valued addition to the practice. Learning experiences are also arranged in Radiology, Ophthalmology, ENT, Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Urology, Anesthesia, ICU, Palliative Care, Oncology, Dermatology, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Allied Health. The cooperation of all these groups provides an excellent, well-rounded experience for the region based residents.

During the second year, emphasis is placed on continuing evaluation and identification of specific training needs. Residents are given increased responsibility as their confidence and competence increase. Community family practices are arranged in rural areas or small towns associated with the region's unit and located within New Brunswick.