Yukon launches its 1st-ever family medicine residency program
CBC
The Yukon is launching its first-ever medical residency program.
Starting in July, a recent medical graduate who grew up in the Yukon will become the program's first participant. The government said the new doctor was not available for an interview as she was busy preparing to start.
A family medicine residency lasts two years in Canada. The pilot program is a partnership between the Yukon Government, Yukon Medical Association, and the University of Alberta where the new doctor will also be doing a portion of their training during their residency.
The program has been championed by Whitehorse physician Dr. Julie Warren. She says the program is long overdue.
"We've certainly had, I think, a big gap for a long time in how we transition people into practice," said Warren.
She said the pilot program will help keep family doctors in the territory long term.
"Having a pathway to residency just makes it so much easier for them to be ready to work here when they're finished their training," said Warren.
Dr. Martin Tieu is the assistant program director of the family medicine residency program at the University of Alberta. He spent a few days in Whitehorse touring facilities.
He says the new resident will have access to a lot of hands-on training including "seeing patients independently with supervision, doing procedures in hospital, on oncology wards, and in delivery wards."
The resident will also take part in community-based rotations. Warren says working all over the territory is important to ensure "we develop culturally safe physicians".
She says that means incorporating a patient's culture into the way physicians care for them, so they feel heard, supported, and respected. She says this applies to all Yukoners, and in particular Indigenous patients.
"We want them to be able to look after all the people who live here, no matter where they live," said Warren.
The residency program in Yukon is modeled after a similar program started in 2020 at the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. Dr. Tieu says that program has been a big success.
"[Participants] always report back excellent evaluations, excellent exit interviews, they're just having a really, really good experience embedded in that community," said Tieu.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is investigating a shooting in St. John's on New Year's Day.
A former employee of the Millbrook First Nation has been sentenced to 4½ years in federal prison.
Jury selection begins today in Moncton for the trial of a 29-year-old accused of killing a Dieppe couple in 2019.
The Société de transport de Montréal and the union representing 800 professional workers have reached a tentative deal after more than a year of negotiations.
Mother Nature will be bringing Saskatchewan some warmer winter temperatures for the new year.
The leader of a rival party to Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservatives says they're scrambling to organize on the chance Smith tries to undercut them by calling a spring election.
An Air India pilot was arrested at Vancouver International Airport last week as he was preparing for a flight, with Transport Canada warning the airline that it could lose its flight authorizations if it did not comply with rules about alcohol consumption.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling Calgary's second catastrophic break of the same feeder main in less than two years a failure of oversight, and says it might be time for the province to step in and take some responsibility for supervising the city's water system.
A child is in critical condition after a residential fire in Markham, Ont., on Friday, York Regional Police say.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is calling Calgary's second catastrophic break of the same feeder main in less than two years a failure of oversight, and says it might be time for the province to step in and take some responsibility for supervising the city's water system.
A dog has died and a male pedestrian taken to hospital after being struck by a vehicle in downtown Toronto on Friday, said police.
An electrical issue caused the apartment fire in Charlottetown nearly a week ago, according to the city's police service.
This week's water main break came just as Shawn Kearns was already closing up shop at Greenbriar Market and Refillery on Bowness Road at the end of the December — and the timing did bring a sense of relief.