The UBC Family Practice (FP) Residency Program located in the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Secwepemc Nation, welcomed the first 6 Family Practice Residents to RIH in 2014.
Upon completion of medical school, physicians licensed in Canada must complete a residency program in the specialty of their choice before independent medical practice. The UBC FP program in Kamloops provides physicians the opportunity to complete a 2-year Family Practice Residency, based upon national standards set by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Family Medicine is a generalist profession. The training includes knowledge and competencies across the lifespan and across settings, including community based practice, in hospital care, maternity care, emergency, long-term care, mental health, and palliative care.
UBC chose Kamloops when it expanded its Family Medicine resident-training program in the province for several reasons. One important one was the fantastic and engaged medical staff who tirelessly worked with UBC to build the training site. There was also broad support from many people and organizations, including Interior Health, The Thompson Region Division of Family Practice, (TRDoFP ) and the RIH Foundation. RIH, as a tertiary hospital, is ideal for training, giving students and residents access to a wide-range of medical specialties. In addition, the relatively low number of students, compared to large urban hospitals, means students get individual, interest-specific training and practice.
As well as hospital and community family practice experience, residents also gain knowledge and first-hand practice in the Family Practice Learning Centre, part of BC’s first Urgent Primary Care and Learning Centre (UPCLC), also located at RIH. Established in 2018, the partnership between UBC, Interior Health, and the Thompson Region Division of Family Practice gives resident doctors the chance to work with eight experienced physicians in a Family Medicine practice academic teaching environment. This complements the exceptional training family physicians across the region are providing in offices, the hospital, Long Term Care, and the surrounding rural communities. The hope is that the residents will ultimately decide to stay in Kamloops, and that patients at the FP Centre who are looking for a family doctor can move with the new doctor when he/she/they establish their practice. Community family physicians will also have young colleagues join as experienced physicians plan for later career transitions.
Dr. Selena Lawrie, Clinical Instructor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Family Practice and Director explains,“It is with great gratitude that I thank the UBC, RIH, IH, the TRDoFP and general Kamloops and Secwepemc communities for supporting our UBC FP Residency Program. We have a strong site that trains family physicians well. The program in Kamloops is sought after because of the fantastic teaching and supports our community provides. This collegial environment has resulted in a retention rate exceeding 50%, which is above the average for most training sites across Canada. This has helped build on access to high quality family practice care in Kamloops from the urgent care, ER, maternity care, in hospital care, to the community, long term care and hospice, as we strive to provide access for every person in Kamloops. Kukwstsétsemc”.
