Osler Education’s Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine program provides graduate medical doctors with the most up to date and relevant knowledge and experience in Family Medicine. This postgraduate program will provide doctors with medical knowledge and skills for common health issues that family medicine doctors encounter today. Students will gain further knowledge in the most key areas of family medicine including principles, practices, and processes. Students will feel confident and proficient in family medicine upon completion of this clinical-based postgraduate diploma program. This is a professional development program, which will allow International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to update their knowledge & get patient exposure to become competitive applicants for medical residency positions.
Direct exposure to patient care with qualified preceptors at renown teachings sites
Attain personalized letters of recommendation and end of placement evaluations
US/Canadian clinical experience
Establish relationships by working with department chairpersons, program directors, existing residents & fellows.
The family medicine component includes building upon the principles of Family Medicine. This includes learning and focusing on practical application principles through in-patient and out-patient practice. Students will gain further understanding of diseases, the concepts of health and disease, influence of society on disease as well as patient centered medicine. During this time the student is exposed to patients with many common and occasionally rarer health problems. This allows students to build upon patient history taking techniques as well as the proper format to compile an accurately written patient note. Throughout the placement, the student should gain knowledge on how to treat and/or prevent commonly occurring health problems including hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, smoking etc. It is important to obtain sufficient patient-physician interaction skills. When applicable, each case should be professionally presented to fellow team physicians. By the end of the placement, students should be familiar with how to formulate a differential diagnosis, the most commonly used medications as well as most common tests/labs to be ordered for the patient’s condition (next step in management).
The psychiatry component reviews biological, psychosocial, and social-cultural psychiatric disorders. Students will build upon understandings of mental illness and its relation to the brain, issues in drug dependence, cultural psychiatry and management strategies. Students will practice completing a psychiatric diagnostic work-up. The student will also learn the psychiatric concepts, attitudes and skills that will be useful to all physician-patient relationships. Students will build upon and learn new tools used in psychiatric evaluations. Experiencing direct and indirect patient contact, the student will be able to understand how to elicit, organize, and perform a full diagnostic psychiatric evaluation inclusive of a comprehensive mental status exam. The student will acquire further knowledge of common Psychiatric disorders and their treatments to able to formulate a differential diagnosis, a diagnostic workup with a plan of management.
The objectives of the pediatrics component are to teach students to learn new developments in newborn, child and adolescent medicine. Students will gain knowledge regarding autism spectrum disorders, management of depression in children, vaccinations and communicating their importance to parents. Students will elicit a thorough history from patient and/or parent and become familiar with each age- appropriate examination and development assessment. Students will learn common consultation practices and topics to cover for each age milestone. Pediatrics emphasizes the care of newborns, infants, children, and adolescents. Normal and abnormal growth and development are stressed. Students are involved in the care of inpatients from admission to discharge and, if possible, in the follow-up clinics. The emergency department, well-baby clinic, outpatient departments, and intensive care units provide additional experience.
The goals of the obstetrics & gynecology component are to provide the student with experience in the management of normal and pathological changes that occur during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and the puerperium. These include controlling preterm labour, managing hypertension & diabetes in pregnancy, infections during pregnancy as well as postpartum depression. Students will also gain knowledge and experience towards counselling patients trying to conceive and first-time parents. The principles and practice of family planning as well as public health aspects related to sexually transmitted disease, cancer detection, and education in human sexuality. Students will be able to take a thorough gynecological history and physical examination.
The internal medicine component teaches the students a logical approach to patients and their problems. Students will build upon knowledge from each component of disease including management of acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, diabetes and its complications, asthma and COPD, when to order a consult, current prophylaxis and management of common disorders, etc. Students will take information from a presenting or chief complaint, through a comprehensive history and physical examination, to then formulate a differential diagnosis. As such, internal medicine forms the cornerstone of study in the clinical terms, regardless of the students’ future interests. Internal medicine is designed to expose the student to a wide variety of complex medical problems. The student is expected to elicit and assess information obtained from the patient; observe the appropriate way a competent physical examination is conducted; to draw up a problem; to construct a differential diagnosis list and discuss the order of probability; and to discuss an appropriate plan of action in terms of diagnostic therapies and patient education.
Students will be able to select one choice placement from the below:
The objective of the Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine is to facilitate the successful integration of highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced internationally trained medical graduates into the family medicine practice healthcare system in USA or Canada.
The Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine is a professional development program where students will undergo 36- weeks of clinical placements (3 semesters) to achieve more exposure and understanding in the practice of family medicine in the US or Canadian healthcare system.
This program is specifically designed for international medical graduates looking to achieve more exposure in the practice of family medicine in the US or Canadian healthcare system. This program does not indicate certification or licensure to practice medicine. Individuals should refer to their local legislative requirements to attain licensure to practice medicine.
Completed application form
Official transcript(s) from a World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) recognized medical school
Color photograph of the applicant
Resume or Personal Statement. A personal statement is summary of the students’ interests, goals, personal attributes, etc. that can classify the student as a suitable candidate for the program of their interest. Please limit personal statements to 500 words.
Proof of completion of Medical Council of Canada (MCC) or United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE); if applicable.
Proof of English proficiency (IELTS – 6.0 or better); if applicable.
Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a Student Performance Evaluation (Dean’s letter) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine.
This program is available through distance education (online) with practicums offered at various affiliated medical centers/hospitals.
