Graduates of the PGY3 year in Addiction Medicine can serve as a resource to their community as clinicians, teachers and researchers in addiction medicine. 

Once successfully completed, residents will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) in Family Practice Addiction Medicine (AM).

The Addiction Medicine Residency Program adheres to CanMEDS-FM goals and objectives to achieve the following competencies:

1. Medical Expert

2. Communicator

3. Collaborator

4. Manager

5. Scholar

6. Health Advocate

7. Professional

For complete details, please read the Addiction Medicine Program Goals and Objectives. 

Experiential Core Curriculum will include:

1. Outpatient experience including intensive outpatient treatment or day treatment programs, addiction medicine consult services in an ambulatory setting, pharmacotherapy, and/or other medical services where the resident provides patient assessment, counselling, treatment planning and co-ordination with other outpatient services. (examples: Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinic (RAAM; The Royal), Concurrent Disorders Unit (CDU-V) Virtual Day program (the Royal), Transitional Aged Youth Service (the Royal), Oasis (Sandy Hill Community Health Centre), other community settings including pediatrics addiction medicine)
2. Inpatient experiences including medical withdrawal management, hospital based rehabilitation programs, and consultation services in acute care hospitals. (examples: ASU Medical Withdrawal Management (the Royal), Concurrent Disorders Bed-based Service (the Royal), The Substance Use Program (SUP) Inpatient Consult Service (The Ottawa Hospital), CHEO Substance Use Consult Service)
3. Longitudinal rotations devoted to providing continuity care to a roster of patients who have a substance use disorder. (examples: University of Ottawa Health Services, Transitional aged youth service (Royal),Regional Opioid Intervention Service (Royal), Oasis (Sandy Hill Community Health Centre))

Elective Options (including longitudinal) may include: Pain Medicine, Infectious Disease, Public Health, Hepatology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Rural Addiction Medicine, Pediatric/Youth Addiction Medicine, scholarly activities, policy activities and other community experiences.

*note: all residents will have a half day back of family medicine in a practice of their choice for the duration of the 1 year

More detailed information about rotations/services can be obtained by contacting Dr. Melanie Willows. ([email protected])

All residents will have the opportunity to complete a scholarly project and will be connected with supports depending on their interests (i.e. research, policy development, education etc)

• Training for Opioid Agonist Treatment prescribing: methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone and alternatives including Slow Release Oral Morphine (SROM) and Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment (IOAT) where appropriate.

• Provide consultation to primary care providers in the community

• Work in interdisciplinary teams

• Assess and treat comorbid mental health problems

• Training in harm reduction, and motivational interviewing

• Opportunity for training in leading groups using cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy and motivational communication.

• Participate in didactic teaching 

• Completion of a QI or other scholarly project.

• Medical administration and leadership opportunities, including teaching more junior learners.

• Attend addiction medicine and related disciplines academic rounds and conferences 

Your time in the program will be evaluated using standardized forms available through the Department of Family Medicine’s one45 system. Field notes allow us to collect direct observation evaluations.  Residents will also meet with the Program Director regularly throughout the residency period.

Consult the CaRMS website for timelines, program descriptions and application instructions for the Family Medicine / Enhanced Skills Match.