The University of Ottawa's MD program is built on a dynamic, three-pillar structure that integrates basic sciences (Foundational Sciences Pillar), Clinical sciences and skills (Clinical Sciences Pillar) and health systems and humanities (Medicine and Society Pillar). These pillars are interwoven longitudinally throughout the curriculum, ensuring a comprehensive and holistic approach to medical education. The Foundational Sciences Pillar provides a rigorous base in basic sciences, emphasizing scientific rigor and critical thinking. The Clinical Sciences Pillar focuses on the seamless application of foundational knowledge to clinical practice through interdisciplinary, hands-on, technology-enhanced skill development and clinical reasoning training. Finally, the Medicine and Society Pillar fosters an understanding of health equity, cultural safety, social accountability, and the humanistic aspects of medicine. This integrated framework prepares future physicians to deliver compassionate, evidence-informed care in diverse and evolving healthcare contexts.

Curriculum Management

Curriculum Management consists of coordinating and managing all aspects related to the MD Program curriculum maintenance activities, including revision and production of learning modules, management of curriculum objectives and copyrights. For any questions concerning curriculum management, please contact the Curriculum Coordinator.

CC

The Curriculum Committee (CC) is a subcommittee of the Undergraduate Executive Committee (UGEC) with the responsibility to conduct timely and systematic reviews, revise the content and evaluate the curriculum’s structure and intended outcomes to ensure it is current, coherent, coordinated, and fulfills the Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) program objectives of the Faculty of Medicine. For more details on the CC please refer to our Governance page.  Please click on the following links to obtain more information on the meeting dates, agendas, and the template for briefing notes.

Change Requests

The AEC office is responsible to manage all curricular content and is the only entity able to properly assess and support change requests and determine the impact any new or modifications to existing content may have on the existing curriculum design, content, and established learning objectives.

Note that all proposals for curricular change including new or revised content, format, educational design, and sequencing must be approved by the Curriculum Content Review Committee (CCRC).

If you desire to learn more about the change requests process, please consult the following two documents:

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There are three types of changes that could be reviewed and approved:

  1. Minor changes are changes that do not impact the education purpose, design, or evaluation of an existing learning activity. These changes require a timeline of one to three months of process.
  2. Moderate changes are impacting the education purpose, design, or evaluation of an existing learning activity/unit/courses/rotations or proposals to add new learning activities within a unit or rotation. These changes require a timeline of three to six months of process.
  3. Major changes impact the MD program objectives; the addition, revision or elimination of course codes; or proposed changes to the educational design of the MD Program.  These changes require a timeline of six to twelve months of process.

Please contact the Curriculum Coordinator for any questions and/or requests for changes.

Learning Objectives Management

The MD Program learning objectives are managed by the AEC office. This includes the creation of new objectives, the revision of existing objectives as well as the retirement of learning objectives that have become obsolete. Note that any proposal for changes to learning objectives must be approved by CCRC.