The goal of the Portfolio on core competencies is to provide a framework for students to reflect upon and integrate each of the 8 roles of the undergraduate medical curriculum at University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine :

The Portfolio on core competencies is a mandatory component of the undergraduate medical curriculum and spans the 4 years of the program. Small groups of students and their coaches meet together at least twice a year, with ongoing dialogue facilitated through the ePortfolio website. The objectives of these dialogues are:

• To foster collegial conversations;
• To obtain formative feedback from peers;
• To share personal experiences, difficulties, or successes with others in a safe, non-judgmental, and non-punitive setting;
• To reflect on the impact personal values and experiences have on professional behaviour and perceptions;
• To develop a lifelong habit of giving and receiving professional support and effective feedback;
• To learn to problem-solve difficult ethical or professional experiences using peer feedback and collegial conversations;
• To become more conscious of one’s own professional values and how these may affect a collegial situation;
• To become more aware of others as colleagues and sources of support, dialogue, and feedback;
• To become an independent learner and one’s own critic.

For the 2028 class, the dates for the compulsory meetings in year 1 are:

• Introduction to ePortfolio: Thursday, September 5, 2024 from 9:30 to 10:20 am – in person to meet your group.
• Progress meeting 1: Monday, November 11, 2024 from 1:30 to 3:20 pm - Virtual
• Progress meeting 2: Monday, March 3, 2025 from 1:30 to 3:20 pm - Virtual

Important Notes

• Each coach is assigned a group of 6-8 students for the 4 years of the MD curriculum.
• The introduction to ePortfolio session is considered mandatory for all coaches and students
• The date and time of the September Introductory meeting cannot be changed.

• 2 mandatory meetings between students and coaches are scheduled each year.
• The Undergraduate Medical Education Office schedules the meetings according to the students’ schedule, and can assist individual groups in making their own arrangements should they so choose.
• Each group meeting should be scheduled for 1.5-2 hours.
• In-between the two mandatory meetings, groups are free to meet if they so wish.
• During the meetings, each student shares one ePortfolio post for one role, and the coach facilitates discussion.
• The coach completes a progress evaluation for each student after the meeting through the Elentra evaluation system.
• Each student must submit a complete midpoint ePortfolio after second year and a final ePortfolio at the end of fourth year.

Coaches are provided with a $1000/annum honorarium based on an estimated time obligation of 10 to 20 hours per year for their commitment to this program, which includes:

• Reviewing the online orientation module
• Facilitating the compulsory meetings
• Reviewing the ePortfolio posts the students choose to share and providing feedback
• Completing the student evaluations
• Participating in regular Faculty Development sessions for coaches throughout the year

All coaches are recognized at the end of the year by a letter from the Vice Dean, and an award for “Best Coach of the Year” is presented in each language stream at the end of the year.

Coaches must have substantial clinical experience in the Canadian health care system and have, or be willing to seek and obtain, an appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.