Postgraduate Electives | School of Medicine

COVID-19 UPDATE:

Electives are available at Queen’s University provided you have the approval of the home and receiving schools' Program Directors. Access to the hospital is determined by the hospital and can change at any time. An attestation as to your completed COVID-19 vaccination status must be provided in your letter of good standing by your home Program Director. If you are not completely vaccinated in accordance with Health Canada’s approved vaccinations or do not have a medical exemption, your elective request will be denied. A medical exemption will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and your elective request may be denied

The Postgraduate Medical Education Office (PGME) at Queen's University welcomes medical trainees who require a short-term training experience to complete a required component of their home program.

For trainees within Canada, elective training would not normally exceed 6 months.

For international trainees (including US), elective training cannot exceed 6 months in accordance with the rules and regulations of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

Please select the category below that best describes your situation:

Queen's Trainees seeking external electives

Important Information:

Off-Campus Safety Planning (OCASP)

It is a requirement from the Office of Risk and Safety Services that the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) be informed of mandatory and elective rotations outside of the home catchment area.

For domestic experiences (e.g., anything within Canada), the PGME Office will provide this information directly to EHS based on the rotation schedule in Elentra. This means that individual trainees will not be required to fill out the Off-Campus Safety Planning Record for low-risk activities.

If your activity may be high-risk (e.g., somewhere very remote in Canada), please contact pgme@queensu.ca to confirm if you need to complete the START tool in OCASP.

Process for Domestic Elective Experiences

You are responsible to contact the host institution and follow their policies and procedures for requesting an elective.
Please ensure your program administrator is aware of your elective and where it will be and that it is updated in the schedule.

Important information for domestic elective experiences

A CPSO license is only valid in Ontario.
Trainees are responsible for ensuring they have received appropriate licensure in the province where they will be completing the elective.
CMPA coverage is applicable within Canada. Of note:

CMPA mandates that trainees contact them directly to notify them of any changes.
Residents must notify the CMPA if they plan to complete an elective outside of Ontario including the dates and exact location.

Process for International Experiences (anywhere outside of Canada, including the US)

You must complete an OCASP submission using the START tool.
You must complete this Sanctioned Activity Waiver Form
You must have the host institution complete this Host Institution Letter. NB: you have to enter your program information into this letter for the host institution.
Save the two forms as one PDF and upload to the START tool.
Forward the PDF with the two forms to your Program Director/Program Administrator
Your Program Director must submit a letter approving your international elective, including the dates and location, at least three-months in advance of the elective.

Important Information for international electives:

Liability and Licensure

trainees are responsible for obtaining the appropriate medical licensure and malpractice coverage for the location where they will be completing the elective.
Your CMPA coverage is not valid outside of Canada. If you do not have the appropriate coverage, you MUST not practice clinically.
Your CPSO license does not extend outside of Ontario. If you do not have the appropriate licensure where you are going, you MUST not practice clinically.
You are responsible to confirm the requirements of the host institution and that you have organized the appropriate medical and legal coverage.
Trainees are strongly encouraged to communicate with the accepting institution in writing or by email. Trainees should maintain this information for their records should there be a dispute regarding the lack of coverage or inappropriate coverage. Any disputes or legal implications will be the responsibility of the trainees to resolve with the accepting institution. Trainees will be financially responsible for any legal fees incurred.

Trainees from other Ontario universities

At a minimum, two (2) months-notice is required to schedule an elective. Failure to complete the application two months in advance may delay your start or result in the elective being declined.

An elective will not normally exceed six (6) months.

Process:

Contact the program to request an elective opportunity
Submit one email to barrosol@queensu.ca with the following attachments:
1. A letter from the receiving program director including the dates, preceptor/supervisor name(s), location of the elective and their approval.
2. A letter of good standing from the home program:
  1. with an attestation confirming COVID vaccination and/or medical exemption (do not submit any records or health information)
  2. Start and end dates of the elective
  3. Current training level during elective and program
  4. You are not on probation or suspended
  5. That the elective is part of your training program
  6. That funding for your salary and any WSIB coverage will continue from your home institution.
3. Proof of membership with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (or equivalent malpractice insurance)
4. Proof of valid CPSO certificate for postgraduate education or independent license
5. Date of Birth
6. Home university student number
Confirmation to start the elective will be provided by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office, Queen's University by email to the applicant.

Trainees based in Canada, excluding Ontario

If you are an internationally sponsored trainee, please contact the PGME Registration Coordinator before starting your application because there are addition requirements, and we may need more time to process the request. (e.g., work permit)

At a minimum you will need to start your application at least four (4) months in advance this includes time to produce the Letter of Appointment from Queen’s University that you will need to initiate your application to the CPSO. Failure to complete the application four months in advance may delay your start or result in the elective being declined. An elective shouldn’t exceed six-months.

Process:

Contact the program or appropriate elective agency (e.g., ROMP) to request an elective opportunity
1. If the elective is not based at an academic health sciences centre, and not under the direct supervision of an accredited program, the supervising preceptor must have a Queen’s adjunct appointment.
Submit one email to barrosol@queensu.ca with the following attachments:
1. A letter from the receiving program director/or supervisor including the dates, preceptor/supervisor name(s), adjunct appointment status (if applicable), location of the elective and their approval.
2. A letter of good standing from the home program:
  1. with an attestation confirming COVID vaccination and/or medical exemption (do not submit any records or health information)
  2. Start and end dates of the elective
  3. Current training level at time of elective and program
  4. You are not on probation or suspended
  5. That the elective is part of your training program
  6. That funding for your salary and any workplace injury insurance coverage will continue from your home institution
3. Proof of membership with the Canadian Medical Protective Association (or equivalent malpractice insurance)
4. Copy of medical degree
5. If applicable, a copy of your work permit
6. Home university student number

The PGME Office will issue the Letter of Appointment

Sumit application to the CPSO
1. Send AP# to barrosol@queensu.ca along with date of birth

Confirmation to start the elective will be provided by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office, Queen's University by email to the applicant.

International Trainees (includes US) - requiring a Canadian work permit

At a minimum, 6 months notice prior to the elective start date should be provided for the PGME Office to issue a Letter of Appointment. This must be coordinated before contacting the CPSO to apply for a certificate of registration.

It takes approximately 4-6 months to complete the CPSO application process. An elective cannot exceed six-months

Basic Eligibility for medical license through the CPSO:

Be currently enrolled in a residency or fellowship program.
Have completed at least two years of training in the discipline in which you are seeking an elective (one year for Family Medicine electives)
Use English as the language of patient care in your current training program

Please begin the process below if you meet the above 3 basic eligibility requirements. More information on CPSO requirements can be found in section 5.

Process:

Contact the program or appropriate elective agency (e.g., ROMP) to request an elective opportunity
1. If the elective is not based at an academic health sciences centre, and not under the direct supervision of an accredited program, the supervising preceptor must have a Queen’s adjunct appointment.

Submit one email to barrosol@queensu.ca with the following attachments:
1. A letter from the receiving program director/or supervisor including the dates, preceptor/supervisor name(s), adjunct appointment status (if applicable), location of the elective and their approval.
2. A letter of good standing from the home program:
  1. with an attestation confirming COVID vaccination and/or medical exemption (do not submit any records or health information)
  2. Start and end dates of the elective
  3. Current training level, program and anticipated end date of your training
  4. You are not on probation or suspended
  5. That the elective is part of your training program
  6. The primary language used for patient care in your training program
  7. That funding for your salary and any workplace injury insurance coverage will continue from your home institution
3. Copy of medical degree
4. Up to date curriculum vitae
5. Proof of citizenship
6. Evidence of full funding support (salary, workplace injury insurance) from the funding institution for the duration of the elective.
7. Home university student number

The PGME Office will advise you when to pay the $750 registration fee. This includes a $500 non-refundable deposit.

Once the payment is received the PGME Office will issue the Letter of Appointment.

Apply for CPSO License:

In order to complete an elective at Queen’s University, candidates must be eligible for licensure by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), the body that regulates the practice of medicine in the province of Ontario.

It is the responsibility of the trainee to contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) for a license application package and to ensure that all the licensing requirements are met prior to the elective period. Contact with the College should be made at least 4 months prior to the elective.

Send CPSO AP# to barrosol@queensu.ca

All international elective trainees (excluding US trainees) must successfully complete a two-week Pre-Entry Assessment Program (PEAP). The PEAP will be conducted by your elective supervisor when you start your elective appointment, it does not occur separately from your regular elective training. This time is clearly marked in your letter of appointment.

Trainees who are not Canadian citizens and/or permanent residents of Canada must have a work permit that is valid for the duration of their elective. The PGME Office will provide the elective appointee with information on how to apply for a work permit by providing an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Canada (IRCC) approved “Letter of Employment” that will enable the appointee to apply for the appropriate work permit.

NB: IRCC requires the “Letter of Employment” to confirm that the foreign national is being remunerated at a rate commensurate with that of a Canadian performing the same duties in the same location of work. Elective trainees must have funding for their elective rotation that meets the requirements of the scale of remuneration of the PARO-OTH Agreement as noted on the letter from their home program under section 2, b.

After submitting the above documentation for your elective and applying to the CPSO, trainees must apply for coverage under the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). CMPA coverage is mandatory for all Queen’s University trainees and is required before beginning the elective. Contact the CMPA at 1-800-267-6522 or http://www.cmpa-acpm.ca

Confirmation to start the elective will be provided by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office, Queen's University by email to the applicant.