McMaster KW & Area Family Medicine Residency Program

Click here for our presentation from CaRMS 2021

The Centre for Family Medicine in downtown Kitchener.  A trending neighbourhood and business centre, as well as the location of all academic programs, multiple specialty clinics, and the home base of many of our primary preceptors in family medicine.

“The greater KW Region is a thriving area that I have enjoyed becoming a part of. Beyond the larger community and medical facilities, what has really sets the program here apart is the support – whether its day-to-day administrative support, or more tailored modifications of your blocks to suit your career goals, the medical and administrative staff here have done everything they can to enrich my Residency experience.” – Ben Dean, R1

Schedule

All rotations are conducted within the Waterloo Regional Campus area which incorporates Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Wellesley and surrounding communities. Second year electives and core two block rural rotations may be conducted further afield if desired.

“CFFM Victoria St really is a home away from home! The collegial learning environment is simply outstanding! From the nurses, front desk staff, preceptors and patients, it really is a wonderful place to learn, grow, and also have fun! You can turn to anyone for help knowing that you will be well supported in all that you need. There is no place like it, and I am very fortunate to call this my home residency site for two years!” -Anna Culjak, R1

Home Bases

Each year, residents conduct 16 weeks of full-time family medicine at their home base site (see the map and links below for information about each site) and return for weekly continuity clinics the rest of their 2 years of residency.

Following the CaRMS match, our admin staff take great care to help residents match to each site through an internal matching process.

• Guelph FHT
• CFFM – Wellesley
• CFFM – Kitchener & Waterloo
• Waterloo West Medical
• New Vision FHT, Kitchener
• Two Rivers FHT, Cambridge
• Andrew St. Family Health, Kitchener

Hospitals

Grand River Hospital – Kitchener
St. Mary’s Hospital– Kitchener
Guelph General Hospital – Guelph
Cambridge Memorial Hospital – Cambridge

For more information about living and working in these communities, click here

Unique Learning Opportunities

Integrated – Faculty are dedicated to providing excellent clinical experiences to residents within a new curriculum that emphasizes an integrated focus on primary care.

Electives
Local block and horizontal electives are available in a wide range of areas including, but not limited to: Sports Medicine, Oncology, Public Health, Student Health, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia, Orthopedics, Refugee Health Clinic, Psychiatric Outreach, Memory Clinic, Anticoagulation Clinic, and Medical Student Clinical Skills Teaching.

Specialty clinics
A chance to explore other areas of interest throughout your residency! Opportunities include anticoagulation clinic, supportive care, pain management, travel medicine, psychiatry, GP-anesthesia, and more!

“CFFM is a very friendly environment where residents, physicians and nurses are constantly joking around with each other. The Education Team staff are exceptional and have gone out of their way to make CFFM feel like home, especially during a year that has been quite isolating (during the COVID-19 pandemic). This was my first choice residency site and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.” -Yashoda Valliere, R1

Our Team

Special interests of the KW faculty include:

• eHealth
• Dementia and MCI
• Global Health
• Travel & Immunization
• Full care Family Med OB
• Innovations in Interprofessional Care Models
• Mobility Clinic for people with severe physical challenges
• LGBTQ Health

Contact us

Site Director: Dr. Marc Sawyer
Admin Contact:
Heidi Hallman
Site Associate

If you would like more information about the KW and Area Program or would like to contact a KW resident, please email hallmanh@mcmaster.ca

If you would like more information about other teaching sites at McMaster click here, or here for information about applying to residency at McMaster.