PRAMB-FP: the Practice Ready Assessment in family medicine in Manitoba

The Practice Ready Assessment Manitoba – Family Practice (PRAMB-FP) program is designed for family physicians seeking accelerated licensure in Manitoba. Upon successful completion of the program, you will work as a family physician in rural, underserviced areas of Manitoba, fulfilling a return of service requirement.

All candidates attend a mandatory two-week orientation, then the Clinical Field Assessment: three 4-week blocks, each at a different assessment site in Winnipeg or a rural community in Manitoba. The areas assessed include clinic-based family practice, emergency medicine, hospitalist medicine, urgent care and personal care home practice.

Housing is arranged and provided for the assessment period, with a salary and a travel stipend between the three sites. Passing the assessment does not result in automatic licensure.

• Citizenship or permanent residency is listed as a requirement for the separate MLPIMG training program, but not for PRAMB-FP. Separately, preference is given to established residents of Manitoba, meaning people already living in Manitoba; this is about where you live, not permanent residence (University of Manitoba IMG Programs).

• You must pass one of these Medical Council of Canada examinations: the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination or the MCCQE Part II

• Pass the Therapeutics Decision-Making (TDM) Examination if nominated: top-ranked candidates are nominated to sit it

• Family medicine training, one of:

  • Option 1: Satisfactory completion of two years of postgraduate clinical training in family medicine (rotations in general medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology) that is accredited with a national postgraduate training authority at the time training was taken.

  • Option 2: Satisfactory completion of one year of postgraduate clinical training in family medicine (rotations in general medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology) and have a total of at least three years of practice experience in family medicine in the preceding five-year period.

Currency in practice:

• You must provide evidence of currency in practice

• You must have a minimum of three years of independent clinical practice as a general or family practitioner

• This practice must have occurred within the five years immediately preceding the application deadline

• Applicants without general or family practice training and/or experience will not be considered

Credentials:

• Hold a medical degree from a nationally approved faculty of medicine or a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from a school in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.

• Establish one of the following are met:

• Confirmation by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) of eligibility for certification by:

  • Successful completion of a family medicine program in Canada

  • Successful completion of a family medicine program in an approved jurisdiction recognized by CFPC

• Hold certification in family medicine from the Collège des médecins du Québec

• Hold certification from the American Board of Family Medicine

• Satisfactorily completed an approved family practice assessment

• Submit for source verification through the Medical Council of Canada (MCC)’s physiciansapply.ca, enabling document sharing for the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM), the following:

• Medical diploma

• Family medicine postgraduate training document

• Specialty certificate (if applicable)

1. Complete an application for medical registration (AMR) through the physiciansapply.ca account.

   AMR fees from the MCC and CPSM documentation fee will be required at that time.

2. Note: fees are non-refundable.

3. Only applications that CPSM verifies as eligible are referred to the University of Manitoba.

4. Eligible candidates go through a structured shortlisting process based on program criteria, workforce needs and assessment capacity.

5. Top-ranked candidates are nominated to sit the Therapeutics Decision-Making (TDM) Examination.

6. Highly ranked candidates are invited to an interview with a panel that includes interested Service Delivery Organizations.

7. Candidates recommended for acceptance receive a formal offer from an accepting sponsor, then attend the two-week orientation and the Clinical Field Assessment at three sites across Manitoba.

8. After a successful assessment, candidates start practice in an underserviced community as set out in their return of service agreement, with ongoing supervision by CPSM and mentorship from the University of Manitoba.

Return of service: candidates recommended for acceptance receive a formal offer from an accepting sponsor, which includes a return of service agreement outlining the terms and location of service after the program. The program does not publish the length of the agreement (University of Manitoba IMG Programs).