PRACTICE PARTNER
College initiative compares performance
of MDs from different registration routes
T
he College operates in the
public interest by ensuring
that practice certificates are
issued to applicants who display the
necessary medical knowledge, skill,
and judgment to practise medicine
in Ontario.
There are multiple “routes” to registration and these can be described
as either a “traditional pathway”
(the applicant completed postgraduate training in Canada and passed
necessary Canadian exams) or an
“alternative pathway” (all other
physician applicants that meet criteria prescribed in College policies).
performance among different subgroups of physicians will enable the
development of appropriate quality
improvement activities in the first
critical year of practice in Ontario,”
he said.
The College’s expectation
is that the competencies
of a doctor should extend
beyond medical knowledge
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DIALOGUE • Issue 1, 2014
In 2012, the College embarked on
an initiative – called the “Evaluation of Registration Pathways
and Policies” – to compare the
performance of physicians who are
registered through alternative pathways with those registered through
traditional pathways. This project
was embarked upon to ensure that
physicians are consistent in their
practice performance regardless of
the route to registration.
(www.cpso.on.ca/PoliciesPublications/Positions-Initiatives/
Registration-Pathways-Evaluation)
To assess physician performance,
the pathways evaluation project is
using two data collection tools: the
CPSO peer assessment program
and multisource feedback (MSF).
This initiative will help to inform
Council in future registration policy
decisions, as well as help the College
to better understand the educational needs of physicians who have
alternative training and practice
experiences, said Mr. Dan Faulkner,
Deputy Registrar of the College.
“An understanding of practice
Mr. Dan Faulkner,
Deputy Registrar
“The College’s expectation is that
the competencies of a doctor should
extend beyond medical knowledge,
and clinical expertise to encompass
competencies such as the ability to
communicate well, to collaborate
and to demonstrate professionalism.
These qualities have not, historically, been assessed in the peer assess-
Multisource feedback – often called
a 360-degree assessment – is a
questionnaire-based method of assessing an individual’s professional
performance through confidential
feedback from multiple individuals, including patients, physician
colleagues, and non-physician colleagues. The physician also provides
a self-assessment.