2. Application for Accreditation
Once the initial University AFC Application form is approved, the PGME Accreditation team will step in. At this stage, the applicant will need to invest considerable time and effort to complete the Royal College’s Application for Accreditation, which will be provided by the PGME Accreditation team. The team will leverage its expertise in the RCPSC accreditation process to offer guidance on deadlines, provide support throughout the process, and handle most communications with the Royal College.
To prepare for the Application for Accreditation to the Royal College, several stages must be completed:
2.1. RCPSC Application Preparation
Each RCPSC-recognized discipline has its own specific accreditation application. The PGME Accreditation team will contact the Royal College to request access to the relevant application in CanAMS (the digital accreditation management system operated by RCPSC) and assist the applicant in preparing the RCPSC application package. This package includes:
- AFC Program Committee
- Competence Committee
- Program Policies
- Curriculum Map
- Assessments (e.g., ITARs, Multi-Source Feedback)
- Program Evaluation Process
- Other relevant documents
2.2. PGME Internal Review
As the RCPSC application package is being developed and nears completion, the PGME Accreditation team will arrange a PGME Internal Review. Feedback will be provided approximately 4-6 weeks after this review.
NOTE: An internal review is a formal quality review of each training program against the accreditation standards. The reviews are done by a team of three: two physicians and one trainee. Internal reviews are a valuable opportunity to meet other Program Directors, see the internal review process and become more familiar with the new accreditation requirements.
2.3. PGME AFC-IRSC Review
The PGME AFC Internal Review Subcommittee (PGME AFC-IRSC) will review the RCPSC application and the Internal Review report. This subcommittee meets three times per academic year (Spring, Fall, and Winter) and will provide recommendations/comments approximately 3-4 weeks after each meeting.
2.4. Final Review and Submission of the RCPSC Accreditation Application
Once feedback is addressed and materials are finalized, the PGME Accreditation team will seek final approval from the Associate Dean, PGME. After obtaining final approval, the Royal College accreditation application will be submitted to RCPSC CanAMS portal by the PGME Accreditation team.
2.5. Accreditation Decision
The RCPSC AFC Accreditation Committee (AFC-AC) will review the application at its next scheduled meeting and provide an accreditation decision.
2.6. Activation of AFC Program
After the program successfully receives accreditation status from the Royal College, the next step is to obtain activation status for the AFC program (please refer here for more information). The Royal College will issue this activation status through PGME.