For Information: Additional Shifts for Clinical Fellows
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) defines “moonlighting” as the independent practice of medicine during residency training in situations that are not part of required training in the residency program.1
Clinical fellows who hold a postgraduate educational certificate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) are not eligible for moonlighting.
The CPSO’s terms and conditions for issuance of a postgraduate educational certificate include the statement that the clinical fellow “may practise medicine only as required by the clinical or research fellowship program in which [name of the clinical fellow] is enrolled at [name of the university].” Clinical fellows must obtain an independent practice or restricted certificate of registration from the CPSO in order to take on additional shifts outside of the clinical fellowship.
In addition, the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) coverage for clinical fellows (CMPA Type of Work code 13) does not allow “moonlighting” (per CMPA website at https://www.cmpa-acpm.ca/en/trainees/clinical-fellows). Clinical fellows who hold an independent practice or restricted certificate of registration from the CPSO and wish to “moonlight” must select the appropriate CMPA practicing physician code.
Clinical fellows who hold a postgraduate educational certificate from the CPSO may complete additional shifts only if this additional clinical experience is within the educational objectives on file with the CPSO. If adding extra shifts to the fellowship makes revision of the fellowship’s educational objectives necessary, then the revised objectives should be forwarded to the PGME Office for the approval of the Vice Dean PGME prior to their submission to the CPSO. Clinical fellows doing additional shifts must have a clearly identified supervisor for each additional shift who will provide an appropriate level of supervision.
1 The policy of the Royal College on moonlighting, like that of the CPSO and COFM, refers only to residents moonlighting:
