The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC) wishes to comment on the successful passing of the four member‐proposed motions at the College of Family Physicians of Canada's (CFPC) Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) on November 1st, regarding transparency, governance, and a pause in plans to transition to a third year of family medicine residency training.

It is clear by the number of online participants at the AMM, as well as the number of proxy votes, that there is significant and genuine concern regarding the impacts and unintended consequences of a shift to a third year of residency training that is shared by many family physicians. The same concern has been expressed by medical students, residents, and other organizations over the past few months.

Recognizing these votes are non‐binding, the SRPC expresses its hope that the CFPC Board will carefully reflect upon the outcomes of the AMM and consider actions that provide a path forward to address the issues raised, including the need for an additional year of training as the best solution to enhance the number of physicians practicing comprehensive family medicine across this country.

The SRPC remains unwavering in our commitment to advocating for high‐quality rural medical education, and our members include rural teachers and leaders, who are experts in comprehensive, generalist education. While we continue our efforts to ensure that the concerns of rural physicians and communities are heard, we also confirm our commitment to work with the CFPC on this issue. If we can truly collaborate with the CFPC and other stakeholders, we can plan and design a curriculum that improves the health of all Canadians.

For media inquiries, please contact:

info@srpc.ca

877‐276‐1949