The surge of overdoses and opioid-related deaths in Canada is a national public health crisis. The Government of Canada has funded the AFMC, in partnership with Canada’s 17 medical schools, to create a national, bilingual, comprehensive, and competency-based curriculum for undergraduate medical students in pain management and substance use. The evidence-based training aims to fill gaps in undergraduate educational programs across Canada, including the diagnosis, treatment, and management of pain. The AFMC will also develop a repository of questions and oral practical structured clinical examinations, which will be included in the national licensing examinations of physicians in Canada.
AFMC – Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME)
Course Details
This curriculum consists of one introductory module and ten content modules based on established competencies that address gaps in current medical school educational offerings.
Topics Include:
- The Public Health Perspective
- Core Concepts in Pain
- Core Concepts in the Management of Chronic Pain
- Pathophysiology of Pain and Pharmacology of Opioids
- Opioid Prescribing
- Opioid Stewardship in Palliative Care
- Safe Storage and Proper Disposal of Opioids
- Recognizing Opioid Use Disorder
- Management of Opioid Use Disorder
- Cultural Consideration, Legalities, and Enhancing Competence
In a commitment to address all facets of the learning experience, we are simultaneously launching two additional resources: AFMC’s Opioid Response formative question set, developed by LearnFM/ApprenezMF (learnfm.ca) and hosted on the Cards platform of the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, as well as our Faculty Development and Resident tools. To access, please click here (https://opioids.afmc.ca/) and scroll down to “Resources” or click on the “Resources” tab in the Learning Management System.
Who Should Take This Course?
This program is geared towards current Canadian medical students, but is open to anyone interested.
Fees
At this time, there is no fee associated with accessing this program.
Accessibility Standards
All modules comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - AODA (alternative text for images, tab navigation, and instructional text for learners). All audio and video files have closed captioning and full transcripts. In addition, the associated module companion guides are formatted for screen readers. The companion guide can also be used as an offline resource by learners in areas that have low or unreliable internet access.
Time Requirement
Here is the average time commitment for each Topic:
- Topic 1: 70 min
- Topic 2.1: 109 min
- Topic 2.2: 91 min
- Topic 3: 91 min
- Topic 4.1: 81 min
- Topic 4.2: 86 min
- Topic 4.3: 52 min
- Topic 5.1: 88 min
- Topic 5.2: 95 min
- Topic 6: 78 min
To enroll in this program, click here
AFMC – Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME)
Course Details
This curriculum consists of one introductory module and eight content modules based on established competencies.
Topics Include:
- Building Relationships with Individuals: Navigating Difficult Conversations
- Opioid Stewardship: Prescribing and Management
- Opioid Stewardship: Rotation and Deprescribing
- Opioid Use Disorder Assessment and Management
- Management of Chronic Pain in Diverse Patient Populations
- Cancer-Related Pain
- Advanced Knowledge of Pain
- Management of Chronic Pain
In a commitment to address all facets of the learning experience, we are simultaneously launching two additional resources: Self-Assessment Tool and the Tool of Tools. The Self-Assessment Tool helps to review your current knowledge on a range of topics and identifies specific modules in the curriculum that you may want to complete. The Tool of Tools is an inventory of all the tools linked in the modules.
Who Should Take This Course?
This program is geared towards current Canadian medical residents, but is open to anyone interested.
Self Assessment Tool
This self-assessment tool helps you review your knowledge on a range of topics related to the use of opioids in practice.
This tool takes up to 45 minutes to complete. Feedback is provided throughout. The tool uses de-identified aggregate data only, assuring you of confidentiality of your results. Your answers to the questions below enable the tool to direct you to available continuing education programs related to assessment, diagnosis and management of patients taking opioids.
On completion, you will receive a summary of learning opportunities best suited to you. This is not mandatory but a highly recommended survey: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IMIvaHhtxXR9OK
Fees
At this time, there is no fee associated with accessing this program.
Accessibility Standards
All modules comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - AODA (alternative text for images, tab navigation, and instructional text for learners). All audio and video files have closed captioning and full transcripts. In addition, the associated module companion guides are formatted for screen readers. The companion guide can also be used as an offline resource by learners in areas that have low or unreliable internet access.
Time Requirement
Here is the average time commitment for each Topic:
- Topic 1: 60 min
- Topic 2.1: 71 min
- Topic 2.2: 34 min
- Topic 3: 63 min
- Topic 4: 88 min
- Topic 5: 92 min
- Topic 6.1: 50 min
- Topic 6.2: 65 min
To enroll in this program, click here
AFMC - Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Course Details
This curriculum consists of one introductory module and eight content modules based on established competencies.
Topics Include:
- Injectable Opioid Agonist Treatment (iOAT)
- Physician Liability
- Chronic Pain in Older Adults
- Chronic Pain, Opioid Use Disorder, and Opioid Use in Women
- Pediatrics - Continuum of Care from Birth to Adolescence
- Opioids and the Emergency Department
- Common Psychiatry Comorbidities in Patients with Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder
- Hospital-Based Medicine
In a commitment to address all facets of the learning experience, we are simultaneously launching two additional resources: Self-Assessment Tool and the Tool of Tools. The Self-Assessment Tool helps to review your current knowledge on a range of topics and identifies specific modules in the curriculum that you may want to complete. The Tool of Tools is an inventory of all the tools linked in the modules.
Who Should Take This Course?
This program is geared towards current Canadian practicing physicians, but is open to anyone interested.
Self Assessment Tool
This self-assessment tool helps you review your knowledge on a range of topics related to the use of opioids in practice.
This tool takes up to 45 minutes to complete. Feedback is provided throughout. The tool uses de-identified aggregate data only, assuring you of confidentiality of your results. Your answers to the questions below enable the tool to direct you to available continuing education programs related to assessment, diagnosis and management of patients taking opioids.
On completion, you will receive a summary of learning opportunities best suited to you. This is not mandatory but a highly recommended survey: https://queensu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IMIvaHhtxXR9OK
Fees
At this time, there is no fee associated with accessing this program.
Accessibility Standards
All modules comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - AODA (alternative text for images, tab navigation, and instructional text for learners). All audio and video files have closed captioning and full transcripts. In addition, the associated module companion guides are formatted for screen readers. The companion guide can also be used as an offline resource by learners in areas that have low or unreliable internet access.
Time Requirement
Here is the average time commitment for each Topic:
- Topic 1: 50 min
- Topic 2: 50 min
- Topic 3: 65 min
- Topic 4: 61 min
- Topic 5: 81 min
- Topic 6: 57 min
- Topic 7: 48 min
- Topic 8: 65 min
To enroll in this program, click here
AFMC - Internationally Educated Physicians (IEP)
Course Details
This curriculum consists of one Introductory module and one content module based on established UGME modules.
Who Should Take This Course?
This program is geared towards graduates of medical schools outside of Canada, but is open to anyone who is interested.
Fees
At this time, there is no fee associated with accessing this program.
Accessibility Standards
All modules comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - AODA (alternative text for images, tab navigation, and instructional text for learners). All audio and video files have closed captioning and full transcripts. In addition, the associated module companion guides are formatted for screen readers. The companion guide can also be used as an offline resource by learners in areas that have low or unreliable internet access.
Time Requirement
The module is expected to take on average 1 hour to complete.
To enroll in this program, click here
