ROYAL COLLEGE SPECIALTY COMMITTEE IN PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
Annual Report 2001-2002

The Specialty Committee in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation met via teleconference on November 16, 2001 and at the Royal College offices in Ottawa on March 8, 2002.

The Committee continues to work with staff at the Royal College on updating the content and structure of training in our specialty to reflect the Royal College’s CanMEDS 2000 document. Our Training Objectives have been revised and a draft FITER has been developed that incorporates the CanMEDS 2000 roles.

Dr. Meredith Marks, Dr. Hillel Sommer and Dr. Stephen Bagg have developed a new examination blueprint that will serve as a template for future Royal College Examinations.

The issue of joint subspecialty certification in Spinal Cord Medicine with the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was reviewed at our most recent meeting. The American Board has shown flexibility and agreed to allow Canadians to write their examination if the Royal College takes on the task of certification for Canadians. After a moratorium on the creation of new specialties, the Royal College has now developed an elaborate mechanism for the creation of new subspecialties. The process is time consuming, resource intensive and not something the Committee wishes to pursue at this time. However, the Committee feels it is appropriate to address the larger issue of whether we wish to move forward with the creation of subspecialties in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. We believe the issue is important enough that it needs to be discussed widely among the membership of the CAPM&R.

There will be a number of changes to Committee membership in the next year. Dr. Stephen Bagg, Dr. Hillel Sommer, and Dr. Andrew Travlos have completed their final terms as Nucleus Committee members. They have been effective and committed Committee members and I have valued their contributions.

I will complete my final term as Committee Chair this year. I have enjoyed my time as Chair and appreciated the support of the CAPM&R and the Committee. I would like to thank the members of the Specialty Committee and the Examining Committee for their hard work over the past year and during my time as Chair.

Respectfully submitted,
Hugh Anton
Chair, Royal College Specialty Committee
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation