Emergency Medicine: Royal College's Committee on Specialty Education approved the creation of a diploma in EMS

Since 2003, the Division of Emergency Medicine`s Fellowship Program has included an EMS track. It was the first such program in Canada, and many of the graduates of the program have assumed leadership roles in EMS internationally. The EMS Fellowship Program has been a model for similar programs at other Canadian universities.  

In 2007, a national working group, led by our division's own Dr. Russell MacDonald, set out to develop an EMS curriculum framework to train physician leaders in EMS. This framework (Prehosp Emerg Care 2008;12(3):372-80) is now the standard for such training across Canada. The working group set out to establish EMS as a formal discipline recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This six-year project culminated with an application to the Royal College for recognition of EMS under the newly developed 'Areas of Focused Competence (Diploma) Program.' The application was submitted in September 2015.

In November 2016, the Royal College's Committee of Specialties approved the application, paving the way to the Royal College's formal recognition of EMS. This newly recognized discipline will be the national standard for training and specialist competence in EMS, provide fellows with the opportunity to acquire nationally and internationally portable credentials, and meet a growing and legitimate societal need for leaders with this specialized knowledge and skillset.