Ready or not for the CCFP exam

An environmental scan and resident rating of available study and exam-preparation resources for the Canadian Certification Examination in Family Medicine.


The College of Family Physicians Canada (CFPC) conducts a biannual Certification Examination in Family Medicine. There is a disparity between the pass rates of practice-eligible candidates and residency-trained candidates. The Table (page 87) provides a current and comprehensive list of resources available to physicians preparing for the CCFP exam. This list contains resources beyond those on the CFPC’s study resources web page. While the heterogeneity of the listed resources may complement the wide variety of study strategies that candidates employ, the quality of these resources is highly variable. We conducted an online search for resources clearly identified as specific to preparation for the CCFP exam. Current residents and practice-eligible candidates were surveyed nationally to critique the completeness of the list and name missing resources. Over a 3-month period, 495 CCFP exam candidates from across Canada attending The Review Course in Family Medicine were asked to peer-review and rate the resources. The survey response rate across all five sites was 48% (n = 236). A complete list of peer ratings derived from survey data of the resources is available online at www.thereviewcourse.com/resources.

Competing interests

Dr Dhillon and Dr Moore are founders of The Review Course in Family Medicine.

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This article has been peer reviewed.

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Dr Dhillon is an assistant professor of Academic Family Practice at the University of Saskatchewan, and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. Dr Moore is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. Drs Dhillon and Moore are co-founders of The Review Course in Family Medicine.

Paul Dhillon, MBBChBAO, LRCP&SI, EMDM, CCFP, DRCOG, DTM&H(Lon), FRGS, Simon Moore, MD, CCFP. Ready or not for the CCFP exam. BCMJ, Vol. 61, No. 2, March, 2019, Page(s) 86-87 - Beyond Medicine.



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