Fergus (Rural Stream)

The town of Fergus, with a population over 20,000, is a lovely community in which to live and learn rural medicine. Rural family physicians provide the bulk of the care to this community with support from local internists, general surgeons and obstetricians. The academic hub for this program is the Waterloo Regional Campus.

Community website: Township of Centre Wellington

Key Stats

CMG CaRMS Positions: 2
Preceptors: 21
Regional population of over 34,500
55 bed hospital (Groves Memorial Hospital)
350 births per year and 26,000 ER visits per year
Fergus is about 20-30 minutes north of Guelph

Contacts

Dr. Fil Incitti
Site Lead

Heidi Hallman, Education Associate
hallmanh@mcmaster.ca

Resident Perspective

Community Notes:

Lots of small town charm, many community events
Hiking, kayaking, swimming and tubing at the Elora Gorge

Strengths of the site:

Large scope of practice – all family physicians provide hospitalist inpatient care, many do emergency medicine and obstetrics. Will prepare you well for different contexts you may work in as a rural family physician
Strong family practice obstetrics group – weekly OB rounds, prenatal clinics and many deliveries
Flexible – can pick up extra ER shifts, OB call, surgical assist etc. to tailor to your learning interests
Very engaged preceptors – all family physicians are happy to work with learners and teach, even if they are not primary preceptors for residents
Academic days with the Waterloo Regional Campus – strong home base for academic teaching days, all in-person with excellent presenters and small groups discussions.
Connected with a larger groups of supportive residents and administrative staff

Potential drawbacks:

Can be very busy (but lots of learning!)
Commuting