General Surgeon (Medical Specialist)

Overview

As a member of the military, General Surgeons belong to the Medical Specialist occupation in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and provide trauma and general surgical care for CAF members, whether at a Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics/operating theatres or overseas in support of peacekeeping or humanitarian missions.

They have the opportunity to be a leader within the CAF Health Services, as well as mentor and educator to other Health Services personnel, including Medical Officers, Nursing Officers, Physician Assistants as well as Medical, Operating Room and Diagnostic Technicians.

Their primary responsibilities are to:

• Provide surgical consultation for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Members in Canada and deployed internationally;
• Lead a surgical or emergent care team caring for injured and ill patients in Canada and in deployed settings, internationally;
• Educate and advise multidisciplinary teams on trauma and general surgery care;
• Maintain a high level of surgical skills, by holding a position within a civilian health care facility ; and
• Contribute to the development and application of health care policies within the CAF.

Work environment

General Surgeons in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) maintain their clinical readiness by being embedded as staff in tertiary care civilian hospitals across Canada, working alongside their civilian colleagues. Part of their time may be spent providing consultative services to support Primary Care Clinicians at Canadian Forces Health Services Clinics in Canada. Participation in education and training tasks, as well as research opportunities, occur nationally and internationally.

They belong to 1 Canadian Field Hospital and maintain their operational readiness by participating in annual military skills training and field exercises. When required, they will be called upon to deploy to unique and challenging clinical environments as part of a Health Services team on domestic and international operations.

If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

Entry plans

Direct Entry Options

If you are a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and have an unrestricted licence to practise in General Surgery in a Canadian province or territory, you may be eligible for enrolment and to commence basic training.

Supported surgical sub-specialties

• Trauma Surgery
• Critical Care Medicine
• Vascular Surgery

Training

At the first available opportunity, you will complete Basic Military Officer Qualification training at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. You will take the Condensed Health Services Basic Military Officer Qualification Training which consists of two weeks of Distance Learning and four weeks of in-house training in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Topics covered include general military knowledge, the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the Forces, basic weapons handling, and first aid. Opportunities will also be provided to apply such newly acquired military skills in training exercises involving force protection, field training, navigation and leadership. A rigorous physical fitness program is also a vital part of basic training. Basic Military Officer Qualification training is provided in English or French and successful completion is a prerequisite for further training.

Incoming Medical Specialists in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will attend the Rank Qualification Medical Specialist Major (RQ-Med Spec-Maj) course delivered by the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre (CFHSTC). Consisting of an online asynchronous distributed learning (approximately 20 hours) and a five-day residential training phase, this course prepares Medical Specialists to provide expert care within the CAF health system and across operational environments. You will gain an understanding of key common CAF and Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) policies, CAF-specific and specialty-specific operational medicine, and the unique aspects of military healthcare. Upon completion, you will be equipped to deliver specialist healthcare in support of CAF members while leading multidisciplinary healthcare teams in both civilian and deployed settings.

CAF General Surgeons may be eligible to apply for the opportunity to specialize their medical practice and, when applicable, can receive subsidy in exchange for additional years of service. Supported training will normally consist of a sub-specialty fellowship program at a Canadian University, but may include other Post-graduate degrees and/or courses determined to be complimentary to military practice.

Advanced training opportunities

• Forward Acute Care Resuscitation Team Training;
• Mobile Surgical Resuscitation Team Training;
• War Surgery Courses;
• Definitive Surgical Trauma Care Courses;
• Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma Courses;
• Medical Education and Simulation; and
• Military and health care leadership

Part time options

The role of the Canadian Forces Health Services Reserves is to provide trained personnel to support, augment and sustain Canadian Forces Health Services organizations for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations and training activities, while building and maintaining links between the CAF and the local community.

Medical Specialists can broaden the medical support capability of the Health Services by joining 1 Canadian Field Hospital Detachment Ottawa. Members of this Primary Reserve unit complete a minimum annual commitment of 14 days of service and/or training at any time during the year, doing any or all of the following: providing health care services to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, teaching and monitoring clinical skills of personnel, attending field exercises to practice and/or provide medical care in a military field environment.

Medical Specialists serving in the Primary Reserve may live and work across Canada, as long as they are within a 100 km of a CAF Health Services unit. There is a small headquarters and administration section located in Ottawa, Ontario to assist them. All members of the Canadian Forces Health Services Reserves may have an opportunity to work internationally as members of a deployed Canadian Forces Health Services Team.

Part-time opportunities within the CAF may exist for specialties and sub-specialties, depending on the requirements and position availability. These include:

• Anesthesiology
• Emergency Medicine
• General Surgery
• Internal Medicine (General, Infectious Diseases, Critical Care)
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Neurosurgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Otolaryngology
• Urology
• Opthamology
• Cardiology
• Gastroenterology
• Pathology
• Dermatology

Recruitment

Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. Incoming Medical Specialists in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will attend the Rank Qualification Medical Specialist Major (RQ-Med Spec-Maj) course delivered by the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre (CFHSTC). Consisting of an online asynchronous distributed learning (approximately 20 hours) and a five-day residential training phase, this course prepares Medical Specialists to provide expert care within the CAF health system and across operational environments. You will gain an understanding of key common CAF and Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) policies, CAF-specific and specialty-specific operational medicine, and the unique aspects of military healthcare. Upon completion, you will be equipped to deliver specialist healthcare in support of CAF members while leading multidisciplinary healthcare teams in both civilian and deployed settings.

Medical Specialists in the Primary Reserve maintain their civilian positions in tertiary care hospitals across Canada. They belong to 1 Canadian Field Hospital Detachment Ottawa and stay operationally ready by participating in required military skills training and field exercises. Primary Reserve Medical Specialists will be able to contribute to development and delivery of clinical teaching and training tasks delivered across Canada, as well as to deploy to unique and challenging clinical environments as part of a Health Services team on domestic and international operations. In some cases, they may be able to provide medical care in a Canadian military health care clinic or operating the theatre. Reserve Force members are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, have the opportunity to receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.

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