Objective:

The Canadian Association of General Practitioners in Oncology (CAGPO) is pleased to provide a scholarship program designed to support family physicians/general practitioners who would like to develop their knowledge and skills in cancer care and control activities in order to better serve the needs of their community.  Eligible areas include, but are not limited to, therapeutic, prevention, screening, early detection, psychosocial support, symptom management and palliative care.

 

Eligibility:

Scholarships are available to community-based family physicians/general practitioners as well as those currently employed full- or part-time by cancer agencies or programs. Funding may be considered to support a period of oncology training at the beginning of employment at a cancer agency or program. Applicants must indicate how the training proposed is not supported within the conditions of their employment. 

 

Applicants must possess a license to practice medicine in a Canadian province or territory and MUST BE MEMBERS OF CAGPO AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION (cagpo.ca/membership).  Preference will be given to those who have been CAGPO members for at least one year.

 

Our Scholarship Committee will also consider any funding suggestions that would allow physicians employed full-time at cancer programs to participate in a clinical traineeship.

 

CAGPO scholarship funding will NOT be awarded for programs previously completed or currently underway prior to the application deadline.

 

A scholarship will only be awarded once in a five year period to any one individual.

 

Format:

The learning activity should take the form of a clinical traineeship of one to four weeks’ duration if done on a full-time basis and proportionately longer if done part-time.  It would consist of an active individualized and practical experience related to clearly defined educational objectives.  Other formats will be considered by the scholarship committee on a case by case basis.  It is expected that recipients will forego all or part of their usual clinical duties for the duration of the traineeship.  A report is to be submitted to CAGPO within four weeks of completion of the program.  It will outline the extent to which the educational objectives were achieved and the impact of the training on the physician’s practice.

 

Scholarship recipients are also expected to attend the next CAGPO conference (registration fee will be waived) and present a brief five to 10 minute overview of their experience including educational objectives and the impact of training on their practice as outlined in their formal report.  If the recipient is unable to attend the subsequent conference, a video presentation would be an acceptable alternative.

 

Time and location of traineeship:

The traineeship is to occur at a site able to offer suitable supervision and clinical experience.  The training must commence within six months of the award being made.  Candidates should make contact with the site and negotiate the timing, supervision and content of the proposed traineeship.

 

If educational needs cannot be met in Canada, the Scholarship Committee may consider other sites of training on a case by case basis.

 

Amount and disbursement of award:

The value of each scholarship is up to $4,500 per full-time week of training to a maximum of four weeks per recipient.  The total number of weeks of scholarship funding may vary year to year and will depend on CAGPO’s financial position and the funding available to the Scholarship Committee.

 

Continuing education credits:

CAGPO scholarships may be eligible for Mainpro+ credits from the College of Family Physicians of Canada based on individual application by the recipient.  Please see www.cfpc.ca for details.

 

Procedure for application:

Applications must be received at info@cagpo.ca by July 31, 2025, and should include:

• a description of the proposed learning objectives, the setting and supervision for the training experience, and the duration of training
• a description of the community presently served by the physician and the expected benefits of this training to that community
• a letter from the traineeship supervisor and/or sponsoring agency or institution indicating that they have agreed to provide the training opportunity
• a brief biographical profile

 

All of the above details must be included. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

 

Selection of Recipients:

Selection of the recipients will be made by the CAGPO Scholarship Committee and will be based on the overall merit of the application, benefit to the community, and on the desire to achieve a balance amongst the regions of Canada and between rural and urban practitioners.

 

Pamela Craigie, BSc, MD
Lyndsay Evans, MD, CCFP
Co-chairs, Scholarship Committee
CAGPO-ACMOO
E-mail: info@cagpo.ca

(Updated May 2024)