Glossary & Common Acronyms

There are hundreds of terms and acronyms used throughout the university community. To help you get familiar with things, here is a list of those most commonly used in our department.

TERMS

Faculty (capital F): The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry

faculty (lowercase f): Individuals with an academic appointment at the university to teach, do research or both

Staff: A non-academic employee of the university

Faculty Advisor: Orients residents to family medicine, discusses program and individual learning objectives, assists resident in finding resources to meet their learning needs, help define residents’ career plan.

Preceptor: Any individual who in involved in medical student or resident learning

Medical Student: A student in undergraduate medical education

Resident: A learner who has completed Undergraduate medical education is in undergoing training for a specific medical field.

Rotation: In-clinic training for a resident specific to a medical field (e.g. surgery rotation)

Clerkship: In-clinic training for a medical student specific to a medical field (pediatrics clerkship)

ACRONYMS

DoFM: Department of Family Medicine

FoMD: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

AH: Alberta Health

AHS: Alberta Health Services

UME: Undergraduate Medical Education

PGME: Postgraduate medical Education

PGY: Postgraduate Year, refers to residents in either year 1, 2 or 3 of the program.

CaRMS: Canadian Resident Match Service (the independent service through which eligible medical students apply for available residency positions across Canada)

NAAFP: Northern Alberta Academic Family Physicians

AFPC: Alberta College of Family Physicians

CFPC: College of Family Physicians of Canada

ASA: Annual Scientific Assembly (conference)

FMF: Family Medicine Forum (conference)

NAPCRG: North America Primary Care Research Group (conference)

EBM: Evidence Based Medicine

DSPMC: Department Strategic Planning and Management Committee

DBG: Department Business Group.

CBAS: Competency-Based Achievement System