CanMEDS is the product of an evidence-informed, collaborative process involving hundreds Royal College Fellows, family physicians, educators, learners and other expert volunteers. Its development involved countless hours of literature reviews, stakeholder surveys, focus groups, and consultations with health care professionals and members of the informed public. Many feel that the strength of the framework lies in the fact that it is derived explicitly from societal needs.

Key points:
  • For the CanMEDS 2015 project, the Royal College engaged a diverse cadre of experts and partners.
  • In early 2013, the Royal College commissioned a series of committees and 13 Expert Working Groups (EWGs) to revise CanMEDS and develop new CanMEDS milestones.
  • Participants were recruited for their:
    • subject matter expertise;
    • perspective on a particular stage of physician development (e.g. learning in practice);
    • knowledge of the health care and medical education systems; and
    • representation across all clinical and geographic Canadian health care contexts.
  • To engage the profession, a global consensus process was used.
  • Drafts of the Framework and CanMEDS Milestones were released over the course of 2014.
  • Focus groups and surveys were used to collect a variety of perspectives on the abilities people expected and needed from their physicians.
  • A national and an international advisory committee provided iterative feedback as drafts were released.
  • An Integration Committee edited the vast data into successive versions of the Framework and Milestones Guide.

To learn more about this process, read the CanMEDS Consultation report.