This is a joint statement on behalf of the four partnering organizations involved in the CanMEDS revision: the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ), College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College).

The CanMEDS project is continuing into the next phase and, following partner consultations, consensus on several areas was achieved, including that

• medical expertise is an essential, fundamental defining competency for physicians;
• interventions to address social determinants of health, including the pursuit of evidence to further eliminate health disparities, are critical features of contemporary medical expertise; and
• the partnering organizations encourage respectful and thought-provoking dialogue to support innovation and progress in the development of the physician competency framework. 

The partnering organizations involved in the project would like to share this update, which emphasizes

• the continuing foundational role of medical expertise in the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework going forward; and 
• that to adequately serve patients, medical expertise must include the recognition of health disparities and their causes.

Project status and next steps

The CanMEDS project is currently analyzing data from consultations and producing recommendations to inform the framework’s update. A draft framework is planned to be released in 2026, with additional consultations and validation, followed by the launch of the final framework later in the year.

Please visit the CanMEDS webpage for more information on the project and the framework.