Communication
Western E-Mail Account
In keeping with the Faculty’s commitment to ensure that our residents/fellows receive information in the most efficient and timely fashion possible, a Western E-mail account has been provided to you and exists to access all residents and fellows. It will be through the Western E-mail system that all information will be transmitted to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that you initiate, maintain, and read the messages on your Western E-mail account regularly.
You can set up your E-mail account directly with ITS through their website. You will need your Western student number and Access code provided to you in your registration package.
You must check your Western E-mail account regularly, as all information dealing with postgraduate residency training at Western will be sent to you in this manner. If you prefer to maintain a pre-existing E-mail account, then it is your responsibility to have your Western E-mail forwarded to that account. Visit the "How Do I … Configure Office365 for use in Gmail" webpage to forward you Western E-mail account.
Privacy and Confidentiality
(Read the "Western Guidelines on Access to Information and Protection of Privacy" for information)
Western recognizes the importance of protecting each resident/fellow’s right to privacy and the confidentiality of each personal record. In accordance with this policy, the Postgraduate Education Office (PGME) does not release personal information about residents/fellows without expressed permission.
As a general rule, with the exception of personal information, information contained in university records should be available to members of the public. The following are examples of information which may be released or confirmed if requested: student name, dates of attendance, current attendance status, field of study. As well, data from university records is released to Statistics Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training for compilation of aggregate reports. Requests for academic records for the purpose of educational statistical research provided that student identity is not revealed are also allowed. We have asked the Western’s Office to withhold resident/fellow email addresses and personal data from the University Website and Student Directory.
The PGME Office provides statistical information to the following two agencies. The information provided back to PGME is important in our planning and we want to make you aware that this data will be released confidentially to the following:
The Ontario Physician Reporting Centre (OPRC; formerly Human Resources Data Centre (OPHRDC)
The OPHRDC is a collaborative project of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). The Centre was founded on the principle that negotiations concerning physician resources between these parties would be best informed by a single reliable data source. The OPHRDC developed and maintains the Ontario Physician Registry and the Ontario Postgraduate Medical Training Registry to support physician human resources planning initiatives for the province. The OPHRDC uses this centralized training registry to conduct a number of statistical educational reports on behalf of the Ontario postgraduate education offices. Confidentiality and security of information are priorities of the OPHRDC.
Canadian Post-M.D. Educational Registry (CAPER)
The Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) is a national data base established for the purpose of compiling accurate and consistent national statistics concerning Post-M.D. training in Canada. CAPER is directed and funded by seven participating organizations, including the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges (ACMC), the Canadian Association of Internes and Residents (CAIR), the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), Health Canada and the 11 provincial/territorial ministries of health. The identity of individuals to whom the information provided to CAPER relates will be maintained as confidential by CAPER.
