1. What is the FMPROC?

If you are applying to Family Medicine residency in Canada, you may be required to take the FMProC as part of your application to CaRMS. We know that the resources out there are limited!

This article aims to provide insight for you into the Family Medicine Professional Reasoning and Communication (FMProC) exam and equip you with effective strategies to conquer the test! We hope you find this article helpful to increase your confidence prior to test day!

The FMProC is a situational judgement test designed to evaluate your professional reasoning, communication skills, and aptitude for responding effectively to diverse clinical situations specifically related to Family Medicine. It is a fairly new test, but the test is gaining popularity.

In 2022, 6 programs required the test, and as of 2023, 15 programs have added the test to their list of requirements. Looking ahead, FMProC 2025 may see even more programs adopting it.

The FMProC exam is an online test that takes about 75 minutes to complete. You can take the test in English or in French.

The test consists of 20-30 Family Medicine-related scenarios comprising two types of questions: rating and ranking scenarios. While these may seem challenging at first, a good understanding and consistent FmPROC practice will boost your confidence for test day. Once you get the hang of each type of question style, you will find it easier to get the right answers. You want to make sure you are practicing consistently prior to test day so that by the time your test day has arrived, you are finding the questions relatively easy!

2. Rating vs. Ranking Scenarios

The two types of scenarios on this test are Rating and Ranking scenarios. They each have their own approach and challenges.

Rating Scenarios

Rating scenarios require you to assess the appropriateness of various response options independently, in relation to a given situation. You might be presented with up to 8 options of what a Family Medicine Resident might do in a given situation. Your task here is to judge each response independently from the others.

Ranking Scenarios

Ranking scenarios require you to order a set of up to 5 options based on their overall appropriateness or importance to the situation. This holistic view requires you to assess all response options collectively and strategize the best course of action.

3. Effective Preparation through Practice

Practicing for the FMProC test is crucial. The first time you see the questions, you might get caught off guard, so don’t wait until the last minute to practice!

Familiarity with the question format, improvement in decision-making skills, and building confidence are all byproducts of consistent practice.

Here are some recommended resources for FMProC prep:

• FMProC Practice Questions Book: We have created the FMProC Practice Questions book, available on Amazon as there were limited resources for practice questions. Included in the book are 30 realistic practice scenarios and answer explanations to help refine your confidence for test day (including rating and raking scenarios).
• FMProC Practice Test Free: Utilize free resources online to get a sense of the test format and types of questions you will encounter. The official website has some practice questions.
• FMProC Reddit: Engage with the community on Reddit to share experiences, tips, and study resources. https://www.reddit.com/r/FMProC/

4. Understanding the FMProC Marking Scheme

On the test, you receive marks based on how closely your answers align with the standard responses set by a panel of Family Medicine professionals. Crucially, there is no negative marking, so attempt all questions!

While the exact scoring mechanism isn’t fully disclosed, the following hypothetical examples illustrate the process and demonstrate how we at MedCoach would mark the scenarios.

Rating Scenarios

Your response is marked based on how close or how far your answer is compared to the master score key. For example, if you choose “extremely desirable” and the answer key is the same, you score 4 points. But if you chose “somewhat desirable” and the answer key is “extremely desirable,” you would score 3 points, and so on.

Ranking Scenarios

Scoring is also compared to the master answer key. Each item is given a score of 4 points. If your rank matches the master rank, you get full points, but points are deducted depending on how far off your rank position is from the master key.

Hypothetically, here is how we think a ranking scenario might be marked: Let’s say there are 5 options for a scenario: ABCDE and the correct rank is ABCDE but your answer is ACBED. You would get 4 points for A, 3 for B, 3 for C, 3 for D and 3 for E as they are all one place off, so your total score would be 16. But someone who matched the correct rank (ABCDE) would get 20 points!

5. Examples: Rating and Ranking Scenarios

Example of a Rating Scenario

Imagine you are a physician in a Family Medicine Clinic. One of your patients, Mr. Williams, comes in feeling low and depressed because he’s been recently diagnosed with a chronic disease. Mr. Williams is struggling to cope and is showing signs of emotional distress.

How desirable are each of the following responses in this situation? Rate each response as 1 = “extremely undesirable” to 5 = “extremely desirable”:

1. Tell Mr. Williams that everyone has problems and he needs to be strong.
2. Encourage Mr. Williams to express his feelings about the diagnosis.
3. Change the topic to distract him from his thoughts.
4. Acknowledge his feelings and reassure him that support is available to help him cope.
5. Offer him information about local support groups and counseling.

In this scenario, you’d rate each of the responses from ‘extremely undesirable’ to ‘extremely desirable’. For example, response 1 might be rated as ‘extremely undesirable’ as it belittles the patient’s feelings, whereas response 4 could be seen as ‘extremely desirable’ because it empathetically acknowledges the patient’s emotional state.

Example of a Ranking Scenario

You are a resident in a Family Medicine Clinic. A patient, Mrs. Brown, comes in with a list of various health concerns that she’s been having. She seems anxious and has a history of medical anxiety.

Rank in order of appropriateness the following actions that you could take in response to this situation:

1. Address each concern one by one, regardless of the time it takes.
2. Reassure Mrs. Brown that she’s not seriously ill without listening to all her concerns.
3. Listen attentively to all her concerns before making any judgments.
4. Suggest Mrs. Brown see a mental health professional without addressing her physical health concerns.
5. Gently probe to understand her most pressing concerns and address them first.

In this situation, you’d assign each response a rank from 1 (most appropriate) to 5 (least appropriate). For instance, response 3 could be the most appropriate as it demonstrates active listening, and response 2 might be the least appropriate as it disregards the patient’s concerns.

These examples highlight the importance of empathy, patience, and attentive listening in medical practice and provide you with a real-world glimpse of what to expect on the real test.

Practice scenarios like these with answers and explanations can be found in our FmPROC Practice Questions book.

---

What does MedCoach Offer for FMProC prep?

---

6. FAQs about the FMProC

What is the FMProC?
The FMProC (Family Medicine Professional Reasoning and Communication) is a situational judgement test designed to assess professional reasoning and communication skills in Family Medicine. It is a test required for those wishing to match to family medicine residency.

How much is the FMProC exam?
As of the writing of this article, the cost of the FMProC exam is $58.

Check the official website for the latest fee schedule: https://fmproc.com/

When is the deadline to submit my FMProC score?
The deadline to submit your score depends on the specific requirements of the CaRMS application cycle. Always refer to the official CaRMS website for up-to-date information.

How long is my FMProC test valid?
Your test results are typically valid for the current application cycle. Refer to the official FMProC website for specific details on validity.

How to prepare for the FMProC?
To prepare effectively for the FMProC, it is important to have consistent practice, understanding the exam format, and reviewing sample questions until you feel that the answers come more easily to you. Utilize resources like our FMProC Practice Questions book and online forums such as Reddit for community support.

When are FMProC results available?

Your test results are usually available a few weeks after final test date!