CFPC Exam (CCFP) study plan

Map the Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine into a personal checklist and rate your confidence on each objective as strong, shaky, or unknown

Build a one-page approach to the undifferentiated adult presentation (fatigue, weight change, fever of unknown origin) that lists red flags, first-line investigations, and when to refer

Diagnose and stage the top five chronic conditions seen in family practice (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, COPD, chronic kidney disease) using current Canadian thresholds and write the targets for each

List the screening and preventive care maneuvers recommended for adults by age and sex, with the interval for each

Work through the assessment and initial management of common endocrine and metabolic problems (thyroid dysfunction, diabetes complications, obesity, osteoporosis) and record the decision points for each

Compare the presentation and workup of common hematologic abnormalities (anemia by mean corpuscular volume, thrombocytopenia, elevated INR, lymphadenopathy) and state the next step for each

Outline the approach to older adults: falls, polypharmacy review, cognitive impairment screening, and frailty, including which tools you would use in a 15-minute visit

Practice writing a focused, problem-oriented note for three multimorbid patients in under 10 minutes each

Apply a structured primary survey and resuscitation sequence to shock, altered level of consciousness, and severe respiratory distress, and state the first five actions for each

Differentiate the emergencies that must not be missed (chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, back pain, joint pain) and write the can't-miss differential and the immediate investigation for each

Describe the initial management of common pediatric emergencies (fever in the young infant, bronchiolitis, croup, asthma exacerbation, dehydration, seizure) with weight-based dosing principles

Identify when to transfer or refer from a rural or office setting and what stabilization is required before transport

Interpret common emergency investigations (ECG patterns, arterial and venous blood gases, basic radiology descriptions) and state the immediate management each finding implies

Explain the assessment and management of common pediatric presentations: well-child surveillance, growth and development concerns, feeding problems, and common infections including otitis media and pharyngitis

Review immunization schedules and contraindications, and be able to justify a catch-up schedule for a child who is behind

Demonstrate the approach to a child with a limp, a rash, or a failure to thrive, listing the differential and the first-line investigations

Trace the routine prenatal course visit by visit, listing what is assessed, what is screened, and when, including genetic screening options and gestational diabetes screening

Outline the management of common antenatal problems (hypertension in pregnancy, bleeding, preterm labour risk, hyperemesis, gestational diabetes) with thresholds for referral

Describe intrapartum care: stages of labour, fetal surveillance, indications for operative delivery, and the immediate postpartum assessment of mother and newborn

List the common gynecologic presentations (abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, contraception counselling, menopause, sexually transmitted infection screening) with a first-line plan for each

Assess and manage the psychiatric presentations most often seen in family practice (depression, anxiety, insomnia, somatization) using a validated screening tool and a stepped-care plan

Differentiate the urgent psychiatric situations (suicidal ideation, psychosis, acute agitation, delirium, substance withdrawal) and state the risk assessment and immediate actions for each

Explain the initiation, monitoring, and common adverse effects of first-line psychotropics, and describe how to counsel a patient starting one

Address perinatal mental health and postpartum depression screening within the obstetric visits from week 5

Synthesize across all six domains by working through ten integrated cases that each cross at least two domains and writing your reasoning before checking any reference

Identify your weakest three objectives from week 1 and rewrite each as a specific learning question with a plan to answer it

Practice timed short-answer responses on high-frequency topics, writing each answer in the structure the exam expects

Review health equity, Indigenous health, and social determinants content relevant to Canadian family practice and note where it changes your clinical approach

Consolidate by re-testing the objectives you flagged as shaky or unknown in week 1 and recording your new confidence rating for each

Complete two full timed mock exams under exam conditions and review every incorrect answer to the underlying principle

Compress your notes into a single high-yield summary organized by presentation rather than by disease

Build a final-week routine covering sleep, exam-day logistics, and a plan for handling questions you cannot answer