Family Medicine (Thesis) (M.Sc.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Family Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Master of Science
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The Master of Science in Family Medicine is a research-oriented, two-year graduate program of 45 credits. The program focuses on core methodologies, frameworks, and applications of scientific principles within the realm of family medicine research.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis Courses (24 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 697 | Master's Thesis Research 1. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor in a designated area of research. | ||
| FMED 698 | Master's Thesis Research 2. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor in a designated area of research. | ||
Required Courses (13 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 505 | Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1. | 3 |
Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction of epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research. | ||
| FMED 509 | Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 2. | 3 |
Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Intermediate epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research. | ||
| FMED 603 | Foundations of Participatory Research . | 1 |
Foundations of Participatory Research . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and main applications of modern participatory research in health organizations. | ||
| FMED 614 | Foundations of Mixed Methods Research. | 2 |
Foundations of Mixed Methods Research. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Basic training in how to conduct mixed methods research, the most common types of mixed methods research designs, and mixed studies reviews. | ||
| FMED 616 | Applied Literature Reviews. | 1 |
Applied Literature Reviews. Terms offered: Winter 2026 How to conduct a rigorous literature review in the context of primary care with an opportunity to develop an outline of a literature review section of one’s thesis or to develop a protocol for a systematic review. | ||
| FMED 625 | Introduction to Qualitative Research in Health. | 3 |
Introduction to Qualitative Research in Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Introduction, discussion, and practice of qualitative methodologies and methods for conducting rigorous and reflective qualitative research projects in health, with particular focus on family medicine education and health professions education. | ||
Elective Courses (8 credits)
8 credits at the 500 level or higher chosen by the student and the Department in consultation with the student’s thesis supervisor(s) of which 3 credits may be chosen from another department at McGill.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 504 | Family Medicine Research Seminars. | 1 |
Family Medicine Research Seminars. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Research seminars on various topics relevant to family medicine research. | ||
| FMED 525 | Foundations of Translational Science. | 3 |
Foundations of Translational Science. Terms offered: Winter 2026 An overview of multidisciplinary research that bridges significant gaps between basic, clinical medicine and public policy that enables a translation of knowledge to practice. | ||
| FMED 601 | Advanced Topics in Family Medicine. | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Family Medicine. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Scientific communication; curriculum design and development; professional development; and setting appropriate goals for a successful academic research program in family medicine and primary care. | ||
| FMED 604 | Advanced Participatory Research in Health. | 3 |
Advanced Participatory Research in Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Overview of participatory research with community, clinical, and organisational stakeholders. Content focuses on participatory engagement and data collection methods, while students have an opportunity to work through aspects of their participatory project with the help of group discussions, small group work, roleplay, and guest presentations from actual participatory projects. | ||
| FMED 605 | AI and Analytical Decision-Making in Healthcare. | 1 |
AI and Analytical Decision-Making in Healthcare. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the role of data and value informed decision-making in better health and healthcare. Includes the concepts, methods and techniques obtained from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and operations research (OR) for optimal, high quality decision-making in healthcare. Also introduces the concept of shared decision-making and its tools to meaningfully engage patients in decision-making process in healthcare. | ||
| FMED 606 | Operational Issues in Survey Methods in Primary Care. | 1 |
Operational Issues in Survey Methods in Primary Care. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Operational issues of questionnaire design, sampling, contact and recruitment of respondents and preparation for analysis that will enhance response rates and minimize errors in data collected by surveys. The content will be highly relevant for those who anticipate having a survey as part of their current or future research program. | ||
| FMED 608 | Advanced Mixed Methods Seminar in Health Research. | 1 |
Advanced Mixed Methods Seminar in Health Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced epistemological and methodological approaches for graduate students in order to improve their understanding of the approaches and to apply them in their research projects. Students also develop the ability to read and critique peers' mixed methods research projects. | ||
| FMED 610 | Foundations of Family Medicine. | 1 |
Foundations of Family Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The history, philosophical foundations, clinical method, and key principles of family medicine within Quebec, Canada, and internationally. | ||
| FMED 611 | Healthcare Systems, Policy and Performance. | 3 |
Healthcare Systems, Policy and Performance. Terms offered: Winter 2026 A critical review of healthcare systems, especially primary care systems, focuses on Quebec and indicative global settings. Explores options and approaches for using evidence to influence policy and to improve primary healthcare systems, and addresses methods for evaluating performance of healthcare services. | ||
| FMED 612 | Evaluation Research and Implementation Science. | 1 |
Evaluation Research and Implementation Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction of how to critically appraise available evidence to become familiar with methods specific to intervention implementation and program evaluation in the context of family medicine practice with an opportunity to develop an evaluation protocol for a specific program that responds to the expectations of clinicians-managers in primary care. | ||
| FMED 615 | Applied Knowledge Translation and Exchange in Health. | 1 |
Applied Knowledge Translation and Exchange in Health. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Intended for health care practitioners, planners, and researchers, especially in resource-poor settings in Canada and internationally, students will be exposed to behaviour change models; techniques for critical evaluation of existing evidence; accountability in health services; and scientific writing and presenting, using a blended learning approach. | ||
| FMED 619 | Program Management in Global Health and Primary Health Care. | 3 |
Program Management in Global Health and Primary Health Care. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Program management design, theory, methods and practical applications in both domestic and global health settings, with a focus on primary health care in order to achieve rapid scale-up of effective health interventions towards universal coverage while strengthening health systems for sustained impact. | ||
| FMED 621 | Participatory Health Systems for Safe Birth . | 1 |
Participatory Health Systems for Safe Birth . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploring engagement and participation in promoting safe birth in cultural safety, this course aims to foster innovative, meaningful and effective engagement of women, men and communities in maternal and child healthcare systems, in a way that addresses current global and local realities and in a way that transcends historical challenges. | ||
| FMED 690 | Advanced Ethnography: Context, Complexity and Coordination. | 3 |
Advanced Ethnography: Context, Complexity and Coordination. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Addressing the rationale and assumptions of ethnography, including the practices, processes and strategies to set up, conduct, analyze, write up and provide feedback to participants. This exploration will come from a project based on deep and immersed observation in order to develop an understanding of shared meaning systems (i.e., culture). | ||