Postgraduate Medical Education

Dalhousie University

Program File Management and Retention Guidelines

Approved by PGME Committee - February 2nd, 2023

Program File Management and Retention Guidelines

The purpose of these guidelines is to create a structure for the effective records management of postgraduate trainee information as held by postgraduate programs. This includes a records retention and disposal schedule, and accountabilities for records management of administrative records within postgrad. In any instances you require guidance for trainee records beyond what is contained in these guidelines please defer to the central Dalhousie Records Management Policy, DalCLASS or in some cases guidelines set by hospitals or health authorities.

1. Document retention

The following types of documents in a postgraduate trainee’s program file shall be retained for the following periods of time unless otherwise stated in DAL CLASS or other policy. For any documentation that is to be part of a postgraduate trainee’s permanent file or university archives please send to the PGME Office to coordinate.

          Item           

Program Retention Period
Personal Information
-Signed contract
-Information profile sheet
-Banner ID-CME		 Held for a minimum of 2 years with a maximum of 5 years after residency ends, at which point PGME Office maintains the main record and program shall dispose.
Credentialing information
-CMPA-Copy of provincial license		 Held for a minimum of 2 years with a maximum of 5 years after residency end and then disposed.
Evaluations and Enhanced Learning Plans
-ITERs, ITARs, Periodic Performance Review, Competency Committee Review or Competency Committee Promotion Decisions
-Faculty/Preceptor Logs- Formal and Informal written enhanced learning plans		 Evaluation information stored in One45 can be left in One45 and stored indefinitely. Written IELPs and FELPs as well as ITERs and ITARs for failed rotations should be held until end of residency at which point it will be stored by PGME Office.
Dates
-Rotation Schedule
-Attendance record-Leave history

Held for minimum of 2 years with a maximum of 5 years after residency ends, at which point disposed.

PGME Office to be responsible for any leave information affecting training dates.
Application information
-CaRMS and other application information		 PGME to hold. Storage at secondary offices not advised. (DalCLASS ST26)
Academic information
-Field Notes
-Presentations-Postgraduate trainee Project Forms and Completed Project

Presentations → If program deems of value can hold for 3 years after presentation was delivered then can send to university archives (DalCLASS ER33)
Financials
-Expense sheets and reimbursements		 Held for a minimum of 2 years with a maximum of 5 years after residency ends, at which point disposed.
Other
-Notes, Correspondence, Miscellaneous

Professional Development → 5 years (DalCLASS HR61)

Research grants → retained for 10 years if you distribute the funds, 3 years if not (DalCLASS RS12) Everything else → Held for minimum of 2 years with a maximum of 5 years after residency ends at which point disposed. Unless program thinks may be important (ex. legal information) and should consult PGME to see if it needs to go into PGME record.