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EnglishHow to Find Key Resources on the Royal College Website
Updated
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada website (royalcollege.ca) organizes its content around who you are and what you need to do. To find key resources quickly, start from the main navigation menu, then narrow down by your role — resident, practising physician, exam candidate, or member of the public — and use the site search when the menu labels don't match your task. The steps below describe how to move from the homepage to the specific page you need.
Start with the main navigation
The homepage is a hub, not a directory. Its top-level menu is the fastest route to most resources. Typical sections you can expect to see include:
- Education and training — residency, fellowship, and accreditation information
- Exams and assessment — exam dates, formats, and candidate resources
- Credentials and certification — how physicians become and stay certified
- Membership — benefits, fees, and account access
- Standards and policy — professional standards and position statements
- News and events — announcements, courses, and conferences
Because menu labels can change, treat this list as a map of categories rather than exact link names. If a label doesn't match your task, try the closest synonym before giving up on the menu.
Choose your entry point by role
The same information is often written differently depending on who is reading it. Pick the path that matches your situation:
| If you are… | Look for… |
|---|---|
| An exam candidate | Exam resources, candidate information, or assessment pages |
| A resident or fellow | Education, training, or residency sections |
| A practising physician | Membership, maintenance of certification, or CPD |
| A program director or educator | Accreditation, standards, or faculty resources |
| A member of the public | About us, complaints, or public information pages |
If you land on a page written for a different audience, use the breadcrumb trail or section menu to move sideways into the version meant for you.
Use site search when the menu fails
Menus reflect the organization's structure, not your question. When you know the exact term — a program name, a form, a policy title — the site search box is usually faster than clicking through categories. Type the most specific phrase you can, then scan results for pages under the section that matches your role. Search works best with official terminology, so if a plain-language query returns nothing, try the formal name of the program or document.
Verify you're on the right page
Before relying on a page, check three things:
- Audience label — does it address you directly, or is it aimed at another group?
- Date or version — policies and exam formats change; confirm you're reading the current version.
- Contact or help link — most sections include a contact route for questions the page doesn't answer.
If you still can't find what you need, the contact or help page is the correct next step rather than guessing at a URL. Staff can point you to the exact resource or confirm whether it exists publicly.
Common sticking points
- Assuming one menu fits all. The site serves multiple audiences; the same topic may appear in more than one section.
- Using lay terms in search. Official program and document names return better results.
- Stopping at a summary page. Overview pages often link to the detailed forms, schedules, or policies you actually need — follow those links.
The site's structure is designed to route you by role and task, so the reliable method is: pick your audience, choose the matching section, then search for the specific term if the menu doesn't get you there.