FRCPC | CCFP-EM

FRCPC Residency in Emergency Medicine

Program Contacts

Ian Rigby MD FRCPC Program Director Email: Ian.rigby@albertahealthservices.ca

	Judy Mackay Residency Program Administrator Email: judy.mackay@albertahealthservices.ca
	Madhavi Talasila Residency Program Administrator Email: madhavi.talasila@albertahealthservices.ca

Department of Emergency Medicine

Room C231, Foothills Medical Centre
1403 – 29 Street NW
Calgary, AB  T2N 2T9

Phone: 403-944-1635
Fax: 403-944-2419

Program Goals

The goal of the Royal College Emergency Medicine Residency Program at the University of Calgary is to educate physicians who wish to pursue an academic career in Emergency Medicine, including involvement in research and education. Graduates of the program will be thoroughly trained in all aspects of Emergency Medicine, including toxicology, trauma, prehospital care, air transport, disaster medicine, and environmental medicine. They will be able to demonstrate consultant level abilities in the recognition, understanding, and management of patients with any illness or injury presenting to the Emergency Department, and will be well-prepared for clinical, academic, and leadership roles within the specialty.

Curriculum

The Emergency Medicine Residency Program is five years in duration, including the PGY-1 year, and is an integrated university-based program that involves the multiple, participating training sites listed above. Residents are evaluated on an ongoing basis by means of direct observation, as well as biannual in-training written and quarterly oral exams. The program director reviews resident progress on a quarterly basis, and residents completing the University of Calgary program have had a extremely high success rate on the Royal College written and oral examinations.

PGY-1

The objectives of the first year of the program are to consolidate clinical skills, to gain clinical experience in other disciplines relevant to Emergency Medicine (including General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Anesthesia) and to provide at least three months experience in Emergency Medicine.

PGY-2-3

During the early years of the program, broad-based training in a variety of disciplines continues, consistent with the broad-based knowledge base required in the specialty of Emergency Medicine. Core training includes Critical Care (Cardiac, Intensive, and Pediatric Intensive Care), Orthopedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and EMS. One month of elective time is available in both the PGY-2 and the PGY-3 years. Each resident spends a dedicated month in their PGY-3 year being formally trained to be an independent practitioner of ED ultrasound.

PGY-4-5

In addition to training in Emergency Department Administration, Toxicology, and Air Transport Medicine with the Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS), considerable flexibility and extensive elective time exists to allow residents the opportunity to pursue areas of special interest within the discipline, which may include a concentrated period of training in a selected domain of Emergency Medicine (e.g. Masters of medical education, epidemiology). Emphasis during Emergency Department rotations is placed on graded responsibility, so that senior residents can concentrate on developing the leadership and consultant skills necessary to function effectively as a specialist Emergency Physician in a busy Emergency Department. In addition to assuming increasing responsibility for the management of patients in the Emergency Department, the chief resident has organizational, academic, and administrative responsibilities, which include the scheduling and teaching of more junior house staff and medical students.

Here is an example of our 5-year resident rotation schedule

Example 5yr schedule

Research

Formal training in critical appraisal, biostatistics, and evidence-based medicine is provided for all resident.  A research project will be developed with the assistance of a faculty preceptor in an area of mutual interest.  The interdepartmental research block, early in R2 year, features expert lectures on research methodology and small group interaction for project development lead by emergency faculty.  Residents are given one to one statistical support as well.  Time and resources are supplied throughout the remainder of the residency.

Residents are encouraged to present their research each year at the Emergency Medicine Research Day (a high-profile event in our program), as well as at national and international meetings. Conference leave is allowed in each year, and a book/conference travel fund is available annually to residents. Some funding for projects is made available through the Emergency Medicine Research Endowment Fund.

Seminars

The formal academic program is intensive and well organized. Approximately five hours per week are spent in various types of rounds and seminars (often interactive or case-based) for the purpose of teaching the curriculum of emergency medicine. This is concentrated in an academic half-day every Thursday afternoon, and residents are guaranteed to be excused from their clinical responsibilities in order to attend. Journal Club is held monthly, and includes a review with the staff of the latest literature, as well as a focus on interpreting the statistics. There is an annual resident educational retreat in the Rocky Mountains, which is highly regarded by the residents. Practice exams occur quarterly and written exams twice yearly. Use of the Human Patient Simulator for complex cognitive testing is incorporated 4-6 times per year.

Extra-curricular activities

The residency program, although rigorous, is humane, and numerous outings and get-togethers take place. Journal Club is held monthly, usually at the home of one of the Emergency Department staff physicians. There are also the annual welcoming and end-of-year parties, golf and ski days, the Department Christmas party, a Research Day dinner, and the annual weekend retreat held in the nearby mountains.

Selection Criteria

All selection to the residency program is through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). The following criteria will be considered in the selection process:

Academic performance

Interest in emergency medicine (e.g. elective rotations or research project).

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Letters of Reference. Note: At least one letter of reference from a specialist emergency physician working in an academic centre is strongly encouraged. More than one reference from such a physician strengthens the application.

The candidate must have demonstrated proficiency in those areas important for the specialty of Emergency Medicine (e.g. clinical judgment and decision-making ability).

The candidate must be considered likely to make a significant contribution to the specialty of Emergency Medicine (commitment, leadership).

Interviews

Our program relies heavily on the use of a single structured interview day. We have an agreement with other programs in emergency medicine across Canada to interview applicants on our assigned date. Interviews are held in early February of each year. Applications are reviewed by members of the Selection Committee, and we will contact applicants selected for interviews.

Approximately 15-20 applicants will be invited to interview on the basis of their academic record, curriculum vitae, personal letter and letters of reference. On-site interviews are mandatory, and the interview process occupies the entire day. Each applicant will have three interviews of 30 minutes each. Candidates are given the opportunity to meet our current residents, to tour the various Emergency Departments used as teaching sites in the residency program, and are given a tour of the city of Calgary. An informal lunch is offered at which our current residents and teaching faculty make themselves available to answer any questions.

Personal Letter

A personal letter is required by mid-November. Candidates should explain their motivation for pursuing Royal College specialty training in Emergency Medicine, their career goals, and their reasons for choosing Calgary as a training site. They should outline their interests and accomplishments, discuss their own strengths and weaknesses, consider the pros and cons of a career in Emergency Medicine, and describe what personal qualities make them suitable for a career in Emergency Medicine.

Reference Letters

A minimum of three letters of reference from staff physicians is required. Letters from senior residents will not be accepted. Letters of reference from practicing Royal College-trained Emergency Physicians are strongly encouraged. The program requires that all references be sent to them directly.

Program Strengths

The Royal College Emergency Medicine Residency Program at the University of Calgary has a collegial philosophy and noncompetitive atmosphere. A close, mutually supportive relationship exists amongst the residents, and a close working relationship exists between the faculty and residents.

There is a large faculty of Royal College certified, residency-trained Emergency Physicians who are dedicated and committed to teaching, and many have made substantial contributions in academic Emergency Medicine. The Departments of Emergency Medicine are well respected in each of the teaching hospitals. FRCPC residents only work with FRCPC-trained emergency physicians while on rotation in any Emergency Department in the city.

The educational resources, including an extensive and varied patient population, are excellent. The resident’s office is well-equipped with a computer, access to a laptop computer and LCD projector for rounds presentations, and current issues of journals such as Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports, Emergency Medical Abstracts, Journal Watch for Emergency Medicine, and the CD-ROM version of Emergency Medicine Reports. Current issues of the standard texts in Emergency Medicine (Rosen, Tintinalli, and Roberts & Hedges) are also available.

Particular expertise exists in Air Transport, Toxicology, and Prehospital Care, as the Medical Directors of STARS Air Ambulance, the Poison Centre, and EMS are all Royal College-trained Emergency Medicine faculty.

Calgary’s proximity to the resort towns of Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise make it an attractive place to live and work.

Finally, the program has benefited enormously from the tremendous contributions and hard work of so many outstanding former and current residents.