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Cardiology

Welcome to the Cardiology Residency Program at the University of Alberta.

 

preparation

Trainees are provided with learning experiences and assessments that support their development into highly skilled and confident cardiologists

 

flexibility

Flexibility in this program enables trainees to tailor their skillset to become highly competitive in fellowships and job markets

 

WELLNESS

This program emphasizes wellness, balance, and resilience to prepare trainees for a long and satisfying career

 


Interview/CaRMS Specific Information 

Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents: August 20, 2024 @ 10 a.m. MT (or 12 p.m. ET)

Foreign Sponsored Trainees: July 31, 2024

Program Information Session: September 9, 2024

Interview Days: September 10, 12 and 13, 2024

 

More information about the interview process can be found on our Application Process page.

Contact Us

Dr. Craig Butler
Program Director, Cardiology Residency Program
crbutler@ualberta.ca
780-407-6826

Melissa Peters
Program Coordinator
780-248-1441

Dr. Nathan Gamble
Cardiology Lead Resident
cardres@ualberta.ca

Dr. Kai Yi Wu
Cardiology Lead Resident

 


Dr. Craig Butler
Program Director

 

Melissa Peters
Program Coordinator

Welcome to Our Program

The University of Alberta offers a comprehensive training program in Adult Cardiology with a large complement of organized training experiences designed to enable each trainee to meet and exceed the Cardiology objectives mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Our program is committed to training outstanding Cardiologists who are well equipped to excel as contemporary cardiovascular specialists, making them in high demand for fellowship and staff positions, and fostering their career goals across the broad spectrum of available opportunities within Cardiology.

Our program follows the objectives for subspecialty training in Adult Cardiology put forth by the RCPSC and the Bethesda Task Force in Adult Cardiology Training of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The foundational principles of general internal medicine training are applicable to Cardiology; however, major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases have increased the demands on the cardiovascular specialist and require an ongoing re-evaluation of cardiovascular training. With support from the University of Alberta Division of Cardiology, we have created an environment that fosters the development of knowledge, clinical skills, judgment, compassion, and attitudes essential to the modern Cardiologist and encourages our trainees to cultivate an attitude of scholarship and dedication to continuing education that will remain throughout their professional careers.

Dr. Craig Butler
Program Director


Our Program

Program Highlights

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Accreditation: Successful Royal College program accreditation in 2017 with no identified weaknesses

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Adult Congenital Heart Disease: We are a referral centre for congenital heart surgery and have one of the busiest adult congenital heart disease clinics in Canada, following nearly 1800 people

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Backup Call Coverage: We support our early cardiology trainees with six blocks of procedural backup call coverage. This is currently the longest such backup call among Adult Cardiology residency training programs in Canada

Outside Calls: Our trainees get early hands on exposure to providing support to community physicians' cardiology issues and assisting with patient transfer decisions. The Provincial physician support line streamlines looping cardiology attendings, air transport, and other clinical services into discussions in real time

Diversity: Our program places a priority on equity and diversity, and acknowledges our social responsibility to train Cardiologists that reflect and support the diversity of the Canadian population we serve

Family Friendly: We offer generous maternity and paternity leaves

Residency at a Glance

Starting July 2021, Adult Cardiology residency training programs across Canada implemented a curriculum commonly referred to as Competency by Design (CBD) which is based on the model of competency-based medical education. Each trainee will advance through four stages of training and within each stage will complete Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and milestones which are based on the CanMEDS framework

Learn More About CBD

Year 1
The introductory year provides our trainees with a solid foundation in basic clinical cardiology. Trainees undertake multiple rotations in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) and Wards, perform in-patient and out-patient consult services, and begin training in the foundations of echocardiography, electrophysiology, congenital heart disease, and interventional cardiology. During Year 1, trainees will complete the Transition to Discipline and Foundation of Discipline stages of CBD and begin working on the Core of Discipline stage.
Year 2
Trainees continue expanding on the knowledge and experience gained in Year 1 and begin learning about nuclear cardiology and advanced cardiac imaging. Trainees are scheduled for dedicated research and elective time which allows them to explore individual interests within cardiology and gain exposure to other cardiac health care centres. If trainees are interested in pursuing a fellowship after residency, mentors within the Division will provide assistance with setting up specialized elective opportunities to support these endeavours. Trainees continue to work on the Core of Discipline stage of CBD in Year 2.
Year 3
The final year of the program further expands upon the training opportunities provided in Years 1 and 2, including more dedicated research and elective time, and prepares the resident to transition to the next stage of their career pursuits. Trainees must demonstrate readiness for autonomous practice as a cardiologist before the successful completion of the program. Residents complete the Core of Discipline and Transition to Practice stages of CBD which concludes the curriculum provided by the Royal College. Upon successful completion, graduates are qualified to take the Royal College Comprehensive Objective Examination in Adult Cardiology the following Fall.
Electives

Cardiology Residency Training Program at the University of Alberta Hospital offers the following electives for Medical Students and Internal Medicine Residents

  • CCU
  • Ward
  • Consults
  • Ambulatory Clinics
  • EP

In addition Cardiology Residents who are interested in pursuing an elective at the University of Alberta Hospital can choose one of the above electives as well as

  • Echo
  • MRI
  • Cardiac Cath
  • Transplant
  • Adult Congenital Heart Disease

If you would like to apply for any of the electives please contact:

Cardiology Medical Education Program Coordinator
E-mail: medncard@ualberta.ca

Please note that with every request for elective a CV and a letter of objectives is required.


Teaching Hospitals

Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute

A unique feature of our program is trainee access to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, commonly referred to as “the Maz”, a world class cardiac health care facility that opened in July 2009. As the primary training site for our program, the Maz provides our residents with invaluable experience providing cardiac care to a diverse mix of urban and rural populations while being supported by highly skilled Cardiologists, Cardiovascular Surgeons, and dedicated cardiac health care professionals. The Maz provides our residents with access to state-of-the-art equipment, enabling them to carry out the full spectrum of available diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation options for their patients, all with the convenience of being under one roof.

Facts about the Maz:

  • Serves the urban Edmonton and area population as well as the rural populations of northern Alberta through RAAPID North
  • Home to 14 multidisciplinary cardiac research centres including the Alberta Cardiovascular and Stroke Research Centre (ABACUS), Cardiovascular Research Centre (CVRC), and Servier Virtual Cardiac Centre
  • Home to the Jim Pattison Centre for Heart Health, one of two sites that support the Northern Alberta Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (NACRP)

The Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute is supported by the University Hospital Foundation (UHF). Read the latest Annual Report for the Maz here.

University of Alberta Hospital 

The Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute is attached to the University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) which is the largest medical complex in Edmonton. The UAH complex contains the Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre (WMC) and Stollery Children's Hospital and is connected to or within a short walking distance of the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA), Zeidler Ledcor Centre (ZLC), and Cross Cancer Institute (CCI). Our residents support the UAH Emergency Department and offer inpatient consults as requested. Residents also undertake training in pediatric congenital heart disease at the Stollery as part of their scheduled rotations and have the option of completing electives at UAH in other Internal Medicine subspecialties, Critical Care Medicine, Cardiac Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Transplant. Medical education for University of Alberta trainees is supported through on-site administration offices in ECHA, ZLC, and the Clinical Sciences Building (CSB). 

The University of Alberta Hospital is supported by the University Hospital Foundation (UHF). Read the latest Annual Report for the UHF here.

Royal Alexandra Hospital 

The Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) is the second-largest medical complex in Edmonton and home of the CK Hui Heart Centre which opened to patients in May 2011. Residents in our program complete some of their scheduled rotations at RAH including CICU, Echocardiography, Electrophysiology, Exercise Stress Testing, and Interventional. The nearby Hys Medical Centre is home to the Edmonton Cardiology Consultants office which accepts patient referrals and offers another training facility for our residents. Also nearby are the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, the second Edmonton site that supports the NACRP, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, and the Eye Institute of Alberta.

RAH is supported by the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation (RAHF). Read the latest Annual Report here.


Program Supports

  • Educational Rounds: Dedicated and comprehensive, up to 8 hours/week, including academic half-day, bedside physical examination, hemodynamics, angiography and interventional cardiology, advanced cardiac imaging, ECG and electrophysiology, journal clubs, research rounds, and Program Director rounds.
  • Trainees also have frequent preparatory exams and an annual OSCE.

resident testimonials

Our residents share some of their experiences with our program as well as what they like about Edmonton, their highlights of the program, or one piece of advice for applicants about the interview process. Here is what a few of them had to say.

 

 “An excellent place to do residency training. The clinical exposure is world class. You will be well trained to deal with any acuity ill patient."

–Sanam Verma (PGY6)

 

"Absolutely loving the program. Very supportive staff and admins who made me feel at home from day one. Training is top notch and research opportunities are great and diverse.”

–Motasem Alyamani (PGY6)

 

“The University of Alberta Adult Cardiology program is an extraordinary training program for several reasons. Firstly, the program is dedicated to resident learning. Our Program Director and his colleagues are very receptive to resident feedback and continually seek to improve the program. The program is very accommodating to however you would like to tailor your residency”

–Haran Yogasundaram (PGY 4)

 

“I was exposed to patients with a wide array of pathology and I had the opportunity to learn from talent from across the globe on the cutting edge of medicine.”

– Ermin Nath (PGY6)

 

“Friendly and approachable attending physicians, particularly when on call.”

– Matt Church (PGY 4)

 

“I am now four months into training and surely blessed with my choice."

– Rabia Kashur (PGY4)