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Adult Gastroenterology

Welcome to the Adult Gastroenterology Residency Program at the University of Alberta.


Interview/CaRMS Information

The interview date is Tuesday September 14, 2021. Interviews will be held virtually (eg. Zoom) 

Those invited to interview will be contacted via email by the GI Medical Education Program Coordinator (Ms. Carrie Anne Cyre).

Notification/Invitation:Program will notify all applicants through CaRMS Online and will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview. 

Details regarding the interview process:All applications will be reviewed by the Program Director and 1-2 members of the GI Division. The top applicants will be contacted via email for an interview.

The schedule for the day will include:

  • Information session about the program with the Program Director
  • Virtual interviews 

Interviewees will be interviewed by two panel groups of GI Physicians, teachers and GI chief resident(s). 

At the University of Alberta, we are looking for candidates that are well-rounded and have excellent critical thinking and communication skills, a growth mindset, and a genuine interest in gastroenterology. As a busy clinical training centre, we are looking for residents that are hard working and have a high level of resilience and stamina. A commitment to professionalism is essential. Experience in leadership and/or research during residency is an asset.

Information from both the file review and the interview will be reviewed by the GI Program Director and the RPC to generate a rank list.

See CaRMS site for more details.

During the interview day there is an Introduction to Gastroenterology at the University of Alberta, as well as GI Staff and residents available for Q&As

International candidates are welcome to apply, but must have completed internal medicine residency in Canada. They receive the same information and will be interviewed on the same day as the general candidates on CaRMS interview day.

Only candidates certificated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Internal Medicine are eligible for the Certificate of Special Competence in Gastroenterology.

Contact Us

Department of Medicine 
University of Alberta 
Zeidler Ledcor Centre
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2X8
780-492-4873


TBA

Program Director

Daniyal Khan
Medical Education Program Coordinator
gi.education@ualberta.ca

TBA
Program Director

Daniyal Khan
Medical Education Program Coordinator

 

Welcome to Our Program

Thank you for your interest in the University of Alberta, Division of Gastroenterology Residency Training Program.

We are a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Accredited Program and offer a two-year educational training program in Gastroenterology, designed with all aspects for you to become a fully trained Royal College of Canada-certified consultant gastroenterologist

While two years is the minimum duration of the Royal College accredited GI training, the University of Alberta is specifically interested in learners who are seriously considering advanced clinical and research Fellowship training after completion of their Gastroenterology Residency Training Program.

Our program has a long history of training residents in gastroenterology with our first graduates completing their training in the early 1970's. The majority of our trainees go on to advanced gastroenterology fellowships both nationally and internationally. We are fortunate to have a wealth of both clinical and research expertise in our Division, with experience in liver transplant, viral and autoimmune liver disease, motility, nutrition, advanced endoscopic therapeutics (including ERCP, EUS, Balloon-Assisted Endoscopy, Capsule Endoscopy, and SpyGlass™) and IBD.

In addition, our Gastroenterology Residency Training Program is closely integrated into one of Canada's largest gastrointestinal clinical trial units where residents have the opportunity to not only participate in clinical trial operations but to learn and experience the very latest in therapeutics.

The Gastroenterology Residency Training Program is housed in the Division of Gastroenterology on the University of Alberta campus. The Division itself is located adjacent to the University of Alberta Hospital in its own 30,000 sq foot state of the art building, the Zeidler Ledcor Centre, providing onsite faculty offices, resident offices, clinical trial and research space, outpatient clinics seeing over 10,000 patients annually and a biologic infusion center.

The University of Alberta Hospital, is a quaternary referral research and teaching hospital with over 800 inpatient beds and a dedicated gastroenterology and hepatology ward.

The Allan H. Owen Endoscopy Suite, located at the University of Alberta Hospital is a world-class facility utilized for education, research and clinical care. Over 16,000 inpatients and outpatients, annually, are seen through the Allan H. Owen Endoscopy Suite in the Division of Gastroenterology at the University of Alberta Hospital.

Residents will also rotate through the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Downtown Edmonton, and through at least one of the Grey Nuns Community Hospital or the Misericordia Community Hospital. A focus of our program is our academic half day; which has a structured 2-year curriculum in which the majority of sessions are staff-led presentations/discussions. Residents entering our program are also paired with a Career Advisor who will help you navigate the challenges of post-residency training and beyond.

The Center of Excellence for Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Immunity Research (CEGIIR) is a $22M research facility with an outstanding human database and biobank that will enable the Residents and Fellows to engage in translational research projects with Canada's top gastrointestinal scientists. Areas of major strength include: the gut microbiome; metabolomics; artificial intelligence; precision health; virtual reality; point-of-care device engineering; hand-eye mechanical optics for health care training; hepatitis B and C and vaccine development.

We also have advanced Fellowship training programs that the learner can enter into after their Residency is completed. These include transplant and viral hepatology, inflammatory bowel disease, advanced therapeutic endoscopy, motility, and nutrition. Each of these Fellowships can be combined with research expertise from CEGIIR and across the University to ensure the learner develops a highly competitive resume that can afford global position opportunities. For those fellows with special interests the Division of Gastroenterology has access to additional training and learning prospects around the world.

We are confident that we can train you to become compassionate and competent gastroenterologists. We hope to impart the necessary skills and resources for you to reach your potential and continue to develop as your career progresses. Please explore our website and feel free to contact us if you have questions about our training program.


Our Program

We are a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Accredited Program and offer a two-year educational training program in Gastroenterology, designed with all aspects for you to become a fully trained Royal College of Canada-certified consultant gastroenterologist.

Program Highlights

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Well-developed and interactive Academic Half Day.
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Busy and diverse Ward service.
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Robust and active Career Mentoring program.
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Excellent staff with a variety of experience and specializations including advanced endoscopy, liver transplant, nutrition, and motility.
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Full day Introduction to Endoscopy Course helps provide a general overview of endoscopy skills and techniques for new R4s.


Program Supports

  • Residents are supported by a team of staff physicians who are dedicated to teaching and are available for casual mentoring.
  • To foster successful career development of the Gastroenterology Resident, a one-on-one advisor will be assigned to each resident in the program to meet 3 to 4 times per year. Career Mentor forms are standardized and capture the discussion between Mentor and resident and are saved in the resident’s file. 
  • Academic Advisors are assigned to all residents at the start of R4 year. 
  • The AA meets every two months with learners to review progress and provide feedback to identify strengths and areas for growth.
    • Support the learner
    • Encourage reflection
    • Revelop goals and strategies
    • Confidential support

Residency at a Glance

 

This residency program is for 2 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

The two clinical years of the program consist of 26 (4-week) blocks, including 8 weeks of vacation. The training experiences are divided into 4 phases of ‘Competence by Design’ with the following structure:

 

Transition to Discipline (2 blocks)

Consults (UAH) – 1 block

Ward (UAH) – ½ block

Research – ½ block

Foundations of Discipline (5 blocks)

Ward (UAH) – 1 block

Consults (RAH) – 1 block

Endoscopy I – 1 block

Clinic – 1 block

Elective/Buffer – 1 block

Core of Discipline (14-16 blocks)

Consults (UAH) – 1-2 blocks

Consults (RAH) – 1 block

Ward – Jr Attending (UAH) - 1-2 blocks

Hepatology (Inpatient/Transplant) - 1 block

Community GI (GNH/MIS) – 1 block

Endoscopy II – 1 block

Nutrition (RAH) – 1 block

Motility (UAH) – 1 block

Clinic – 1 block

Longitudinal Clinic – 1 year

Research – 1 block

Elective/Buffer – 3-5 blocks

Transition to Practice (3 blocks)

Consults (UAH) – 1 block

Endoscopy III – 1 block

Elective/Buffer – 1 block

Buffer/elective time has been built into the framework to allow residents extra time in a phase of training to help them attain the competencies of each phase of training.

Available Elective Rotations

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gastrointestinal Oncology

Pathology

Research

Senior GI Mentorship


Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to complete an elective at the University of Alberta to be considered for an interview?
Electives in Edmonton will not not be considered in the ranking process as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on elective rotation scheduling.
Does the program take AIMG or GULF residents?
If the resident meets all requirements, including having completed Internal Medicine Residency in Canada, they will be considered for an interview.  AIMG/GULF interviews will be on the same day as CaRMS interviews.
Do I have to know how to scope before applying to the GI Residency Program?

No. Learning how to scope is an integral part of GI Residency Training, and R4s will attend a full day Introduction to Endoscopy course at the start of their training.


Resident Testimonials

I feel very fortunate to have trained in the Edmonton Gastroenterology program. Both clinical and endoscopic teaching is superb and certainly made me feel prepared to start independent practice. There are ample research opportunities and keen mentors to facilitate this process. The core GI program learning goals are well structured to be met along the way, but the program still has plenty of room to accommodate individual interests/goals. There are ample subspecialty training opportunities and I found that my work with the IBD team and clinical trials unit was invaluable to the day-to-day work I do now. I would highly recommend the University of Alberta program.

– Vojaslav Jovanovic (2016)

 

The University of Alberta Gastroenterology Training program offers access to a group of outstanding physicians with expertise in all GI-related subspecialties as well as community-based GI physicians. The two-year program is organized in such a way as to ensure core GI elements are experienced with enough leeway to tailor one's learning to include personal interests. As a trainee, I felt as though multiple staff members had a clear interest in my success inclusive of my future goals and employment for which their collegial intellectualism and mentorship were key. Overall, the program prepared me for independent practice.

– Shawn Wasilenko (2016)

 

The Edmonton Gastroenterology program provided an incredible breadth of clinical exposure, research experience, and training using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The GI staff were not only excellent teachers and role-models but mentors as well.

– Dustin Loomes (2014)

 

The GI program in Edmonton is a well-balanced program. I truly loved training here! Residents have an excellent exposure to all specialties within GI: transplant hepatology, general hepatology, motility, nutrition, IBD, and advanced therapeutic endoscopy. I felt that training at this busy referral center leaves you well versed in the assessment and management of complex cases, especially in IBD and transplant-hepatology. There are great research mentors to work with. I felt that my educational needs always came first and I was well supported by an amazing group of Gastroenterologists I am now proud to now call my colleagues.

– Dr. Pernilla D'Souza (2013)

 

The University of Alberta IBD training program provided me with world class training. It has provided me with the confidence to run a clinical practice and fostered my research interest in bowel ultrasound. I was fortunate to meet many world leaders in IBD who came for visiting professorships to U of A. Transitioning from an IBD fellow to a faculty position was seamless in regards to starting my research career and managing complex IBD cases, as I had been exposed to many during my training. The U of A program stands out with its large clinical trials unit, interdisciplinary teams, supportive faculty, and in particular, its inpatient IBD service. Patients that are admitted are often the most ill or complex. Following these patients on a daily basis allowed me to observe the intricacies that can occur in IBD, the natural history of IBD, and its response to a variety of medical options including surgery. Overall, the U of A training program has innumerable strengths and I am very happy with the training I received.

– Cathy Lu