men wearing hard hats

Occupational Medicine Residency Program

Welcome to the Occupational Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alberta.


Interview/CaRMS Specific Information 

You will need to apply through CaRMS MSM (Medicine Subspecialty Match).

Access Program Description

Scroll down to find 'Occupational Medicine' in the list of disciplines, and then you can click on 'University of Alberta', and 'Edmonton - Competitive Stream for all'.

Interview dates: Interviews will be arranged to suit the availability of applicants.

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

Interview process: All interviews will be conducted virtually using ZOOM, Skype or Google Meet

Contact Us

Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau
5-30 University Terrace
8303-112 Street
Edmonton, AB T6G 2T4
Email: durandmo@ualberta.ca

Darlene Glaser
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Occupational Medicine, University of Alberta
13-133 Clinical Sciences Building
11350 - 83 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6G 2P4
Email: mepocmed@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-492-6771
Fax: 780-492-9677

Occ Med Resident's Corner


Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau
Program Director

Darlene Glaser
Medical Education Program Coordinator

Welcome to OUR PROGRAM

The University of Alberta (U of A) Occupational Medicine Residency Program was accredited by the RCPSC since 1987. It is a small program, so you will have the opportunity to quickly get to know the people involved in the program's teaching and mentoring. The two-year Subspecialty program is organized based on the Standards of Training Requirements (STR) provided by the RCPSC.

The program includes various rotations, including:

Some of these rotations involve traveling out of town.

There is also an academic half day (AHD), organized with the other Canadian universities that have Occupational Medicine residency programs (Université de Montréal and University of Toronto) that is teleconferenced so you can still participate if you are on an out-of-town industry rotation. Training is provided in English (mais certains d'entre nous parlent couramment le français). All Canadian residents benefit from this national AHD as it helps them prepare for the RCPSC Occupational Medicine exam!

Below, you will find the answers to some questions you may have about our Subspecialty program. Feel free to give a click, and get in touch with us if you have more questions! We will be happy to answer and update this webpage.

Dr. Quentin Durand-Moreau
Program Director


Program highlights

Residents will become capable of assuming consultants' roles including:

  • protecting and promoting workers' health;
  • sustain and improve their working capacity;
  • contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a safe and health working environment for all; and
  • promote the adaptation of the work to the capabilities of workers, taking into account their state of health.
Residents are encouraged and supported to attend international conferences in Occupational Medicine during their residency. In years 2021 and 2022, all Occupational Medicine residents in our program have successfully obtained a scholarship from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, to attend the American Occupational Health Conference.
Residents are encouraged to get some learning experiences in various learning sites located in Alberta. Electives are strongly encouraged in learning sites in Canada such as the University of Toronto, Canadian Center for Health and Safety in Agriculture (Saskatoon), or even in the US, at the University of West Virginia, and NIOSH. We are open to residents' suggestions of elective rotation sites to help them fulfill their educational needs. Funding is provided to residents to facilitate these extremely valuable learning experiences.
We support residents who are willing to get involved in academic research projects, by offering opportunities to collaborate in studies during their residency.
Our program provides clinical and academic teaching (i.e. academic half days) to residents in order to prepare them to sit for the Royal College certification examination in Occupational Medicine. These goals are based on core documents for the sub-specialty. 
This includes the Objectives of Training in the Sub-specialty of Occupational Medicine edited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the Occupational Medicine Core Competencies developed by the Occupational Medicine Specialists of Canada and the Code of Ethics of the International Commission on Occupational Health.

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.

All residents attend a weekly academic half day.

Year 1

The first year is dedicated to core training (Occupational Hygiene, Toxicology, Ergonomics..), and rotations with the Workers' Compensation Board.

Year 2

During the second year, the resident will have increased autonomy, and industry placements in which they will have opportunities to practice Occupational Medicine and apply the experience earned during the first year.  The resident will participate longitudinally in the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinics, two afternoons per week.

Typical field placements include:
  • Alberta Jobs, Economy and Trade
  • Alberta Health Services Environmental Public Health (EPH)
  • Alberta Health Services Workplace Health and Safety
  • Ambulatory Clinics
  • Audiology and Pulmonary Function Test Lab (PFT)
  • Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture (CCHSA)
  • College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)
  • EWI Works (Ergonomics)
  • Imperial Oil
  • Mental Health
  • Millard Health Centre
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic
  • Occupational Hygiene
  • Pinchin Ltd. Occupational Health and Safety
  • Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS)
  • Sleep Medicine Clinic
  • Suncor Energy
  • University of Alberta, Environment, Health and Safety (U of A EHS)
  • WestJet
  • Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB)

Teaching Hospitals

The main training site is the University of Alberta Hospital. Other training sites are utilized during the field placements. The majority of these are within Edmonton although some may require travel to other parts of Alberta. Funds are available to help support resident’s additional expenses incurred during rotations outside Edmonton.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is Occupational Medicine about?

In a nutshell, Occupational Medicine is the field of medicine that deals with the relationship between work and health, meaning:

  • The impact of work on heath (e.g. determining whether a disease is work-related or not),
  • The impact of health on work (e.g. providing an opinion on fitness for work, workstation improvements…)

It could include anything that has to do with work exposures such as asbestos, chemicals, extreme working environments, noise, ionizing radiation etc. It also includes assessing the organization of a workplace, management techniques and psychosocial hazards.

But of course, there are more specific definitions that we can provide:

  • According to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (RCPSC) of Canada, Occupational Medicine is "that branch of medicine that emphasizes prevention and deals clinically and administratively with the health need of both individuals and groups with respect to their working environments and includes the recognition, evaluation, control, management and rehabilitation of occupationally related diseases and injuries, and other conditions affecting ability to work.". Information on Occupational Medicine provided by the RCPSC.
  • According to the International Commission on Occupational health (ICOH), physicians involved in workers' care should aim to:
    • Protect and promote workers' health,
    • Sustain and improve their working capacity and ability,
    • Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a safe and healthy working environment for all, and
    • Promote the adaptation of work to the capabilities of workers, taking into account their state of health.

More Information About ICOH

Why should I do Occupational Medicine as a Subspecialty?

We want you to do any Specialty you enjoy, because it is about your practice and your future! But most people just do not know about our Specialty. So we would like to give you a little taste of what it is about, so you have the best information to make your own choice!

Whatever your fields of interest in medicine are (whether it be Respirology, Rheumatology, Rehabilitation Medicine, Toxicology, Psychiatry etc.), there is always a link with work settings! For people do not want to limit their practice to a single Subspecialty, but would like to have a varied practice in a recognized subspecialty by the RCPSC, Occupational Medicine is an excellent Subspecialty option!

For those who want to learn new things every day, Occupational Medicine is also an excellent option for you! People love to explain what their job is about when they are given the opportunity to do so. As an Occupational Medicine specialist, they will be meeting you to discuss the possible links between their health status and their job.
Canada needs you as a physician, whatever your Specialty will be. However, there is a huge need for Occupational Medicine Specialists in the country. Our residency program is an excellent route for a practice in Occupational Medicine. You will not have to worry about job opportunities in Canada and there are plenty of opportunities to even have a "global" practice!

There are several practice types in Occupational Medicine: clinical consultant, advisor for the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) or the government, academic and research, corporate and industry roles and often, a blend of many of these roles. Employment opportunities do exist in all of these types of positions. Working as an Occupational Medicine Specialist also allows you to keep an adequate work-personal balance with having an outpatient practice and eventually, no in-house call.

How is the training at the University of Alberta?

The University of Alberta (U of A) has a program accredited by the RCPSC since 1987. It is a small program, so you will have the opportunity to quickly get to know the people involved in the program's teaching and mentoring. The two-year Subspecialty program is organized based on the Standards of Training Requirements (STR) provided by the RCPS.

The program includes various rotations, including the Occupational and Environmental Clinic at the U of A Hospital, the WCB of Alberta (AB), AB Labour and Immigration - Occupational Health and Safety, Imperial Oil, Millard Health Centre , Syncrude Canada and many others. Some of these rotations involve traveling out of town.

There is also an academic half day (AHD), organized with the other Canadian universities that have Occupational Medicine residency programs (Université de Montréal and University of Toronto) that is teleconferenced so you can still participate if you are on an out-of-town industry rotation. Training is provided in English (mais certains d'entre nous parlent couramment le français). All Canadian residents benefit from this national AHD as it helps them prepare for the RCPSC Occupational Medicine exam!

I am not sure I would like to do Occupational Medicine, is there a possibility to do an elective?

We would be happy to welcome you for your elective, whether you come from the U of A or another university! Please get in touch with the Program Director and the MEPC to be given the information you need. On-site visits in industry can be arranged during electives.

I am a graduate from Public Health and Preventive Medicine (PHPM), how can I integrate into the Occupational Medicine Program?

We would be happy to receive your application! As you may know, PHPM graduates can apply after completion of their 5-year program. The timeframe for application is the same as it is for Internal Medicine.

Effective 2021, your application will have to be submitted through CaRMS, like Internal Medicine applicants.

Interviews are typically held between September and October, and integration into the program is effective July, the year after you apply. You are not required to have completed your PHPM RCPSC exam before joining the program (you can take the exam during your Occupational Medicine residency), but being fully certified in PHPM is a preliminary condition for certification in Occupational Medicine.

Please get in touch with us for more details!

Is it possible to reduce the Occupational Medicine residency length for PHPM applicants?

You have certainly fulfilled some of the requirements for Occupational Medicine during your PHPM residency (e.g. epidemiology, biostatistics…). According to the Royal College subspecialty training requirements, up to 12 months of the approved residency in Occupational Medicine can be completed during the PHPM residency. Consequently, on a case by case basis discussed with the Program Director, it could be possible to reduce the duration of the Occupational Medicine residency for PHPM applicants from 2 to 1 year! The main point is that you will need to meet the Royal College standards of training.


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