Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program
Welcome to the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program at the University of Alberta.
Glenrose
Rehabilitation Hospital is the largest free standing rehabilitation facility and a leader in rehabilitation technology within Canada.
EXPOSURE
to all PM&R subspecialty areas within our program (including pediatric rehab, interventional MSK, and spasticity).
40+
clinicial faculty preceptors for excellent clinical teaching experiences.
Interview/CaRMS Specific Information
There will be a welcome & registration with the Program Directors on the day of your interview.
Format
- Multiple mini-interviews (5 stations)
- 2 interviewers at each station (residents, staff physicians, program staff)
- Virtual tour following the interview
Purpose of Questions
- Questions cover topics relating to the CanMEDS roles.
- Questions are meant to provide an opportunity for students to share their own experiences and reflections, and goals for their future training.
Contact Us
Email: pmrrespr@ualberta.ca
Phone: 780-735-8870
Fax: 780-735-6018
For more information, please visit our Applicant Information Website
Dr. Heather Lindstom
Program Director
Dr. Hardeep Kainth
Associate Program Director
Liz Almeida
Program Administrator
Welcome to Our Program
Welcome to the University of Alberta Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program! We are excited that you have chosen to learn more about us. We are fortunate to work with an amazing team of residents, faculty, allied health professionals, and administrative personnel who are dedicated to patient care and education. We work together to improve the quality of life for adults and children with physical and cognitive impairments which result in activity and participation limitations. Our program provides clinical rehabilitation services to a large region, including all of Northern Alberta and parts of the Northwest Territories, and we are based in the largest rehabilitation hospital in Canada, the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
Strengths of our program include exposure to a large, diverse and complex population of patients and access to state of the art rehabilitation technology (including the CAREN - Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment - system, ICAN centre for assistive technology, and Syncrude Centre for Motion and Balance). We provide comprehensive exposure to all PM&R subspecialty areas including pediatric rehabilitation, interventional MSK (ultrasound and fluoroscopic guided injections), and spasticity. The program also collaborates with several strong research groups, including the SMART (Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology) Network and SRN (Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Network), thus providing residents with the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers in various fields including rehabilitation, medicine, engineering, computer science, and neurosciences.
Our program provides exceptional opportunities for learning, self-assessment, exam preparation, and tailoring your training for future career planning. We collaborate with the University of Calgary and University of Saskatchewan on opportunities for practice exams each year, and we promote building connections with programs and colleagues across the country.
Our focus is the success of all residents in our program, as they are our future colleagues and the future of our specialty. We hope you will consider joining our program, and we look forward to meeting you!
Dr. Heather Lindstom
Program Director, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Hardeep Kainth
Associate Program Director, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Our Program
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The program is based out of the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, with rotations completed at several acute care hospitals and community clinics within Edmonton. The program offers diverse clinical, education, and research opportunities across a broad range of subspecialties.
Program Highlights
Diverse learning opportunities in all PM&R subspecialties
One of the host sites for the Canadian Comprehensive Review Course in PM&R (the only Canadian national review course for residents)
Outstanding exam preparation and joint senior OSCE/written exams with U of C and U of S
Residency at a Glance
Learn about each year of the program with an overview of each year.
- PM&R
- 2 week rotations x 4 through various PM&R subspecialties (stroke, spinal cord injury)
- CCU
- CTU
- Neurosurgery
- Plastics
- Geriatrics
- Emergency Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
- Rheumatology
- Research
- Stroke rehab
- MSK
- Amputation Rehabilitation
- Brain Injury Rehab
- Cardiac Rehab
- Pulmonary Rehab
- MSK
- Neuromuscular Rehab and Electrodiagnostics
- Research
- Spinal Cord Injury Rehab
- Pediatrics Rehab
- Spasticity - longitudinal
- Stroke Rehab - 1 block
Teaching Hospitals
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. PM&R is a 5-year program with rotations through acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and community clinics, for exposure to all aspects of physiatry.
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital
University of Alberta Hospital
Misericordia Community Hospital
Community Clinics — Body Restoration, Healthpointe Medical Centre, Physiologix
Frequently Asked Questions
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Broad knowledge base and variety of subspecialties allows one to tailor practice to interests, i.e., you can have a very diverse or focused practice depending on interests.
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You can be academic or community-based, in-patient or outpatient.
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There’s a focus on helping patients improve their quality of life.
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Lots of opportunities for procedural skills with ultrasound- and fluoroscopic-guided injections and EMGs if you want hands-on work, but doesn’t have to be a part of your practice if you prefer not to.
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Opportunity to augment income with 3rd party assessments (i.e., independent medical examinations)
It has a strong academic focus with an emphasis on resident-directed learning. We also provide well rounded exposure to in-patient and outpatient PM&R.
- Formal teaching specific to the rotation occurs in each of the rotations and is preceptor-based.
- Residents are freed from clinical responsibilities to attend weekly academic half-days are organized. Core modules incorporate basic science and clinical application sessions followed by problem-based learning (PBL) and application of the material learned. Topics can include clinical management, research, evidence-based medicine, CanMEDS roles, prescription rounds, and diagnostic imaging rounds. Monthly half-day anatomy sessions are also held throughout the year in the anatomy lab.
During first year, your call can either be in-house or home call depending on the off-service rotation you are on. Starting second year, you do home call for staff who have admitting privileges at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. This is dependent on the number of residents, as residents must provide coverage for all weeks of the year. With a full complement of ~15 residents, we do an average of 6 week-long home calls per year (call is taken a week at a time). Call is generally quiet with occasional urgent issues requiring going to the hospital to assess patients.
Resident Testimonials
What do you like about Edmonton?
Edmonton has all the amenities of a larger city (lots of great restaurants and an amazing food scene; shopping malls; an assortment of entertainment activities ranging from movie theatres to archery tag; a great arts community ranging from jazz clubs to improv theatres; incredible festivals year-round like The Fringe, Taste of Edmonton, Ice Castles, etc.), yet also a friendly, welcoming, nature-filled vibe of a smaller community. Whether you want to catch a hockey game at Rogers Place or go for a run in our River Valley, you can do it all within our city limits!
What are the highlights of the program for you?
As likely echoed by many, if not all, of my co-residents, the tight-knit family-like dynamic of our residency group is a highlight of our program. We have an incredibly supportive group of residents, amazing administrative and support staff, and exceptionally thoughtful staff physicians as teachers. There are ample opportunities for residents to spend non-academic time with each other through various resident-organized activities, including watching Sunday football together, trying new restaurants in Edmonton, going skiing/snowboarding, recreational sports leagues, and so forth.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
The Physiatry interview tour is a fun experience where you will get to meet a lot of potential future colleagues. Although it will be different with a virtual tour this year, I'd encourage applicants to take the time to get to know each other, as well as residents and staff at the various programs. You never know who you will be working with in 5-10 years! The Physiatry community is a friendly and welcoming one, so be yourself and make the most of the experience!
– Dr. Andy Le (R2)
What do you like about Edmonton?
Edmonton has something for everyone - whether you are a foodie, outdoor adventurer or sports fanatic, you’ll be sure to find your scene.
What are the highlights of the program for you?
I think that the U of A PM&R Residency program is particularly strong due to our diverse faculty. Residents have the opportunity to learn directly from those sub specializing in their respective practice. Unless you choose to pursue outside electives, you will be able to obtain all of your training locally - including special interests such as intervention, sports medicine and much more. Even if you are interested in a general Physiatry practice, having learned from experts in each subspecialty will be an asset to your future practice.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
Throughout the interview process, just be yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask any and every question you have. Ranking programs is a substantial decision for you and we are here to help!
– Dr. Yasmin Chishti (R4)
What do you like about Edmonton?
All the outdoor parks, golf courses and many places to get together with friends (pre-COVID) and do various activities! There's a lot more green space than I imagined, making the beautiful quite beautiful. And with all of this space, there's lots of areas for picnics, sports and different activities. This also includes the River Valley, where there are endless amounts of walking/running and biking trails along the river. So far, I've had a fun time biking along the River Valley, spending time in parks in the summer and just taking in the beauty of the city.
What are the highlights of the program for you?
One of the biggest ones is the strong, tight-knit resident group. It has been unfortunate with COVID, but early on, it seems like everyone loves spending time with each other and have had a lot of fun in the past. We have done slo pitch in the summers in the past and various winter sports, last year being multisport. The program also looks out for our wellness with 2 retreats, one in the summer and one in the winter, and I really look forward to being a part of these in the future. In addition, in past years, residents have gone out to new restaurants to explore the food scene here (which is excellent) to hang out. We also have a great relationship with our preceptors. The focus is on teaching, and we have some excellent teachers,and education has taken precedence over it being all worked based. I've learned a lot already in my 2 physiatry blocks in first year, and I can't wait for more of my blocks.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
Get to know yourself really well! I thought that the interview process as about genuinely getting to know applicants. So going into the interviews, I made sure that I knew why I wanted the specialty, I could talk about my various experiences at length and I was comfortable talking about my vulnerabilities and strengths if needed. It was a lot of self-reflecting, going through my CV and practicing. Because of this, I felt that I showcased myself to the best of my ability during interviews, and while they all didn't go well, I at least knew that I showed the interviewers who I was.
– Dr. Eric Bhatti (R1)
What do you like about Edmonton?
Edmonton has been home to me for the last 28 years, but I am still frequently surprised by the number of things to do, places to visit, and restaurants to try that I find myself discovering almost weekly. I love playing a variety of sports and there are various leagues at all skill levels for participants. Edmonton has a large number of golf courses which makes getting tee times quite easy, even on the busiest long weekends. Given that I am a sports fanatic, I also love watching a variety of different professional leagues. We are lucky to have numerous sports bars and restaurants in the city that allow you to watch the big game in a quality environment with friends. Apart from the various hobbies that living in Edmonton has allowed me to pursue, daily life in Edmonton is also very practical. I feel that traffic is minimal, rent is reasonable, and space is abundant. All these things allow me to make the most of my free time outside of residency. I hope you get a chance to check it out for yourself in the near future!
What are the highlights of the program for you?
Our program offers residents opportunities to pursue training in almost every field of rehabilitation medicine along with research opportunities with world leaders in various fields of Physiatry; however, the biggest highlight of the program for me is the focus given by our program director, assistant program director, head administrator, preceptors, and co-residents on resident wellness. An attitude focused around supporting one another has led to our group forming strong and memorable relationships with one another. We enjoy each other's company throughout the year by participating in retreats to the mountains, dinner clubs, co-ed sports teams, fantasy football leagues, friendly poker tournaments, golf rounds, etc. During our PGY1 rotations we spend a lot of time on call while on off-service rotations. During these times, I would often find myself looking forward to our Friday morning academic half days as time I got to see and spend time with my co-residents/friends.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
Come up with a list of things that matter to you in a Physiatry residency program before you begin your interviews and record your thoughts about each program as you progress through your interviews. Ultimately, this is about finding your best fit for the next 5 (or more) years, and your feelings matter the most! You will have a lot of new information presented to you around CARMs, and at times it was difficult for me to keep track of how I felt after meeting certain programs.
– Dr. Arjun Ghuman (R3)
What do you like about Edmonton?
I find the river valley one of the best features. It's so vast, I haven't been able to explore it all for the lifetime I've been here! There's anything from well defined paths to trails that make for a short hike, bike ride, snowshoeing trip, or a day out cross country skiing. It's a good sized city with pockets of places with great food for any type of cuisine. Having one of the biggest malls without the provincial tax is also a nice bonus.
What are the highlights of the program for you?
The passionate staff teaching on rotation teaching and mentoring us is a major highlight for me. Even on busy rotations, the staff always find time to teach and provide constructive feedback. The culture within the resident group is equally a highlight that made me choose the UofA program. Even in the midst of the pandemic, we find ways to stay connected socially distanced. Secret santa, virtual dinners, online workouts, and appropriate outdoor activities when they were allowed are some of the ways we've stayed connected.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
The interview is as much of you interviewing the program as it is the program interviewing you. Imagine yourself as a resident in the program and make sure to ask questions so you can decide if it's the right fit for you!
– Dr. Brandon Lieu (R3)
What do you like about Edmonton?
Edmonton has beautiful outdoors areas with the river valley and numerous trails systems where you feel like you are no longer in a city. There is a great cultural scene with the Art Gallery, Citadel theatre where you can see anything from comedy improv shows to plays and musicals, and Fort Edmonton Park where you can step back in time, to name a few. Edmonton also has a great food scene with new restaurants and ice cream shops popping up all the time!
What are the highlights of the program for you?
Program highlights include our amazing staff and preceptors who go above and beyond to meet our learning goals. We have a large variety of staff to learn from and see different approaches. Everyone is very approachable and happy to help with both core content and career planning. Our program really advocates for its residents and places resident wellness as a top priority.
One piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process.
My advice for the interview process is to just be yourself! A great piece of advice I received was to look for the right "fit" for you, knowing you will be working closely with that group of people for the next 5 years.