Emergency Medicine
Welcome to the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alberta.
EACH SHIFT IS
1 - ON - 1 WITH STAFF
EMERGENCY MEDICINE IS NOT SERVICE-BASED: YOU ARE THERE TO LEARN
OUR RESIDENTS RECEIVE 2-3 EPA'S PER DAY
How to Apply
RCPSC Program
The RCPSC Emergency Medicine program only accepts applications through the Canadian Resident Matching Service. See the CaRMS website for eligibility and timelines.
There are 7 positions available.
Candidates shall be evaluated on the basis of:
- Academic records, with attention paid to proficiency in subjects related to the discipline of emergency medicine.
- Three reference letters. Additional letters are accepted.
- A personal letter
- Interviews
Specifically, the evaluation process shall assess the following:
- Leadership in college or medical school
- Commitment to the discipline of emergency medicine
- Creativity in life adjustments and achievement of educational goals
- Human relations skills
- Motivation and persistence
- Commitment to affect change
- Decision-making ability and maturity under stress
- Likelihood of making a significant contribution to emergency medicine.
David Ha | BSc, MD, FRCPC
Program Director
Joanne Norum | MD, FRCPC
Associate Program Director
Yang Li | MD, MPH, FRCPC
Associate Program Director
Jenni Marshall
Program Administrator
Email: emergpg@ualberta.ca
Our Lead Residents
Email: rcpsem@ualberta.ca
Dr. David Ha | BSc, MD, FRCPC
Program Director
Photo credit: Dr. Grace Connors
Welcome to Our Program
Emergency Medicine is intense, challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time.
Welcome to the University of Alberta’s Royal College Emergency Medicine Residency Program! Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in the program.
Emergency Medicine continues to be a discipline with opportunities for growth and excellence. We want to continue our goal of being one of the premier training grounds for emergency medicine in the country. Our program’s top mandate is to give you the resources you need to become the emergency physician you want to be and to become leaders in any niche of emergency medicine you want to call your own. We want you to leave the residency knowing that you have the skills and experiences not only to run any department in the country or around the world, but also with the confidence that you will have the abilities to effect change locally, nationally or internationally.
Our program is blessed with a huge catchment area, several high-level tertiary and community emergency departments as well as outstanding teachers who will work to provide you with the foundation needed to become an elite emergency physician. And most importantly, we have an absolutely dynamic, collegial and fun-loving resident group, whose support, encouragement and camaraderie will be essential in making these five years of learning and development some of the most impactful and enjoyable of your career.
We encourage you to explore our website and ask any member of our team questions that you may have. We are definitely excited at the prospect of continuing to add the next generation of emergency medicine leaders to our team!
Our Program
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
- Our catchment area is from Red Deer to the far north.
- You work with staff one - on - one.
- Innovative curriculum tailored to each stage of training.
Program Highlights
Our catchment area is from Red Deer to the far north.
You work with staff one - on - one.
Innovative curriculum tailored to each stage of training.
Residency at a Glance
Learn about each year of the program with an overview of each year.
4 weeks - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
4 weeks - Anesthesia
4 weeks - Internal Medicine
4 weeks - CCU
4 weeks - Obstetrics and Gynaecology
4 weeks - General Surgery
4 weeks - Vacation
4 weeks - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
4 weeks - Psychiatry
4 weeks - Point of Care Ultrasound
4 weeks - Plastic Surgery
2 weeks - Sports Medicine
2 weeks - Pediatric Anesthesia
2 weeks - Neurosurgery
2 weeks - Neurology
4 weeks - Elective
4 weeks - Vacation
4 weeks - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
4 weeks - Emergency Medical Services
12 weeks - Critical Care
4 weeks - Pediatric Critical Care
4 weeks - Elective
4 weeks - Vacation
4 weeks - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
8 weeks - Elective
4 weeks - Vacation
20 weeks - Emergency Medicine
4 weeks - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
4 weeks - Vacation
Teaching Hospitals
The Department of Emergency Medicine at University of Alberta provides a postgraduate training program in the specialty of Emergency Medicine, accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Emergency Medicine is a 5 year Competence by Design program at multiple sites throughout the Edmonton area.
The UofA Hospital is the main tertiary care centre for Northern Alberta and is situated on the campus of the University of Alberta. The hospital is a major transplantation centre and a designated trauma centre. The department sees over 73,000 patients per year. The Emergency Department deals with many high acuity patients with complicated medical illnesses and a wide variety of trauma.
Pediatric Emergency Medicine rotations are carried out at the Stollery Children's Hospital at the University of Alberta. This department receives approximately 20,000 visits per year. These numbers have continued to grow per annum since opening September 27th, 2000.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital is a large tertiary care centre serving the urban centre of Edmonton seeing over 66,000 patients per year. It is a designated trauma centre and has a high volume, high acuity emergency department.
The Grey Nuns, Misericordia, Strathcona, and Sturgeon Hospitals are community hospitals with active emergency departments. Residents rotate through these community hospitals as both junior and senior learners. The Grey Nuns receives 55,000 visits per year, Misericordia 46,000 visits per year, the Strathcona receives 36,176 visits per year, and the Sturgeon 46,000 visits per year.
The Northeast Health Centre (NEHC) is a free standing Emergency Department serving as an ambulatory care facility. Residents rotate through the NEHC as part of their rotations at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain, Alberta, 30 km west of Edmonton, provides acute care for patients located in the immediate western vicinity of Edmonton.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Our program is very focused on preparing you to be a competent consultant emergency physician. Academic Day, journal club, various rounds, clinical learning, direct observation in the emergency department, and specific exam preparation in our final year of training allow us every opportunity for success on our Royal College certification exam.
- The CanMEDS competencies are an essential part of our evaluation scheme, ensuring that we become complete physicians. Our goal is to produce leaders in the field of emergency medicine at all levels including our own city, the country and also internationally.
- As one can imagine, EM residents spend a great deal of their clinical time gaining skills and knowledge in various “off-service” rotations. Currently we do rotations in surgical subspecialties including orthopedics, plastic surgery and neurosurgery. Medical subspecialties rotations include critical care and cardiology. Emergency subspecialty rotations include EMS (emergency medical services), Trauma, and Toxicology.
- With our extensive elective time residents have spent time in other subspecialties including: research, medical education, air medical transport, infectious diseases, neurology, pulmonology, the STI Clinic, rural emergency medicine, wilderness medicine, and ophthalmology to name a few. Of course we also spend significant time in other off service rotations not traditionally considered subspecialties including general surgery, medicine and obstetrics.
Residents will complete an Area of Specialist Leadership during their residency.In recent years, areas of focus have included (but are not limited to):
- Critical Care Medicine
- Ethics
- Geriatric Emergency Medicine
- Sports Medicine
- Simulation
- Medical Education
- Informatics
- Air Transport
- Disaster Medicine
- ED Ultrasound
- Toxicology
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Refugee Health
- Inner City Health
- Trauma
- Infectious Diseases
- Master’s degrees in Business, Public Health & Epidemiology, Education
- Prehospital and Transport Medicine (formerly EMS)
Residents generally do call during the first 3 years of residency when we do the majority of our off service rotations. Call requirements are outlined in the PARA contract. More information may be obtained on the PARA website www.para-ab.ca.
- The Department of Emergency Medicine is actively involved in EM research at local, national, and international levels. Current areas of research include ED Overcrowding, Health outcomes, Acute Asthma/COPD care, Pediatric CT Head Rules, prehospital care, air medical transport, and medical education (pretty much every area of EM you can think of!).
- It is expected that each resident will complete a scholarly project. This project is defined as the production and dissemination of a scholarly project suitable for dissemination at a national or international level. Examples of projects include systematic reviews, prospective surveys, chart reviews, case control studies, educational modules, and quality assurance projects.
Resident Testimonials
What are the highlights of the program for you?
I am from Saskatchewan, and as an out of province resident I felt immediately welcomed into the program by residents and staff. The acuity and volume of resuscitations in Edmonton is incredible. The staff are always excited to have resident learners and go out of their way to teach you. Also, as a young female physician, I have loved training in Edmonton where there are more than a proportionate amount of FRCPC female staff to look up to!
The administrative/leadership team is incredible, and we are lucky to have such a dedicated group of staff involved in the program. The clinical exposure we get in Edmonton is spectacular - we have one of the largest catchment areas in Canada, plus we're one of the biggest pediatric hospitals, so we get to see weird and wonderful clinical cases all the time. It is amazing to look forward to going to work every day.
What do you like about Edmonton?
Edmonton is a big city that feels small. Edmonton boasts a community that helps people feel at home and find their place, and there is truly something for everyone, whether you enjoy outdoor activity, art, theatre, music, food, drinks, festivals, or anything in between. A perfect day for me in Edmonton looks like a coffee walk in the River Valley with a friend or a run along the river, followed by trying any of the incredible restaurant options and finishing up with Made by Marcus Ice Cream or a hang at one of our brewery patios!
The recent Stanley Cup parades are probably number one but also the amazing summers where there's always a festival going on (Folk Fest is a must!), fantastic river valley system for the bikers and runners out there, fantastic restaurant and brewery scene for my type of people, and how easy it is to get around so you don't spend all day after work in your car!
Edmonton's food and drink scene is seriously unbeatable! I have lived here for three years and am still trying something new every time I go out! Everyone says this, but it is absolutely true, the river valley is incredible! Within 5 minutes, you do not even feel like you are in a city anymore!
What is one piece of advice you want to share with applicants about the interview process, starting with the U of A, or residency in general?
Just be yourself! There is no single type of personality construct that fits well in emergency medicine - as long as you work hard and care about the work that you do, all the pieces will fall into place.