Addiction Medicine Category 1

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

 

Unique

ADDICTION MEDICINE FOCUS BASED IN FAMILY MEDICINE

 

ADAPTABLE

OUR PROGRAM IS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR INTERESTS TO MAKE YOUR ADDICTIONS RESIDENT EXPERIENCE FIT YOUR FUTURE GOALS

 

relevanT

ADDICTION MEDICINE IS AN IN DEMAND FIELD OF MEDICINE THAT IS CONTINUING TO GROW IN RELEVANCE AND SIZE

 

Interview/CaRMS Specific Information 

Interviews will be offered in a panel format and will be virtual. Dates will be arranged with each individual.

We are looking for Family Physicians (CCFP required) with outstanding verbal and non-verbal communication skills. They need to be able to actively listen and convey empathy. They must be able to inspire confidence and win the trust of patients and families. They must also work well within the team environment, respecting the rights and dignity of each and every patient, family, and coworker. They must also have strong clinical strengths regarding their ability to gather, synthesize, and act upon complex clinical information.

Contact us

Dr. Tannis Spencer
Program Director, Addiction Medicine
tannis@ualberta.ca

Allison Alberto
Program Administrator
fmes@ualberta.ca
780-492-5562

We are offering one Category 1 position for the 2027-2028 academic year. Applications are through the CaRMS process.

Interested in applying or looking for more information on our Addiction Medicine program? We would love to have the chance to talk with you. Fill out this google form and we will be in touch!

Welcome to Our Program

The University of Alberta’s Enhanced Skills in Addiction Medicine program prepares residents to deliver evidence-based, comprehensive care for patients with substance use and behavioural disorders across various settings. With a flexible and customizable curriculum, the program equips residents with in-depth clinical knowledge and skills to integrate addiction care into primary care practice. Training covers the full spectrum of addiction medicine, including acute intoxication, overdose, and withdrawal management, while emphasizing harm reduction and long-term recovery strategies. Residents work within multidisciplinary teams in both inpatient and outpatient environments and learn to manage co-occurring conditions such as HIV, chronic pain, and mental health disorders.
Graduates are well-prepared to apply their expertise in diverse clinical settings, including outpatient primary care, hospitals, addiction treatment centres, and rural or remote facilities. They are also positioned to serve as valuable consultation resources to colleagues in both hospital and community-based care. Through this program, family physicians gain the tools to become accessible, local leaders in addiction medicine, better equipped to meet the evolving needs of their patients and communities.

Dr. Tannis Spencer

Program Director

Our Program

The program runs for one year and is an Enhanced Skills Program that is accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Entry into the Addiction Medicine program is contingent on successful completion of the Certification in the College of Family Physicians (CCFP).

Program Highlights

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Flexible and customizable program to accommodate learner interests with elective time built-in to program

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Opportunity to learn with nationally renowned interdisciplinary primary care teams & inpatient consultation addiction medicine program
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Exposure to diverse settings in addiction medicine, including outpatient primary care, inpatient consultative teams, withdrawal management facilities, subspecialty programs & more

Close collaboration with the Royal College addiction medicine & other programs across the country

Practice Quality Improvement projects, a research project and/or clinical teaching opportunities

Resident support program access in conjunction with Family Medicine Department

Residency at a Glance

  • Inpatient addiction medicine consultation with the Acute Care Addiction Recovery Program (ACARP) at Edmonton’s largest trauma hospital
  • Multidisciplinary primary care for inner city populations at Radius Community Health & Healing
  • Opioid agonist management at Opioid Dependency & Enhanced Addiction Clinic (ODEAC), Metro City Clinic and the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program
  • Acute withdrawal management at the Addiction Recovery Centre detox
  • Bed-based/residential treatment care at Henwood Treatment Centre
  • Rural & remote addiction care experience in Whitehorse, Yukon
  • Integrated longitudinal perinatal addiction care
  • Integrated longitudinal Indigenous Health & dedicated rotation at Maskawacis Health Centre
  • Acute Pain Service with anesthesia consultative support in level 1 trauma hospital
  • Chronic Pain Clinic
  • Adolescent addiction care in group home environment
  • Hepatitis C & HIV concurrent care clinics

Elective time is built around the learner's interests, needs and future practice. Minimum of 8 weeks of elective time is built in to program and can be increased if there is specific resident interest

A week long series of educational sessions will cover topics including:

  • Trauma informed approach of challenging cases
  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Stimulant use disorder
  • Chronic pain and concurrent addiction
  • Opioid use disorder
  • Maternity care
  • Overdose prevention and harm reduction

Academics will be conducted in conjunction with the AFC/Royal College Addiction Medicine Program and other national addiction medicine programs through the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM).

Teaching LOCATIONS

Your year will be customized to fit your interests and your placements may include the following sites.

  • Radius Community Health & Healing (formerly Boyle McCauley Health Centre)
  • Acute Care Addiction Recovery Program (formerly known as the Addiction Recovery and Community Health “ARCH” program)
  • Addiction Recovery Centre
  • Opioid Dependency and Enhanced Addictions Clinic
  • Metro City Medical Clinic
  • Lifemark Centre
  • Kaye Edmonton Hepatitis C Clinic
  • Northern Alberta Program for HIV care
  • VODP/VRAAM
  • Maskwacis Treatment Centre
  • Acute Pain Service at the University of Alberta Hospital
  • Step Up Step Down 
  • Addiction care sites & clinics in Whitehorse, Yukon

frequently Asked questions

Yes. This program is accredited and will result in your achieving a Certificate of Added Competency (CAC) from the CCFP upon successful completion. 

No. You cannot work during the entire year (13 blocks) of program time. You will have to commit to the program full time. It cannot be done part time.

You will be categorized as a Resident Pay Level 3 for the duration of your program. Rates of pay are as per the PARA collective agreement.

Applicants that meet the requirements set out in CaRMS will be able to apply for the program.

Resident testimonials

"As the inaugural graduate, I had an amazing experience with the U of A program. There are several different locations that offer a wide spectrum of learning opportunities. Including detox, inpatient consult service, multiple OAT providers, chronic pain, and Radius Community Health and Healing, which incorporates addiction medicine care into a primary care setting.  
Throughout my year rotating all around, I never had a bad experience with any staff I worked with. Everyone was very welcoming, and willing to teach whatever I wanted to learn.
The varied rotations and sites allowed insight into many different practice styles, allowing for wisdom from many different physicians. I was able to gain insight into the various approaches to addiction care, that allowed me to tune my own approach with multiple decades of experience. 
Although the program is new, it's novelty allows the freedom to cater rotations and mold it to best suit one's unique learning goals.
Highly recommend the Edmonton program!" - Dr. Rudy Andrews, MD, CCFP, CAC-AM

 

"Coming into residency, my goals were to become a socially accountable, comprehensive family physician that worked within an interdisciplinary team to provide care to patients with structural disadvantages. It was at the Boyle McCauley Health Centre that I was supported to provide total patient, relationship-centered care, and develop skills in addictions medicine and trauma-informed care that incorporated the complex biological, psychological and social needs of our patient population. Here I found my people and I look forward to working with them as a colleague after I graduate." - Linda Lam, MD, CCFP

"The Boyle McCauley Health Centre (BMHC) is an excellent institution to train in family medicine and addiction medicine. As an R1/R2 in family medicine, I had the pleasure of being based at the BMHC. I have since gone on to complete an R3 year in addiction medicine and the BMHC has well-prepared me for this subspecialized field.
The BMHC is located in a low socioeconomic area of Edmonton and services a high-needs patient population. 67% of patients who receive care at the BMHC have an ACE score of 10/10. For example, it is not uncommon for a given patient to present with comorbid opioid use disorder, stimulant use disorder, and complex PTSD. By necessity, the physicians who work in this setting are well-versed in identifying and managing these conditions while also being flexible to meet patients "where they are at," all in the context of holistic primary care. These same physicians are keen on engaging learners in caring for their patients, making trainees an active and essential part of the team. In addition to working with physician providers, the BMHC sports a diverse team of NPs, nurses, social workers, support workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and more. The physical structure is unique as in addition to the clinical space and the above service providers, there is an on-site safe injection site, a clean supplies distribution service, and a laboratory/imaging suite. The in-house availability of these services allows for effective primary care provision to individuals who would otherwise struggle to attend appointments for basic investigations. I highly recommend training at the BMHC if your goal is to refine your approach to the management of substance use disorders within a primary care context." - Adam Rocker, MD, CCFP