Family Medicine: Emergency Medicine
Welcome to the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alberta.
We invite all FM-EM applicants to attend an information session with current FM-EM residents and Program Director Dr. Navdeep Dhaliwal.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
19:30-20:30 MST
Registration is required and can be completed through the registration form via this link. Registrants will be provided with the Zoom link closer to the date of the event.
STRONG
LONG-STANDING PROGRAM THAT PRODUCES GRADUATES CAPABLE OF WORKING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
SUPPORTIVE
OUR CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LEARNERS AS THEY DEVELOP INTO COMPETENT PRACTITIONERS
DIVERSE
THE PATIENTS TREATED IN ALBERTA ARE OF ALL ETHNICITIES AND RANGE FROM INNER CITY TO SURROUNDING AREA
Interview/CaRMS Specific Information
Dates: Dec 1st and 2nd, 2021.
Format: There will be two panel interviews - each about 20 minutes in length. Due to COVID related concerns - all interviews this year will be via Zoom.
Selection Process Goals
We are looking for excellent well-rounded candidates who excel in the principles of Family Medicine and are dedicated to mastering the field of Emergency Medicine. It is in the interest of the resident to do a variety of electives in Family Medicine to ensure they cover the material that may not be covered during a busy year focused on acute and critical care. We look for residents who demonstrate evidence of self-improvement and self-assessment during their Family Medicine year.
International Applicants
All applicants must be residents of Canada and have a CFPC certification prior to starting in the program.
Contact Us
Dr. Navdeep Dhaliwal
Program Director, Department of Family Medicine
Suite 5-16, University Terrace
8303 112 St.
Edmonton, AB T6G 2T4
ndhaliwa@ualberta.ca
Dr. Michael Lai
Assistant Program Director
mplai@ualberta.ca
Ms. Allison Alberto
Program Administrator
fmes@ualberta.ca
Welcome to Our Program
The University of Alberta Family Medicine-Emergency Medicine (FM-EM) Program began in July of 1993 and has since graduated over 150 residents who now work throughout Canada. Since its inception, the program has been designed to produce physicians who are able to work in any emergency department, from rural to quaternary care. The year is intense, but residents are provided great academic support and flexibility to meet their learning needs.
One of the keys to success in Edmonton is the large number of learners. The FM-EM residents work and learn alongside the RCPS Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine programs in a collegial environment that gives them a larger pool of colleagues to work and attend rounds with. This tightly knit group shares in the many dedicated faculty members with expertise in Evidence Based Medicine, EMS Systems, Disaster Medicine, Medical Education, Pediatric and Adult Trauma, Clinical Research and Health Administration, Emergency Department Ultrasound, and Human Patient Simulation. With this dedicated faculty, the University of Alberta formed Canada's fourth Department of Emergency Medicine in 2004.
We have also incorporated a guided selection for all residents which allows them to choose between Neurology/Ophthalmology, General Surgery, Orthopedics, or a regional Emergency Medicine rotation. Priority is given to General Surgery or Orthopedics if neither of those rotations were done during the FM year. For residents who have done both General Surgery and Orthopedics, they can choose amongst any of the selective options.
The FM-EM program is a very structured year. Despite this, the program retains flexibility and self-directed learners flourish in Edmonton. There is a comprehensive academic program including monthly Core Content Rounds where residents take exams to test recall of reading assignments from the last month in preparation for the certification exam.
Dr. Navdeep Dhaliwal
Program Director
Overview Video
2020 Video
Our Staff
Dr. Navdeep Dhaliwal
Program Director
Dr. Dhaliwal is a full time Emergency Physician at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, and is also the program director of the CFPC-EM residency program. His postgraduate residency training was done through the University of Alberta where he initially started as the co-chief resident in the CFPC-EM program and worked his way through as the Assistant Program director. He was lucky to have experienced the acute trauma environment of Detroit during his medical school education where his initial love of Emergency Medicine was established. Dr. Dhaliwal is originally from Osoyoos, British Columbia. In his spare time he can be found training Taekwondo with his family, playing with his children, or travelling.
Dr. Michael Lai
Assistant Program Director
Michael is a full time Emergency Physician at the Grey Nuns Hospital. He is currently enjoying his new role as assistant program director of the CFPC-EM residency program. Michael completed his medical school training and family medicine residency at the University of Alberta, and completed his emergency medicine training at the University of Manitoba. He is originally from Calgary where he completed his Bachelors of Science. Outside of clinical work, Michael enjoys playing hockey, spending time outdoors golfing, and playing volleyball.
Dr. Hazem Shoblak
Tintinalli Coordinator/Faculty Advisor
Dr. Shoblak is a full time Emergency Physician at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. He serves as a Tintinalli Coordinator for the EM residents, as well as a faculty advisor. He moved around a lot in his younger days, so he decided to stay in one city for his university education: Edmonton. He completed his undergraduate, medical school, postgraduate, and fellowship training at the U of A. He is a previous grad of this EM program too! Outside of work, he enjoys travelling, hunting, spending time with his family, or perfecting his backyard landscaping.
Dr. Joanne Tseng
CFPC-EM Ultrasound Curriculum Director
Joanne is a full time Emergency Physician at the Grey Nuns Hospital, the CFPC-EM ultrasound curriculum director, and the site director for the undergraduate EM program. Originally from Vancouver, Joanne completed her medical school training at the University of British Columbia, and both her family medicine and emergency medicine residency at the University of Alberta. Outside of the ED, Joanne can be found biking in the river valley or walking her dogs. She makes the most of the Alberta winters by cross-country skiing and trekking to mountains to ski and snowboard.
Dr. Vickie Lee
Tintinalli Coordinator
Dr. Lee is a full time Emergency Physician at the Sturgeon Community Hospital. She completed her medical school and residency training at the University of Alberta. She enjoys travelling and spending time outdoors with her family.
Our Program
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Program Highlights
The combined Emergency Medicine resident groups at the University of Alberta boasts nearly 40 residents between the FM-EM, Peds EM and RCPS EM residents.
Robust U/S training program with longitudinal training during the academic year.
There is a Disaster Medicine Curriculum!
An annual residents retreat is held in Jasper, Alberta.
Simulation training incorporating procedural skills and U/S throughout the year.
Residency at a Glance
This residency program is for 1 year.
Rotations:
- Emergency Medicine – 14 weeks
Royal Alexandra Hospital and U of A Hospital (UAH) - Emergency Medicine – 4 weeks
Edmonton Community Hospitals - Emergency Medicine – 4-8 weeks
Lethbridge/Red Deer Regional Hospital - Pediatric Emergency Medicine – 4 weeks
Stollery Children's Hospital (UAH) - Orthopedic Surgery/General Surgery/Neuro/Ophtho (guided selective) – 0 - 4 weeks
Lethbridge or Red Deer Regional Hospital or in Edmonton - Adult ICU – 8 weeks
UAH or RAH - Pediatric ICU – 4 weeks
Stollery Children's Hospital - Ultrasound & Trauma – 2 weeks
UAH or RAH - Anesthesia and Disaster Medicine – 2 weeks
Misericordia Hospital - EMS – 3 ride-alongs
Edmonton Ground EMS and STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society) - Emergency Medicine Longitudinal – 8 - 10 shifts
At site of faculty advisor - CCU Senior – 2 weeks
Royal Alexandra Hospital - Vacation – 4 weeks
Teaching Hospitals
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 centred in Edmonton, and most rotations occur at the two tertiary care hospitals—the Royal Alexandra, and the University. Additionally, all residents spend time in a community hospital in Edmonton, and two months in our regional centres (Lethbridge and/or Red Deer).
University of Alberta Hospital
Funding Information
Program Supports
- Each resident is assigned an academic advisor with whom they also do horizontal EM shifts throughout the year and meet every four months to review their academic progress to date.
- Each resident has access to a wellness mentor to assist with the personal and academic demands of the year.
- Residents have unfettered access to the Program Director for any needs that arise throughout the year
Frequently Asked Questions
The first month includes procedural workshops on academic days involving the airway, chest tube placement, transvenous pacemaker, central lines and pericardiocentesis (done on mannequins). There is also an orthopedics casting session, as well as a thoracotomy training session on bovine specimens. Additional high fidelity procedures are being added on an annual basis.
The entire year is truly preparation for the final Toronto exam. Specifically, monthly tintinalli rounds are hosted by ER physicians, some who have been involved in the creation of the national exam. Each resident is responsible for reading ~30 chapters a month which are then tested every 2nd academic day of each month. Practice oral exams are distributed throughout the year on academic days with faculty. The program also includes a midterm in November and final exam in June - all examinations are structured similar to those for EM certification in Toronto.
Although not mandatory, IP certification is highly encouraged throughout the year. Most have either completed the EDE1 course prior to starting or will complete it within the first month of the program. After this, you are responsible to set up appointments with faculty who are IP certified to finish your scans. There are faculty members who kindly volunteer their time to help out and there are ultrasound facilitators who will help connect you to these IP certified faculty members. The trauma block also includes time specifically for ultrasound scanning. Both the PD and APD are Master CPoCUS instructors and are directly involved in teaching the residents.
Yes! We pride ourselves on our faculty mentors! Each resident is paired with a faculty advisor (mentors) with whom you will be required to do longitudinal shifts throughout the year and check-in/evaluation every 4 months. The residents from the previous year usually make themselves available as well for guidance and overall help.
Resident Testimonials
We asked our residents what they like about Edmonton, their highlights of the program, and one piece of advice for applicants about the interview process. Here is what a few of them had to say.
I moved to Edmonton for this program not knowing what to expect. The faculty and my peers were incredibly supportive during a rigorous year. I would say the strength of this program lies in the longitudinal faculty advisors and other on-shift preceptors which have been "hand-selected" to ensure the best learning experience for the resident. The information gained during this challenging year is still unfathomable to think of, it has definitely set me up for success in my career and the journey for lifelong learning.
– Dr. Andrew Boivin (2021)
What advice would you give to applicants about the interview process?
My advice for interviews in general is be yourself, have fun, don't be afraid to take several seconds to think about your answers.
– Dr. Chloe LaBrie
“ The Edmonton FM-EM program is excellent. The academic portion will keep you organized and ready for each rotation. The off service rotations will strengthen your experience and knowledge for your emerg shifts. Emergency medicine in Edmonton has wonderful staff to work with and learn from, and interesting patient presentations at every site. ”
– Dr. Carly Rumley (2021)
“ The Edmonton FM-EM Program is designed to prepare residents to be practicing emergency medicine in a city, regional centre, or smaller town by the end of the year. With only one year to do this, there can be a lot going on. We have monthly Tintinalli quizzes, 3.5 months of intensive care between ICU, PICU, and CCU, multiple presentations/projects to prepare, and a longitudinal disaster medicine/prehospital medicine course and ultrasound training in the background. But as the end of the year approaches, and I'm now staring down my first independent shift as staff, I'm grateful for being pushed throughout the year. The program is filled with ED docs that seem to enjoy teaching and work hard to keep the program one they are proud of”
– Dr. Megan Cook (2021)
“The river valley is beautiful, with great trails for running and biking. In more normal times, there's decent cafe's/coffee as well - Eleanor & Laurent, Little Brick, and District being my favs. The almond croissants at Eleanor & Laurent got me through some of my busier ICU calls - highly recommended. “