Program Contacts

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Important Information

The Postgraduate Medical Education Orientation which will be held on June 29, 2022 is mandatory for all residents.

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Return of Service

The following applicants will be required to sign a Return of Service “ROS” contract with the Province of Manitoba. The ROS commitment is commensurate with the length of the training program

• All IMGs entering all training programs

IMGs already holding a return of service obligation must disclose these obligations at the time of application. IMGs who have undischarged return of service obligations may not be eligible to begin training in a position funded by Manitoba Health.

Such individuals may wish to contact Shared Health at pmao-residents@sharedhealthmb.ca for more information.

 

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Please note that in 2021 all applicants to the University of Manitoba residency programs are required to complete an online assessment (CASPer) to assist with the selection process. Successful completion of CASPer is mandatory in order to maintain admission eligibility.

CASPer is an online test which assesses for non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program.  The results will complement the other tools that we use for applicant screening and will enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process. 

The CASPer test is comprised of 12 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario, you will be required to answer a set of probing questions under a time contract. Each response is graded by a different rater, giving a robust and reliable view of personal and professional characteristics important to our program. No studying is required for CASPer, although you may want to familiarize yourself with the test structure at takeCASPer.com, and ensure you have a quiet environment to take the test.

In order to take CASPer, you will be responsible for securing access to a computer with audio capabilities, a webcam, and a reliable internet connection on your selected test date. CASPer can be taken practically anywhere that you can satisfy the aforementioned requirements. No exceptions will be provided for applicants unable to take CASPer online due to being located at sites where internet is not dependable due to technical or political factors.

Please go to www.takeCASPer.com to sign up and reserve a test using your student identifier and a piece of government-issued photo ID.  You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your CASPer test. There will be no additional tests scheduled.  Please use an email address that you check regularly as there may be updates to the test schedule.

CASPer test results are valid for one admissions cycle. Applicants who have already taken the test in previous years will therefore be expected to re-take it.

Please direct any inquiries on the test to support@takecasper.com.  Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right hand corner of your screen on the CASPer website.

You are required to fulfill ALL of the most current Provincial Criteria for Canadian Medical Graduates for Manitoba

The criteria can be found at:  https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/manitoba/

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Supporting Documentation

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on January 31, 2022

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  January 31, 2022

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on January 31, 2022

Applicants selected for interviews will be contacted by email to arrange a virtual interview. 

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Interviews

Dates:

• March 7, 2022
• March 8, 2022
• March 9, 2022
• March 10, 2022
• March 11, 2022

Selection Criteria

Program goals

Our residents will develop the academic skills, clinical skills and knowledge required to excel as general pediatricians who are capable of managing medically and socially complex children and adolescents. They will utilize their medical expertise within a model of patient-centered care and become proficient with shared decision making in medically and socially complex situations. They will develop a comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health and wellness though exposure to urban, rural, immigrant, refugee, Aboriginal and Inuit populations. They will become effective advocates for their patients, community and profession.

Selection process goals

1. Demonstrated ability to commnicate and work with patients and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. 

2. Committed to providing anti-racist and culturally safe health care to Indiginous people and other marginalized groups. 

3. Demonstrated ability to function well within a multidisciplinary healthcare team with a strong work ethic

4. Interest in scholarly activity, either through previous experience or a desire to participate in scholarly activity

5. Charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

Specifically, we may consider:
Social interaction during program related events
Communication with program administration
Social media
Unsolicited reference letters
Unsolicited email references
Unsolicited verbal information on a candidate's prior performance
Unsolicited feedback from colleagues and co-workers
Other : We will consider unsolicited verbal or email feedback on clinical performance received after file submission

Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
Unprofessional or inappropriate behavior   
Did not attend interview   
Interview performance was not competitive   
Other : Interviewers’ consensus that applicant would be a poor fit for the program

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Program Highlights

Quick Facts

• We low-key have the best residents in the country! Seriously. Watch our video. 

• Winnipeg Children's Hospital offers very diverse clinical exposure with a vast catchment area including all of Manitoba, Eastern Saskatchewan, the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario.  Residents have opportunities to work with patients from a variety of ethnic populations and receive significant clinical exposure to urban, rural, immigrant, refugee, Aboriginal and Inuit pediatric health. Residents can expect to see a wide variety of patients with unusual pathology.

• Residents are provided experiences in rural and northern pediatrics through rotations in Brandon and Thompson, Manitoba. In addition, residents are provided opportunities to accompany pediatricians who travel to remote communities within northern Manitoba and Nunavut through Ongomiizwin – Health Services.

• Residents are allowed one outside elective per core residency year and three outside electives during the fourth year. Outside electives may be arranged at other universities within Canada, or may be international in nature.

• With few subspecialty trainees at our site, residents receive plenty of hands-on exposure with consultations and development of procedural skills. In addition, a 2-week procedural skills rotation is scheduled early in the first year of residency.  Residents are confident and ready to transition to senior by the end of first year. We have a senior skills rotation for residents looking to develop advanced procedural skills training. 

• The program has an academic teaching curriculum which provides a standardized curriculum over a three-year period. This curriculum is aimed at meeting the Royal College objectives of training in all CanMEDS competencies, with complementary teaching provided at other protected times as well.

• There are 6 hours of protected time per week. This includes academic half day, morning report, grand rounds and resident led teaching.

• Residents participate monthly in Ice Cream Rounds that focus on discussing and processing difficult situations that have been encountered during residency as well as learning to adapt to adversity and improving resiliency. These rounds are resident led with mentorship from faculty trained and experienced in physician wellness. These rounds are protected educational time. 

• To develop the competency of leading a resuscitation team, frequent mock codes are scheduled throughout the training program. These will occur regularly for residents on rotations in the CTU, PICU, or ER. Residents will also be assigned to multiyear groups for mock codes in the Clinical Learning and Simulation Facility on a rotating weekly basis.

• Wards (aside from Oncology) are designated as general pediatrics with subspecialty consultants. This provides continuous exposure to patients from every subspecialty, all of which are represented at our university.

• Each summer we host a dedicated Physical Exam Boot Camp with weekly sessions designed to enhance physical examination skills for the first-year residents. These sessions are taught by faculty members.

• A protected Academic Skills rotation occurs simultaneously for all first-year residents.  This rotation provides dedicated time for acquisition of research and teaching skills and consists of a variety of session types, including small-group discussions, role-playing and didactic sessions. This rotation also provides interaction with a variety of faculty members and gives residents the opportunity to be introduced to faculty with shared academic and research interests.

• Transitioning to the senior role occurs near the end of the first year, with a Transition-To-Senior Workshop and buddied CTU Senior and Night Float rotations.  

• Third-year residents are required to develop and participate in a collaborative health advocacy project with a local, national, or international perspective. This project has received accolades from the Royal College as a Top 5 What Works in residency education. Previous projects have included successful lobbying for restricting tanning salons to minors, booster seat legislation, and promoting literacy and bicycle helmets.

• Third and fourth year general pediatric residents take part in an office-based weekly continuity clinic.  

• Dedicated senior-level teaching occurs weekly at Morning Report through a case-based discussion led by a faculty preceptor. This is protected academic time.

• Incoming residents are matched with three mentors, including a resident mentor, a faculty mentor and a research mentor. These mentors are actively involved through the residency years.

• Residents have 4 weeks of vacation per year. This is given as 2 x 2-week blocks and is scheduled prior to the commencement of the academic year. 

In Their Words

"I could not imagine being a resident without this group of such genuine, supportive and passionate colleagues and faculty helping me along the way to becoming a well-qualified Pediatrician." -PGY4

"The very welcoming and friendly resident and faculty body contributes to a highly supportive, smaller-centre feel while working in a centre that sees a wide diversity of patients will all subspecialties represented." -PGY1

"I doubt there's another pediatric program in Canada that would have given me the same diversity of patients and firsthand experiences than this one!" -PGY3

"Unique and large patient population with a plethora of rare and unique diseases" -PGY2

"The program directors are outstanding in every sense of the word" -Program director 

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Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 4 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

General Description

The Program design fulfills the Specialty Training Requirements in Pediatrics from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Effective July 2021 our program will deliver a Competence By Design (CBD) curriculum to residents at all stages of training. Trainees beginning in July 2021 or later will have mandatory core training experiences spread throughout all stages of the CBD curriculum. We expect that all residents beginning in July 2021 or later will require 4-years of training to complete our program. 

The Pediatric Residency Program provides the resident a choice in training experience selection each training year. Residents are provided with at least one elective training experience each year which can be a program selective or elective, an outside elective or a research elective.  Residents are required to undertake a minimum of six weeks in rural pediatrics during their core stage of training. This includes a two-week rotation in Brandon, Manitoba and a four-week rotation in Thompson, Manitoba. 

Overnight and weekend call occurs throughout all four years. Senior call is predominantly covered by senior residents on their night float rotations. The majority of junior overnight call is provided by the pediatric and off-service learners on their CTU rotations. Residents rotating through the PICU cover 50-75% of PICU calls. All remaining calls are assigned to off-service pediatric residents who have completed at least one PICU block in the core stage of training.

The University of Manitoba program is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities spanning all seven CanMEDS compentencies.  With an early transition-to-senior process, more time is available for teaching and supervisory experiences. A close collaboration with faculty is fostered and encouraged.  

Transition to Discipline (Anticipated 10 to 12 weeks)

The purpose of Transition to Discipline is confirm knowledge and skills achieved in medical school and to orient the trainee to the speciality of Pediatrics, our training program, the University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital. The focus of Transition of Discipline is successful achievement in conducting a Pediatric specific history and physical exam and communicating patient centred care plans. 

Training Experiences May Include:

• CTU Pediatrics as a Junior Resident 
• Emergency Pediatrics 
• Community-Based Pediatrics - urban
• Social Ambulatory-Based Pediatrics
• Skills rotation*
• Selective (Allergy, Endocrinology, Infectious Disease, Gastroenterology)
• Junior Call 

*A two-week Skills training experience provides opportunities in procedural skills with mentoring from nursing staff, senior residents, sedationists and anesthesiologists in the operating theatre. Teaching with simulation is also utilized. 

Foundations (Anticipated 36-38 weeks)

The purpose of Foundations is to gain experience with common pediatric presenting issues and diagnoses  across the full range of ages seen in pediatric medicine. The focus of Foundations is to perform patient assessments and to develop, initiate and document management plans for common straightforward presenting issues across the spectrum of pediatric ages. Foundations also includes providing preventative health care and performing basic proceedures.  

Training Experiences Include:

• CTU as Junior Resident 
• CTU as Transition to Senior Resident 
• Neonatology 
• Emergency Pediatrics*
• Community-Based Pediatrics - Urban*
• Social Ambulatory-Based Pediatrics*
• Academic Skills Rotation**
• Selective (Allergy, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Genetics and Metabolics, Infectious Disease, Respirology)
• Elective
• Night Float***
• Junior Call 

*If not previously completed in Transition to Discipline

**This 4 week academic skills course occurs simultaneously for all residents in Foundations and provides residents with a strong background in research and teaching skills

***During this 2 week night float training experience the resident will be in the senior resident role. The resident will do several buddied call shifts before transitioning to independent senior for the completion of the rotation  

Core (Anticipated 96 to 108 weeks)

The purpose of core is to continue to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to practice as a competent consultant pediatrician. The focus of this stage is to gain experience and skill performing patient assessment and management of complex and rare pediatric presentations. This includes  patients in the ambulatory and hospital settings across the range of pediatric ages, including patients who are acutely critically ill. This stage also focuses on providing longitudinal patient management experience as well as development of communication skills for difficult and sensitive issues including mental health concerns, behavioral issues, concerns related to child maltreatment and goals of care discussions. 

Training Experiences Include:

• CTU Pediatrics as the Senior Resident*
• Neonatology**
• Pediatric Intensive Care**
• Community-Based Pediatrics - Rural (Brandon and Thompson Manitoba)
• Social Ambulatory-Based Pediatrics 
• Emergency Pediatrics**
• Adolescent Medicine and Child Psychiatry
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Child Maltreatment and Child Psychiatry
• Selective (Allergy, Cardiology, Complex Care, Endocrinology, Hematology and Oncology, Gastroenterology, Genetics and Metabolics, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neurology, Palliative Care, Respirology, Rheumatology)
• Continuity Clinic 
• Elective***
• Night Float**
• Senior Call  

*16 weeks total in Core

**8 weeks total in Core 

***12 weeks total in Core 

Transition To Practice (Anticipated 36 to 48 weeks)

The purpose of Transition to Practice is for residents to consolidate their pediatric knowledge and enhance their skills as they prepare to enter independent practice in general pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty. The focus of this stage is for residents to apply their knowledge and skills to provide comprehesive care in episodic and longitudinal settings. This stage also includes refining communication skills and developing practice management and leadership skills. 

Training Experiences Include:

• CTU Pediatrics Junior Attending
• Inpatient Complex Care 
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Neonatology
• Community-Based Pediatrics
• Continuity Clinic 
• Electives
• Senior Call 

With the exception of Senior Call, all non-elective training experiences are 4-weeks in total. 

Educational

Residents have a three-hour weekly academic half-day that is protected educational time with mandatory attendance.  Academic half-day is organized to provide a standardized curriculum on core general and subspecialty pediatrics topics rotating over a three-year basis.  The academic half-day curriculum also includes ethics, evidence-based medicine, and palliative care, in addition to other non-Medical Expert CanMEDS roles.  Academic half-day sessions are delivered in a facilitated interactive small group model, where resident groups of 8-10 engage actively in usually case-based discussion of important topics for general pediatrics guided by the specialist preceptors.  

A specialized Pediatric Indigenous Health curriculum was introduced in 2021. This was created within the residency program in collaboration with Indigenous leaders in medical education, and designed as a distributed experience. At the start of each academic year, there will be one Academic half-day session dedicated to this topic, with a difference focus for each residency cohort to allow for a progressive development of experience in a spiral fashion over the four years of training. Over the rest of the year, there are three hour-long sessions for the entire pediatric cohort where a specific topic will be presented didactically, experientially, and finally practically. In 2021, this will be on trauma-informed care, and in 2022 we will explore the complex relationship with Child and Family Services.

Transition to Discipline residents have a special series of academic half-days for the first two months of residency. This provides an in-depth orientation to residency.  Transition to Practice residents attend protected group study time in preparation for the Royal College examination.

Mandatory courses through the Faculty PGME office include topics on Teaching Development, Practice Management, Professional Boundaries, and Conflict Management.  Additional courses provided and required by the pediatric residency program include PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation) as well as the choice of either TRIK (Trauma Resuscitation for Kids) or ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support).

Other academic activities include a variety of CTU teaching rounds, pediatric Grand Rounds (protected educational time), mock codes, simulation sessions and resident-led seminars (protected educational time Monday afternoons). Morning Report occurs weekly for senior residents only (protected educational time) and involves a resident-led case-based discussion with a faculty preceptor.  An evening journal club is held monthly at the homes of faculty members.

Wellness

Our residents participate monthly in Ice Cream Rounds (protected educational time) that focus on discussing and processing difficult situations that have been encountered during residency as well as learning to adapt to adversity and improving resiliency. These rounds are resident led with mentorship from faculty trained and experienced in physician wellness.  

The Pediatric Residency Wellness Council was created in 2021 as a dedicated forum to discuss important issues pertaining to resident wellness. This is co-chaired by the Pediatric Chief Residents and the Wellness Lead for the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. Designated funding support for wellness activities is also provided by the Department.

Research

Each resident must complete a scholarly project as part of their residency training. For many residents, the scholarly project will be a research project.  Residents in Foundations participate in a dedicated four-week Academic Skills rotation and thereby receive a separate curriculum providing an introduction to clinical research with exposure to existing projects and the development of individual research projects. Critical appraisal is taught both formally and as part of journal club experiences and mentorship sessions. A formal research committee, comprised of both clinician scientists and doctoral researchers, supervises and provides excellent resources as part of the larger and well-funded Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Additional support in biostatistical counseling is provided to residents from the Centre of Healthcare Innovation.

In each year of training, residents may choose to have an elective rotation dedicated to their research project(s). Competitive funding for resident research projects is awarded from the Children's Hospital Foundation. Resident progress is supported with Work In Progress (WIP) presentations for feedback and advice.  Resident research is presented each year at the departmental research day and at the faculty-wide research symposium. The winner(s) of the resident research competition will receive funding to attend the National Pediatric Resident and Fellow Research Competition at which representatives from each pediatric residency program across Canada take part in the competition by presenting their completed research projects.

Health Advocacy Project

All residents in the latter half of Core are required to work collaboratively on a group health advocacy project. The project will be developed by the residents in response to their own assessment of the health needs of the children at the level of the local community, the province, the nation, or internationally. Previous projects have included successful lobbying for restricting tanning salons for minors, booster seat legislation, and promoting various advocacy topics such as literacy, influenza vaccination, HPV vaccination for boys, pain management during venipunctures, and use of bicycle helmets. Funding is provided by the residency program. Supervision of the project is provided by faculty members as well as non-faculty committee leaders. At the end of the academic year, the residents involved present their project at Pediatric Grand Rounds and at a Manitoba Pediatric Society dinner, and submit a written report on the outcome of their initiative. 

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Training Sites

The main training site for pediatric residents at the University of Manitoba is located at the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg, part of the Health Sciences Centre.  Established in 1909, the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg has grown to be a 127-bed facility and treats over 130,000 children each year.  Newer additions include an intensive care building housing the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and surgical suites.  A new state-of-the-art Women's Hospital opened in 2019 and includes a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg is the only pediatric hospital in Manitoba and provides tertiary pediatric care for residents of Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

Additional teaching sites in Winnipeg include St. Boniface General Hospital and various community office sites. Teaching sites outside of Winnipeg include Brandon General Hospital and Thompson General Hospital.  Residents also have the opportunity to travel to various remote communities in northern Manitoba and Nunavut  under the supervision of the pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists working with Ongomiizwin – Health Services 

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Additional Information

Winnipeg is a mid-sized city of over 770,000 people and offers a community with a cosmopolitan, international flair. The province of Manitoba has a population of 1.28 million people.   Winnipeg is a culturally diverse city with a multi-ethnic population representing one hundred (100) spoken languages and is known for its cultural achievements, flourishing arts scene, and numerous art and cultural festivals. Highlights include the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, many wonderful restaurants sure to satisfy even the most discerning foodie, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Winnipeg Jets (and their many enthusiastic fans), The Forks, Folklarama, the International Jazz Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival and the Folk Festival, among many others.

Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the numerous and easily accessible urban parks, trails, and the wide-open prairie sky. Winnipeg offers a reasonable cost-of-living which is lower than most other North American cities.

Winnipeg experiences a continental climate characterized by four distinct seasons creating a variety of weather conditions throughout the year.  Average temperatures range between -12 degrees Celsius (+10.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter months to +26 degrees Celsius (+78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summertime. Winnipeg receives over 2,300 hours of sunlight annually and has more clear skies than any other Canadian city! Due to its northern location, Winnipeg residents enjoy up to 16 hours of sunlight daily during the summer months.

www.tourismwinnipeg.com 

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FAQ

How many subspecialty fellows are at the University of Manitoba?
University of Manitoba offers pediatric subspecialty training programs in Allergy and Immunology, Emergency Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Child Development, Respirology, Infectious Diseases, Neonatology and Genetics, with approximately 15-20 subspecialty residents at any given time. These subspecialty trainees teach and work alongside pediatric residents, but do not detract from learning opportunities. 

How are residents evaluated?
Work place based assessments are used to asses whether residents are developing and demonstrating the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) required in each stage of training. Rotation Evaluations are done by each rotation supervisor at the end of each rotation.  Residents participate in two mock OSCEs each year as well as twice-yearly STACERs (observed history and physical). Written in-training exams (American and Canadian) occur three times each year. With the advent of the national Royal College competency-based medical education curriculum, pediatric residents entering residency in 2021 will have opportunities as a senior resident to evaluate more junior learners and thereby actively participate in the medical education process. The competence committee meets several times per year to review the progress of each resident. Residents meet with the program director every six months and as needed to monitor progress.

What social activities are part of the resident schedule?
Our wonderful group of residents are known to be friendly, hard-working and extremely supportive of one another.  They also have a reputation for having fun! Official activities include twice-yearly retreats (including a weekend retreat away from the city), a December holiday dinner organized by the residents for the Department of Pediatrics, and an end-of-year dinner sponsored by the Manitoba Pediatric Society. In addition, residents enjoy socializing at monthly journal clubs and research activities.

Do you have electronic medical records?
Laboratory and radiology data is reported as part of an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) available throughout the hospital. Documentation is completed on EPR in the emergency department and neonatal intensive care units. Orders are currently done on paper. Documentation on inpatient units is done in a paper chart. There is a plan to move towards electronic ordering in the near future.