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University of Saskatchewan - Pediatrics - Regina

2023 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG

Last approved on December 01, 2022

Summary of changes

Approximate Quota:

 2 

Accreditation status : Accredited

Provincial Criteria


Dr. Mark Inman
Pediatrics 
Department of Pediatrics  
103 Hospital Dr.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 0W8
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Regina General Hospital
Department of Pediatrics
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U of S Pediatrics Program Regina site
Discover all that College of Medicine, Regina Campus offers when pursuing your residency training

Program Contacts

Dr. Mark Inman
Program Director
mark.inman@usask.ca

Dr. Erin Woods
Associate Program Director (Saskatoon Site)
erin.woods@usask.ca

Dr. Shauna Flavelle
Site Director, Regina
Shauna.Flavelle@saskhealthauthority.ca

Ms. Tracey Murray
Program Administrative Assistant (Regina site)
tracey.murray@saskhealthauthority.ca
306-766-3707


Important Information

Applicants  are responsible for reviewing the University of Saskatchewan Policies for the R1 Match to determine if they meet all requirements and eligibility criteria. Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements or documents may result in an applicant’s file not being reviewed or ranked.

CASPer Test
All applicants must complete the Casper test. More information is available under Supporting Documentation-CASPer Exam.

Licensing
Matched applicants must be eligible for an educational register license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) for a July 1st start date and must maintain eligibility for an educational register license throughout their entire training program. Matched applicants who are graduating in the spring will need to provide a copy of their medical degree/diploma to the PGME office and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS) prior to the start of residency training. Any delays in providing all required documentation to CPSS may result in the following:

  • delay in issuance of an educational register license and a delay in start of postgraduate training beyond July 1st
  • release from CaRMS match contract

Applicants completing medical education at the University of Montreal, Sherbrooke, Laval, and the University of Ottawa (French stream) are required to submit proof of English language proficiency before the rank order deadline to demonstrate they meet CPSS requirements. More information is available under Supporting Documentation-Language Proficiency.

NOTE: Applicants who are considering a delay to their convocation date must be aware that a medical degree cannot be issued to a student until they have convocated. CPSS bylaws require that new residents must have received their medical degree prior to the commencement of residency training. Choosing to delay convocation will affect a matched applicant’s ability to commence their residency training program in Saskatchewan on July 1. Please refer to the U of S CaRMS Deferral Policy for additional information.

Credentialing
In order to commence and continue in Postgraduate Medical Education training programs, matched applicants must be eligible for and maintain privileges within the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) as determined by their credentialing process. The SHA requires successful applicants to submit a current criminal record check as part of their pre-resident application for appointment. Applicants with criminal records will be considered on a case by case basis by the College of Medicine in consultation with the SHA.

Resident Boot Camp
All matched applicants must attend a mandatory three-day Resident Boot Camp scheduled for late June. The purpose of the Boot Camp is to provide additional support to trainees as they transition to residency by introducing and consolidating baseline skills and knowledge needed to flourish during their residency years. The program will include interactive case-based and hands-on practice sessions. There will also be a social event to provide trainees with the opportunity to interact and network among themselves. Stipends will be provided to trainees.

Attendance is required and absences are only permitted in exceptional circumstances, with prior approval of PGME.

Basic Life Support Course/PALS
Matched applicants are required to provide proof of BLS certification (current as of July 1, 2023) to the PGME office prior to starting their training program. If BLS has not been completed, please let the program administrator know and this may be combined with your PALS training in early July 2023. 


General Instructions

Program application language: English

Personal Letter/Statement: specific details regarding the questions to address and the length of the letter can be found in the Personal Letter section of the Additional Documents. We encourage you to review this closely and address the questions to the best of your capability. 


Supporting Documentation / Information

Canadian citizenship
CaRMS partners with third-party organizations to verify your citizenship or permanent resident status. If your status is verified by one of these organizations, you will not need to provide citizenship documents in your application. If your citizenship status is not verified, you must provide one of the documents listed below.
Document must be notarized/certified
Required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your Canadian citizenship:
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)

All applicants must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents at the time of application and must submit a notarized/certified photocopy of one of the accepted citizenship documents.

Proof of citizenship must be current at the time of application and expired documents will not be accepted.

CaRMS is partnering with third-party organizations to automate the verification of citizenship/legal status required by postgraduate offices for entry into residency. Third-party verification simplifies the process for applicants and programs. All applicants who do not receive third-party citizenship verification will be required to upload and assign an acceptable proof of citizenship document. Please see additional information here.

Language proficiency
Conditionally required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your language proficiency:
• IELTS
• Occupational English Test (OET) - Medicine
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General

Language assessment document accepted: IELTS Academic

  • Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2023
  • Minimum score: Minimum of 7.0 in each of the components
  • Results available and submitted to programs by: March 2, 2023 at 14:00 ET 

Language assessment document accepted:

  1. Occupational English Test (OET) – Medicine on paper at a test venue
  2. Occupational English Test (OET) – Medicine on a computer at a test venue
  • Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2023
  • Minimum score: Minimum grade of B
  • Results available and submitted to programs by: March 2, 2023 at 14:00 ET

Language assessment document accepted: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) – General

  • Document validity (not expired) by: Must be valid up to July 1, 2023
  • Minimum score: Minimum grade of 9 in all sections
  • Results available and submitted to programs by: March 2, 2023 at 14:00 ET

Applicants will be required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language to meet licensing requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSS) of Saskatchewan.

CMGs/USMGs who completed their medical education at an English medical school in Canada or the US are not required to submit proof of English language proficiency.

Canadian applicants with medical education from the University of Montreal, Sherbrooke, Laval, and the University of Ottawa (French stream) are required to meet the English language proficiency requirements of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan and must complete one of the language exams listed above.

Applicants who are required to complete a language exam must submit a valid test score to CaRMS by the program rank order deadline. Applicants who do not provide acceptable proof of language proficiency by the program rank order deadline will not be ranked.

Please direct any questions about language requirements or eligibility to della.toews@usask.ca. Applicants should not contact CPSS directly about their eligibility for licensure.

Reference documents
Required
Number requested: 3

Three letters of reference are required and must be written by faculty members or consultants. References should be from a clinician who has directly observed the candidate. References from residents will not be accepted.  References are due in the CaRMS office by the reference letter deadline.

Additional documents
Required
Photo 
[Note: Photograph is used as memory aid only]

Medical School Transcript 

Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:

  1. Obtain your medical transcript from your school and upload it directly to your CaRMS Online account. Follow your school’s policy regarding accessing or requesting your transcript;
  2. Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
  3. International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.

Medical Student Performance Record 

For current year Canadian medical graduates (CMGs), there is no action required from you. Your medical school will automatically submit your MSPR to CaRMS on your behalf for you to assign.
If your MSPR is in a language other than the program language of English or French, you are required to have the document translated.

Personal Letter 
Word count
Minimum : None
Maximum : 750

A personal letter must be submitted along with your application. Your personal letter should be no more than 750 words (approximately 1.5 pages, single spaced).

In your personal letter, please be sure to specifically address the following questions:

1. Why have you chosen to apply to Pediatrics?
2. What makes you interested to train in our residency program and live in the province of Saskatchewan, specifically Regina and/or Saskatoon?
3. What strengths would you bring to our program including any niche interests or skills that you have?

NOTE: if you are applying to both the Regina and Saskatoon program sites, you may use the same personal letter.

CASPer exam 

Your CASPer assessment result is sent directly to CaRMS from Altus approximately one week prior to the application deadline. Please ensure that you give Altus permission to share your results with CaRMS.
The CASPer assessment is only valid for one admissions cycle. If you have taken the assessment in a previous year, you are expected to re-take it. To register for the CASPer assessment visit takealtus.com/casper.

Custom Résumé / CV 

Please use this opportunity to highlight your professional and personal achievements.


Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on January 10, 2023


Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  January 10, 2023


Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on January 10, 2023


All applicant files submitted before the deadline will be reviewed by our selection committee. Each file is evaluated on a number of merits, including, but not limited to: academic potential, interest in scholarly activities, leadership in extracurricular activities, strength of reference letters, interest in our center's pediatric training program, and the candidates personal statement. Our program values a broad range of electives, both within and outside of Pediatrics. For electives in Pediatrics, the program may contact any elective supervisor listed on your CaRMS application for further information. After review of documents, selected applicants will be offered a virtual interview. 

Not all applicants meeting the minimal requirements will be offered an interview. The final ranking process is determined primarily by a combination of file review and interview scores.

The file review and interview processes are conducted in an equitable manner with the goal to identify the candidates that best demonstrate the core values of our program. 


Interviews

Interviews will be held on Feb 6-8, 2023, in the AM (9am - 1pm CST). Consistent with national policies, interviews will all be held virtually this year. 

Please note that interviews will not be conducted on weekends. Any questions regarding interviews can be sent via email to the program administrators. 

Program will notify all applicants through CaRMS Online and will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview.

Interviews will be offered to candidates who meet the program’s criteria for entrance. Only candidates who are interviewed will be considered for ranking. We are very accommodating and will do our best to have an interview time that suits your preference. 

Virtual interviews will be conducted by a panel, including faculty and resident members. There will be opportunities to talk with local Pediatric residents and learn more about our program through virtual "town halls" which will be held in November and December.

Interviews will be conducted in an equitable and culturally-sensitive manner with the intent to identify the applicants who best fit the core values of our program.


Selection Criteria

Strong academic standing, interest in child health, and extracurricular activities are desirable attributes. 

Our program values an applicant with a diverse range of clinical, scholarly, leadership, and life experiences. 

As a mid-sized program, our trainees have the opportunity to become deeply involved with clinical care from an early stage of their training - therefore, applicants who are enthusiastic, eager to learn, and self-directed will thrive in our program. 

We seek applicants who have demonstrated a strong academic standing and have shown a clear interest in child and adolescent health. 

Demonstrating performance in scholarly work and the assumption of leadership roles in your medical school career are further sought strengths. 

Residency life can be demanding; therefore, we seek applicants who show a well-rounded approach to life with an interest in personal extracurricular pursuits.

Further, we seek applicants with an awareness of and respect for cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion. With a large Indigenous population in Saskatchewan, strong candidates demonstrate an appreciation of and a respect for the unique health care needs of Indigenous peoples. 

Program goals

The primary goal is to train emerging General Pediatricians with excellent clinical skills and a comprehensive knowledge in General Pediatrics, who will utilize their training judiciously and ethically in caring for Pediatric patients. For those who may seek further specialization, our program will help foster your goal of attaining a pediatric fellowship position of your interest. 

At the end of training, residents will have successfully met the requirements as outlined in the Royal College objectives and will have gained competency to practice as a General Pediatric consultant. Furthermore, through mentorship and modeling, residents will have a strong awareness of professionalism, equity and cultural diversity.

Selection process goals

The Pediatric training program at the University of Saskatchewan is committed to a fair, equitable and transparent application process.  Successful applicants are those who we feel are best suited for our Paediatric Training Program.  

The Selection Committee will rank applicants based on the following criteria:

-Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and a commitment to teamwork and professionalism

-Clear interest in our Pediatric training program

-Medical school grades/class standing/awards

-Demonstration of leadership skills/functioning in a leader role as well as evidence of work as an advocate

-Demonstrated interest in Pediatrics as reflected in electives, selectives, etc.

-Personal Letter demonstrating (1) an interest in Pediatrics, (2) interest in training and living in the province of Saskatchewan, and (3) strengths, interests, and/or skills that you would bring to our program. 

-Reference letters

-Demonstrated ability to be organized as evidenced by a complete application that is in accordance with our stated expectations.

File review process

Review team composition : The review team is composed of the Pediatric Residency Program Committee members and other Pediatric faculty who have experience in reviewing CaRMS applications and utilize our CaRMS file review form to ensure all relevant aspects of your file are reviewed thoroughly and in a standardized manner.

Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 51 - 200
Based on the last 4 years, we received an average of around 75 Canadian applicants.

Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
We will offer interviews to 50-67% of applicants

Evaluation criteria :
File component Criteria
CV Evaluate content and organization
Electives Completed one or more electives in Pediatrics
Examinations Relevant examinations have been successfully passed (if unsuccessful, then a explanation and follow-up completed for remediation should be discussed). All applicants must complete a CASPer exam to be eligible for consideration.
Extra-curricular Well balanced across domains and team work
Leadership skills Demonstrate initiative and leadership skills
MSPRs Evaluate overall performance
Personal letters A personal letter must be submitted along with your application. Your personal letter should be no more than 750 words (approximately 1.5 pages, single spaced). In your personal letter, please be sure to specifically address the following questions: 1. Why have you chosen to apply to Pediatrics? 2. What makes you interested to train in our residency program and live in the province of Saskatchewan, specifically Regina and/or Saskatoon? 3. What strengths would you bring to our program including any niche interests or skills that you have? NOTE: if you are applying to both the Regina and Saskatoon program sites, you may use the same personal letter.
Reference documents Evaluate content and evidence of your commitment to/interest in pediatrics
Research/Publications Interest in participating in research; demonstration of successful completion of research projects (presentations & publications) is an asset.
Transcripts Evaluate content and identify any areas of academic difficulty.

Elective criteria

We encourage applicants to have completed at least one elective in our discipline.
We do not require applicants to have done onsite electives.

Due to COVID-19, it is expected and anticipated that elective experiences are greatly affected and appropriate consideration will be taken when reviewing applications. We wish to assure applicants this will not impact the eligibility of their application during the review and selection process.

Interview process

Interview format :



We may accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants due to weather, technology failure, or unforeseen circumstances.

Interview evaluation criteria :
Interview components Criteria
Collaboration skills Demonstrated through interview questions
Collegiality Demonstrated through interview process and selected review of your application
Communication skills Demonstrated through application and interview process
Health advocacy Demonstrated commitment to the health and wellness of various populations in your application
Interest in the discipline Demonstrated through application and interview process
Interest in the program Demonstrated through application and interview process
Leadership skills Demonstrated through interview questions and evidence within your application
Professionalism Demonstrated through interview questions
Scholarly activities We do not evaluate this interview component

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

Specifically, we may consider:







Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
   
   
   


Program Highlights

QUICK FACTS

- Our program is a distributed one, with all residents receiving some portions of their training in other sites. Residents based in Regina will expect to spend some time in each year of the program in Saskatoon, notably for training in PICU and core subspecialty rotations. Access to varied outpatient settings, including local First Nations Reserves, is a valued component of our program. With 2 residents per year of training (8 in total), and no local RCPSC fellowship programs, residents in our program have ample direct contact with pediatric faculty and clinical exposures.

- Our current Regina faculty includes 20 general Pediatricians and Neonatologists.  Other supports include a Pediatric Developmental specialist, Pediatric Allergist/Immunologist, two Pediatric Surgeons, as well as comprehensive pediatric care programs at the Allan Blair Cancer Centre and the Wascana Hospital (pediatric rehabilitation services).  We also have a well-developed Child Abuse Team affiliated with the Regina Children’s Justice Centre.

- Our Pediatric Outpatient facility provides consultative care with specialty clinics including Child Development, Surgery, Asthma and Allergy, Nephrology and Cystic Fibrosis.  Other clinics, such as Pediatric Cardiology, Neurology and Hematology are managed by visiting subspecialists from Saskatoon. 

- As with all pediatric programs, we employ the CBD (Competence by Design) curriculum as of July 2021. 

Training experiences (rotations) are typically 2- or 4-week blocks with the majority taking place in Regina. Other rotation experiences will be scheduled in Saskatoon (3 blocks as a PGY1, 5-6 blocks as a PGY2 and PGY3, and 3-5 blocks as a PGY4). Opportunity exists for 3 electives at other accredited Pediatric institutions and for self-designed selectives that meet resident educational needs and Royal College requirements.

- Residents are well-supported by their program directors, administrative staff, and a progressive resident contract through the Resident Doctors of Saskatchewan (RDoS). There are 4 weeks of vacation time allotted per year at the beginning of the academic year. Typically 2 weeks of vacation are scheduled for each resident and slotted into the rotation schedule, with the other 2 weeks selected by the resident during the academic year.

Resident scholarly projects (research) are well supported through a network of research experts (Division Head of Pediatric Research; Department Research Coordinator, and Resident Research Facilitator). The University of Saskatchewan also provides excellent research supports, and all residents are provided funding to present their research.

- The Pediatric Program maintains a robust academic curriculum (highlighted below) including protected academic half-day, simulation (high fidelity simulation in our simulation lab as well as targeted clinical procedural rounds), Code Navy events, wellness rounds, journal club, a variety of resident-led and faculty-supported rounds (case rounds, topic rounds, and interpretation rounds), physical exam rounds, critical appraisal curriculum, Departmental Grand Rounds, practice examinations (STACERs, OSCEs, MCQs and SAQs), a longitudinal Indigenous Child and Youth Health course, a Teaching Course (TIPS), M&M Rounds, and much more.

Resident wellness is an important part of training and is supported through several resident-led and faculty-led initiatives, including staff/resident events, biannual resident retreats, and other College and community-wide opportunities. Many of our faculty are training in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and provide resident debriefing as required. Fatigue Risk Management (FRM) and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are prioritized across our program, overseen by faculty-resident committees, and hold a dedicated spot during Resident Program Committee meetings. 

- The Regina General Hospital’s Medical Library offers an extensive collection of medical journals and a friendly staff to help with online searches.  Access to the University of Saskatchewan’s online electronic journal archive is also provided.  

- Another on-site resource is our well-appointed Simulation Centre, used for practicing procedures and medical scenarios such as pediatric emergencies and codes.


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.

Our Pediatric Residency Program, akin to all other pediatric programs, transitioned to CBD as of July 2021. Elentra (https://elentra.org/) is the chosen electronic platform for the University of Saskatchewan Competence by Design (CBD) programming. Residents must finish all 4 stages of pediatrics before moving to subspecialty training; for most residents this will take 4 years.   

CBD Stages

The CBD stages are currently planned as follows (1 full block = 4 weeks)

TTD (Transition to Discipline): 3 blocks expected

  • Pediatric Inpatient Unit, junior role (4 weeks)
  • Developmental Pediatrics or Social Pediatrics/Allergy (4 weeks) 
  • Community Pediatrics (4 weeks)

Foundations: 13 blocks expected

  • Pediatric Inpatient Unit, junior role (8 weeks)
  • Neonatal Medicine (6+4 weeks)
  • Mother-Baby Unit (2 weeks) 
  • Community Pediatrics (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Anesthesia (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Allergy/Social Pediatrics (2 weeks + 2 weeks)
  • Pediatric Emergency (4 weeks - Saskatoon)
  • Hematology / Oncology (4 weeks - Saskatoon)
  • Elective (4 weeks)
  • Selective (4 weeks)
  • Adolescent/Pediatric Psychiatry (4 weeks)

Core: 26 blocks expected

  • Pediatric Inpatient Unit, junior role (4 weeks), senior role (12 weeks)
  • Neonatal Medicine (4-8 weeks)
  • Pediatric Intensive Care (12 weeks - Saskatoon)
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Community Pediatrics (12 weeks)
  • Adolescent and Pediatrics Psychiatry (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Surgery (4 weeks)
  • Developmental Pediatrics (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Ambulatory Care/Child Maltreatment (4 weeks)
  • Research/Ambulatory Care (2 weeks/2 weeks)
  • Pediatric ENT/Pediatric Orthopedics (2 weeks/2 weeks)
  • Elective (8 weeks, in Saskatoon or out-of-Province)
  • Selective (24 weeks, mainly in Saskatoon)

Transition to Practice (TTP): 10 blocks expected

  • Pediatric Inpatient Unit, senior role (8 weeks)
  • Community Pediatrics (4 weeks)
  • Neonatal Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Emergency or PICU (4 weeks)
  • Electives (4 weeks)
  • Selectives (12 weeks)
  • R4 Module (Resident as Teaching/Transition to Practice (2 weeks)
  • Mother Baby Unit (2 weeks)

Academic Curriculum

Academic Half Day (AHD) - with Saskatoon

  • Protected time every Thursday from 12pm-4pm.
  • 1st hour is the Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds.
  • 2nd hour is CPS Jeopardy (summer) or resident-led, faculty-supported rounds (case rounds, topic rounds, interpretation rounds) or staff-led physical exam rounds or staff-led critical appraisal rounds.
  • 3rd and 4th hours: Subspecialty Rounds led by pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, and allied health specialists to cover core pediatric RCPSC objectives.

Other Academic Half Day Experiences

  • High fidelity simulation experiences in the simulation lab and targeted procedural skills practice half days will take place at least twice per year
  • Communication Series (6 part workshop over 3 years to consolidate communication skills).
  • Wellness Rounds (2-4 hours per year).
  • Ice Cream Rounds (psychologist led rounds, twice per year).
  • Critical Appraisal certification (structured critical appraisal education).
  • Monthly resident-led, faculty-supported journal clubs to discuss important emerging literature in pediatric care.

Critical Care Rounds

  • Protected rounds for NICU and PICU residents with a rotating weekly schedule of case rounds (resident led), Grand Rounds, simulation, and morbidity/mortality rounds.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Half Day and Case Based Teaching or Simulation

  • Protected curriculum on the emergency medicine rotation but may be accessible while on other rotations. Monthly Pediatric EM half-day with various presentations and discussions. Weekly case based teaching alternated with high fidelity simulation.

Code Navy Events

  • Unit or hospital wide simulation events conducted by pediatric and PICU staff and managed by pediatric residents; includes structured post-event debriefing and discussion.

M&M Rounds

  • Monthly morbidity and mortality rounds led by the PICU. Resident involvement may include attendance +/- presenting a case for discussion.

Indigenous Child and Youth Health Course 

  • Faculty-led course designed longitudinally to provide a robust, pediatric specific Indigenous Health experience to pediatric trainees. Starting in 2021 (to replace the online-only Role of Practitioners in Indigenous Wellness course), the first year of this course includes a series of modules with discussion led by expert faculty. Upon completion, residents will be equipped with the knowledge and insights to provide a more holistic and inclusive approach to their care of Indigenous patients and their families.

TIPS

  • A U of S led course (2 parts) in the 1st year designed to help promote residents to further develop skills in teaching and medical education.

First Year Resident Orientation

  • Resident Boot Camp: a 3-day program conducted by the College of Medicine for all new U of S residents with the intent to facilitate a more seamless onboarding into residency and to begin to foster a collegial network across residents and staff.
  • Program Orientation: a robust curriculum designed to help R1s transition into residency that will provide you with all the necessary knowledge, supports, and logistical information to successfully transition into our program, introduce you to our Department, and welcome you to our city.

PALS and NRP

  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) are provided for full certification for R1s and re-certification for R2s/R3s. BLS must be completed prior to start of residency for all incoming pediatric residents.

Scholarly Project (Research)

  • All residents in the program are expected to complete a scholarly project, in accordance with the RCPSC Pediatric Training Objectives.
  • Research support is provided throughout the Department including a Pediatric Resident Research Facilitator.
  • Residents will get exposure to research curricula within the AHD and in other settings. Opportunities to share their work and attain support will occur annually in the AHD setting.
  • Funding for residents to travel and attend pediatric conferences is available to all residents and is highly encouraged; additional funding is provided to residents who present their work at national or international conferences. 
  • Residents will all present at least once at the Pediatric Child Health Research Day (U of S) and will be encouraged to present nationally if opportunities arise.

Resident Wellness

  • Resident wellness is of utmost importance to us in our training program.
  • All residents will have the opportunity to meet with the program directors formally at least twice a year but may meet with the program directors at any other time as needed.
  • Wellness supports integrated within the program include:
    • A wellness curriculum within the pediatric AHD
    • Ice cream rounds (psychologist led sessions) within the pediatric AHD
    • Resident/faculty events including a summer golf event and winter indoor and/or outdoor activities
    • Site-specific fall retreat, a full combined-site resident spring retreat & numerous other resident initiated gatherings
    • Resident representation on the Pediatric Residency Program Committee 
    • All residents are assigned an academic advisor (faculty member) who will meet with the resident 3-4+ times per year to help support the resident in academic progress (including completion of requirements under CBD)
    • Informal faculty mentorship opportunities (in addition to the assigned academic advisor).
  • EDI Committee with a standing spot on the Resident Program Committee meeting agenda.
  • Advocacy and CME around Fatigue Risk Management (FRM) is ongoing and is supported at the resident, program, and faculty levels.
  • Further support for residents is found through academic, mental health, and advocacy channels through the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office, the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA), and the Resident Doctors of Saskatchewan (RDoS). 

Leadership

Residents will have the chance to be involved in several committees and roles during their residency training including, but not limited to:

  • Pediatric Chief Resident roles
  • RDoS representatives
  • Residency Program Committee involved include: RPC representative, Wellness Committee, Selection (CaRMS committee), Curriculum Committee, and Research Committee
  • CBD (Competence by Design) leads
  • AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and CPS (Canadian Pediatric Society) representatives
  • AHD (Academic Half Day) representatives
  • EDI committee representatives 
  • Other involvement in clinical, educational, scholarly, advocacy and administrative initiatives

Teaching Opportunities

Residents have the opportunity to be involved in a myriad of structured and unstructured teaching opportunities during their 4-year training period. Teaching as resident-medical student pair, resident-resident pair, and resident-faculty pair exists throughout the 4 years of the program. Formalized teaching training - the TIPS program and education-based academic half-day lectures and workshops - allow for residents to further hone their teaching skill sets. Additional opportunities to engage in teaching or accrue education training can be arranged based on resident interest. 

Other Program Notes

  • The Pediatric Program in Regina works in conjunction with the Saskatoon Pediatric Program site, giving the opportunity for pediatric residents to interact with those based in Saskatoon.


Training Sites

The Pediatric Residency Program, Regina Stream, is based at the Regina General Hospital with distributed learning at other sites. 

The Regina General Hospital houses a 26-bed pediatric inpatient unit, including a 4-bed High Acuity Area, as well as a 24-bed NICU (both intensive and intermediate care), a 12-bed newborn nursery/step-down neonatal unit, a 36-bed Mother-Baby unit (for routine post-partum care) and a Pediatric Outpatient Unit. 

Wascana Rehabilitation Hospital is the site of Wascana Children's Program, which provides ongoing support for children with physical disabilities. 

Community Pediatric clinics are held in various private Pediatrician's offices throughout the City of Regina.

Social Pediatrics sessions take our residents to First Nations Reserves in Southern Saskatchewan. In addition, experiences may involve other community organizations that provide pediatric-based care.  

The Jim Pattison's Children's Hospital in Saskatoon, newly opened in September 2019, is the location of many experiences during pediatric residency, including PICU, Pediatric ER, and most pediatric subspecialty rotations. 

Extensive support is available for out-of-town rotations.  The exact nature of this support varies with location and program.  The communities involved, individual programs, the College of Medicine, and the Ministry of Health work collaboratively to ensure residents are not financially disadvantaged by the need to train at various sites within the province. For residents assigned to short term, mandatory rotations in Saskatoon, fully furnished private apartments are provided (laundry facilities, wi-fi, cable TV). Family friendly and pet friendly housing is available.


Additional Information

All incoming R1 residents are required to complete BLS prior to starting.

PLEASE NOTE: 

- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) will be provided upon entry.

- NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) will be provided upon entry.


FAQ

Question: What is the relationship between the Saskatoon and Regina sites?

Answer: Our program director oversees the Pediatric Residency sites in both Saskatoon and Regina. In Regina, there is also is a site director (Dr. Shauna Flavelle) and program administrative assistant (Tracey Murray). 

Regina trainees spend time between Saskatoon and Regina. This includes: 3 blocks in the 1st year (Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Respirology, and Hematology/Oncology), 5-6 blocks in 2nd year (PICU x 2, selectives x 3-4), 5-6 in the 3rd year (Pediatric Emergency Medicine, PICU, and selectives x 3-4) and 3-5 blocks in the 4th year (PICU or Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 2-4 selectives). 

The overall curriculum (academic half day, OSCEs, practice examinations, courses and certifications, and other core curriculum) are consistent between both sites. Furthermore, opportunities pertaining to research, wellness, and leadership are similar across both sites. 

The overall resident and faculty relationship between the Saskatoon and Regina sites is highly integrated and supportive. 


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