Program Contacts

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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 1^st 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 1^st
• 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.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Matched applicants are required to provide proof of ACLS certification (current as of July 1, 2023) to the PGME office prior to starting their training program. The ACLS course must be endorsed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and/or the American Heart Association. ACLS training that is not certified by these two organizations and/or is completed entirely through an online course will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with obtaining ACLS certification.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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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

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Interviews

Dates:

• February 16, 2023

Selection Criteria

Candidates should have a proven interest in orthopedic surgery. This can be demonstrated by electives in orthopedics or related fields.

Three references should be obtained from academic specialists. References should be able to attest to interest and proficiency in the specialty as well as comment on interpersonal and manual skills.  Alll references must use the Canada-wide Orthopedic Structured Reference Letter (SRL).

Program goals

The University of Saskatchewan offers a well-organized comprehensive training program in Orthopedic Surgery as per the Royal College Objectives of Training in Orthpedic Surgery. Our residents will demonstrate the following attributes: exceptional teamwork, interpersonal skills, clinical skills, research experience and academic excellence. Our program believes in a positive work/life balance and extracurricular activities.  

Selection process goals

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability to interact appropriately with patients and colleagues alike.

Identify applicants interested in Orthopedic Surgery, and those who will develop into exceptional surgeons.

Identify applicants who have demonstrated attributes highlighted in the CanMEDS 2015 roles:  Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Leader, Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional.

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability and enthusiasm to learn and are able to adapt to a demanding residency.

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

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   

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Program Highlights

We have a yearly Combined Research Day with the University of Manitoba.   The programs alternate visiting and hosting.  This involves a one-day event with air travel.

We have newly renovated the Orthopedic learning centre with the latest AV technology and virtual meeting capability.

We currently hold our simulation labs in the new Anatomy lab space.  The College of Medicine is continuing to develop Surgical Simulation capacity.  

We have a favorable resident to staff ratio fostering a supportive learning environment.

We have many off-service rotations allowing for a broad medical and surgical experience in Surgical Foundations.

Our transition to CBD is going smoothly.

A senior call schedule allows for additional study time.

Every year we have a summer retreat to welcome the new residents held off-site at a faculty's cabin.

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Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 5 years.

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

Curriculum

The University of Saskatchewan has a very strong history of clinical and didatic teaching.  Daily teaching and weekly grand rounds provide ample learning opportunities for our residents.  Boot camp and surgical simulation curriculum has been implemented to keep pace with the transition to competency based education.  

Transition to Discipline

The Surgical Foundations boot camp runs concurrently with an orthopedic rotation for first two months.    It is a combination of didactic learning and surgical simulation.   Residents will also take the ATLS Course.

In addition to the Surgical Foundations boot camp, the Orthopedics boot camp takes place in the first two weeks.

Surgical Foundations

Surgical Foundations consists of 17 blocks of orthopedics:   Hip and Knee Reconstruction, Orthopedic Trauma, Spine, Pediatric Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Research.  Off-service rotations include 1 block each of: ICU, Vascular Surgery, Trauma Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Radiology, and Rheumatology.

Core

Residents are based at the Royal University Hospital and Saskatoon City Hospital in Saskatoon where block rotations include Sports Medicine, Upper Extremity, Foot and Ankle, Hip & Knee Reconstruction/Orthopedic Tumour Surgery, Spine Surgery, Pediatric Orthopedics and Trauma Orthopedics.   

During fourth year residents work with surgeons in community practice such as Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and Lloydminster.   They have 2 blocks of elective time for out-of-province rotations in third year. They have 1 block of knowledge consolidation before their specialty examination.

Transition to Practice

A short period of time before finishing residency focusing on knowledge gaps and developing skills to start independent practice.

Seminars

Almost every day there are formal scheduled rounds and seminars which are mandatory for all residents.  The format varies from didactic sessions to small group interactive sessions, depending on the faculty member(s) involved.  Our weekly teaching sessions are comprehensive and cover the breadth of orthopedics.  Weekly rounds: Extremity, Fracture, Anatomy/Basic Science, Pediatrics, Spine and Orthopedic Grand Rounds.  In addition we have rounds in: M&M, Pathology, Radiology, Medicine, Anesthesia, and Journal Club.

Research

It is mandatory for residents to be involved in a research project in orthopedics or a related area in their R1, R2, R3 and R4 years.    One project is expected to be a completed manuscript.   The project, at whatever stage of completion, will be presented at the Combined University of Manitoba & University of Saskatchewan Orthopedic Resident Research Day.   There is an annual resident research day for the U of S Department of Surgery where completed papers from all surgical disciplines are presented.  

For all residents there is a protected 1/2 day of research time per week.

Many papers are also presented at the Canadian Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting and proceed to publication. 

To give the R-5s more study time in preparation for the Royal College examination there is no research requirement.

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Training Sites

Saskatoon City Hospital

Royal University Hospital

St. Paul's Hospital

Jim Pattison Children's Hospital

Saskatoon Prairieview Surgical Centre

Saskatoon Surgicentre

Regina Hospitals

Prince Albert Hospital 

Lloydminster Hospital

Moose Jaw Hospital

Northern Medical Services

Offices of the community based faculty

Distributive Learning at the University of Saskatchewan

The College of Medicine, while physically located in Saskatoon, is a provincial resource in attitude and in practice. Postgraduate medical education at the University of Saskatchewan takes seriously its role in supporting quality health care to all people of the province. This means training physicians to meet the needs of, not only urban populations, but also those of rural and remote populations. In so doing, the College of Medicine has developed, and continues to develop, rotations in Regina and other communities. These rotations are designed to provide educational experiences to enhance the resident's knowledge and skills, and take maximum advantage of unique educational opportunities in a diversity of communities. All postgraduate programs are expected to develop and incorporate into their curriculum, rotations in communities other than Saskatoon. The manner in which each program does this is not strictly prescribed by the College of Medicine - but is determined by the Residency Training Committee, taking into consideration the needs of their residents, and the excellent opportunities available in other locations. These rotations continue to evolve as we seek to build stronger and better programs.

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 relocate.

For residents assigned to short term rotations in Regina, fully furnished private apartments are provided (laundry facilities, wi-fi, cable TV) and are located in close proximity to the Regina General Hospital. Residents who bring their children with them for the duration of their rotation will be housed in family-friendly multi-bedroom apartments.

While all residents are strongly encouraged to take advantage of educational experiences in other communities to ensure a well rounded education, the amount and format of such time is determined by the program committee.  Our program committee feels that limited rotation exposure in Regina would best fit our educational needs.

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Additional Information

Additional Comments

We believe the distinguishing strength of our program is to give each resident a great deal of personal attention. This is made possible by our relatively small size and a highly dedicated group of teaching staff.