McMaster University - General Surgery - Hamilton
2023 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG
711 Concession St. - B3/Rm. 143
Hamilton, ON L8V 1C3, Ontario
Program Contacts
Important Information
Students who wish to speak with the Program Director about the program can contact Katie Niblock at niblock@mcmaster.ca. The Program Director will be happy to discuss the program over the phone or virtually.
Please refer to the CaRMS website for provincial eligibility information CaRMS Ontario Provincial Criteria. It is important to review the requirements carefully.
To learn more about the program, upcoming informational events and the McMaster PGME community please visit: https://pgme.mcmaster.ca/carms_r1_match_program_information/
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Supporting Documentation / Information
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
Proof of valid current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by submitting one of the following verifications to CaRMS by the File Review Opening deadline. Failure to provide valid proof will result in your application being removed. No other forms of verification are acceptable:
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Birth Certificate/Act of Birth issued by an authority in Canada accompanied by photo ID (must be valid Canadian government-issued photo ID).
- Failure to provide proof of citizenship will result in the removal of your application. No other forms of verification are acceptable.
- Documents must be notarized/certified photocopies. Notarized/certified copies must be dated and not older than two years from the date of application submission deadline; otherwise, a new notarized/certified copy is required.
- Confirmation of permanent residence must be accompanied by a photo ID (must be a valid Canadian government-issued photo ID).
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.
Custom Résumé / CV Medical School Transcript
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
- 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;
- Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
- International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.
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.
Please note: Required if Medical school has been completed.
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
Interviews
- Niagara Stream Interviews - February 16, 2023
- Hamilton Stream Interviews - February 17, 2023
Selection Criteria
Candidates will be graded on the content of their letter of application; the strength of their references; the academic record; and the demonstration of their interest in our surgical training program when interviewed.
Applicants are encouraged to provide a head shot picture of themselves to be used as a memory aid during the selection process.
Program goals
The program aspires to help residents determine which of the many types of career that are possible within General Surgery best fits their interests and goals, and provide them with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in their chosen career. The program will have the flexibility to allow for rotations tailored to meet the individual learning needs of our residents and the requirements of the Royal College for certification in General Surgery. Residents successfully completing the program will be well prepared for the next phase of their career, whether that be transition directly to practice in a range of practice settings or advanced clinical or academic training. Thus, our graduates successfully practice across the entire spectrum of General Surgery from isolated, small rural hospitals to complex tertiary care hospitals and Academic Health Science Centers. We function in an atmosphere of collaboration where all participants contribute to the success of the program.
Selection process goals
Our process seeks to identify candidates who are well suited to a career in General Surgery and a good fit for the collaborative culture of our program. Successful applicants will have an excellent understanding of what General Surgery offers to them that other specialties do not, and how their personal strengths align with the attributes required to succeed in General Surgery. They will demonstrate willingness to engage in the process of continuous improvement, both in their own development and within the broader health care system including our learning environment. They will demonstrate the ability to take full advantage of the learning opportunities that are offered. They will demonstrate their commitment to collaboration, patient care and a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. Their stated career goals will be supported by the material contained in their application.
File review process
Review team composition : Each file is completely reviewed and scored (using a standardized list) by 1 or 2 faculty, 1 or 2 residents and the Program Director. 60 applicants are then selected for interview.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 51 - 200
100 - 150 applications are reviewed to identify the 60 candidates who will be invited to interview.
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 26 - 50 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Capacity to learn, support for described interests and skills |
| Electives | Appropriate exploration of career choice |
| Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component. |
| Extra-curricular | Collaboration, leadership, work/life balance, judgement |
| Leadership skills | Demonstration of collaborative skills |
| MSPRs | reviewed |
| Personal letters | Reasons for choice of General Surgery, a good sense of who the applicant is, knowledge of our program |
| Reference documents | Referees that truly know the applicant |
| Research/Publications | Concordance with career goals |
| Transcripts | Any concerns with regards to professionalism; adequate academic achievement |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Will be supportive of fellow learners, work effectively with other health professionals, work with educational and hospital leaders to optimize learning and patient care. |
| Collegiality | Appreciation of the needs of others |
| Communication skills | Organized thinking, clarity |
| Health advocacy | Health promotion, health protection, quality improvement, etc. |
| Interest in the discipline | A true understanding of the specialty and your suitability for this career |
| Interest in the program | An real understanding of what our program offers and how it aligns with your values and needs |
| Leadership skills | Decisiveness within a collaborative process; how you empower those that you lead |
| Professionalism | Ethics, understanding of professional standards |
| Scholarly activities | Commitment to the work required to succeed |
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 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.
General Surgery is a five-year program. Years one and two comprise the Surgical Foundations Program.
All candidates at the completion of the surgical foundations program will be regarded as eligible to take the Principles of Surgery Examination which for general surgery must be successfully completed prior to applying for the final examination.
PGY1:
- General Surgery 8 blocks (2 of these are on Trauma/ACS at Lead Trauma site)
- 1 Block 'Rookie Camp/Transition to Residency'
- 2 blocks Pediatric Surgery
- 1 Block of CTU or Peri-op Medicine
- 1 block of ER (or 2nd block of Medicine)
Advice: All rotation choices should be discussed ahead of time with the program director, as part of the overall plan for future surgical training.
PGY2:
- 7 blocks General Surgery, including 2 blocks Acute Care Surgery
- 3 blocks of GI Endoscopy
- 3 blocks ICU
PGY3/4:
23 blocks structured to support resident's career goals. Includes 2 blocks of community surgery for all, additional blocks of community surgery or exploration of fellowship/subspecialty interest, rotations in other surgical subspecialties (i.e. Thoracic Surgery, Vascular, Head & Neck, Urology, Plastics, etc.), Research and Global Surgery. Includes 4 blocks of ACS.
PGY4/5:
14 blocks of 'Chief Residency' starting in block 11 of PGY4. Rotations are 3-4 blocks each and are chosen based on learning needs/career goals. Includes 1 block of study time for written component of RCPSC Certification Exam. 2 blocks of 'Transition to Practice'. Clinical activities assigned that support needs for entering practice or preparing for fellowship. Includes time to prepare for RCPSC Applied (oral) exam.
Seminars
We have a comprehensive formal academic curriculum which includes weekly General Surgery seminars ( Surgical Foundations for PGY1, separate level specific seminars for PGY2/3 and PGY4/5), robust simulation activities and courses in all years ( ie. ATLS, Critical Resource Management, CMAS basic and advanced, ATOM, GI Endoscopy), PGME required events and regional and site based rounds. This is updated annually, with input from residentsguiding the annual schedules for the various components.
Research
The program requires completion of 2 research projects during residency. This is guided by the Program Research Director, who meets with residents early in PGY1 to begin the process. Infrastructue support such as statistical analysis is available, as well as several funding mechanisms. Residents may schedule a research block when required for completion of their projects.
We also offer opportunities for formal academic training such as a Masters or PhD degree. The Surgeon Scientist Program assists residents who wish to apply for a position in the McMaster Clinician Investigator Program. While highly competitive, our residents have had good success in securing a position. An alternative is to do a 1 year program such as an MPH (while our residents have completed a number of quite diverse programs, the MPH at Harvard has been a particular favorite). The program has an endowment (The Charles and Margaret Juravinski Fellowship) that provides funding support for such endeavour through a competitive internal selection process.
Training Sites
Resources
McMaster University Postgraduate Programs are integrated in cooperation with the affiliated teaching hospitals and therefore there is no primary base hospital. We provide access to electronic medical resources for residents at all hospitals. The following hospitals are used for mandatory or elective rotations: Hamilton Health Sciences (McMaster University Medical Centre, Hamilton General Hospital, Juravinski Hospital); St. Joseph's Hospital; community hospitals.
- The McMaster site, Hamilton Health Sciences is a center for the Childrens' Hospital and pediatric surgery as well as pediatric trauma.
- The General site, Hamilton Health Sciences is the location of the Adult Trauma Centre, along with Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery and Neurosurgery.
- The Juravinski site of the Hamilton Health Sciences is the location at which oncology and general surgery occur and is affiliated with the Regional Cancer Centre. This site has the Regional HPB program, Colorectal and Breast Surgery, and is the location of the Cancer Care Ontario regional facility, along with the Malignant Hematology program.
- St. Joseph's Hospital is the site of the regional Bariatric Program, has a strong focus in Minimally Invasive Surgery including the Center for Minimal Access Surgery (General Surgery residents have access to this resource throughout their residency). Regional programs in Thoracic Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery and the Nephrology program are located here.
All 3 adult hospitals have active emergency rooms and robust general Medicine and Surgery activity. Each site has a general Surgery Acute Service (combined with Trauma at HGH), and Medicine CTU's along with all the usual supporting services such as ICU. All sites have access to a laparoscopic simulator for resident use at any time.
There are many hospitals that support our community rotations. There are several locally and within the broader region, including our satellite campuses in Niagara (site of our Niagara residency program) and Kitchener-Waterloo. However, we are able to facilitate these rotations in virtually any location, and our residents have completed rotations in every province in Canada.
Additional Information
Assessment - The resident receives frequent workplace-based assessments (WBA) using the entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and milestones set out in the Royal College Competence by Design (CBD) framework. In addition, the resident receives formal feedback and assessment from each clinical supervisor at the end of each general surgery rotation using a narrative assessment form. Other assessments of operative skills competency in addition to EPAs are completed during PGY3-5. The resident’s complete file and overall progress is formally reviewed at least twice a year at the Competence Committee.
Examinations - The program conducts a formal oral examination for all residents twice yearly. All residents take the written exam provided by The Canadian Association of General Surgeons annually. Feedback is provided for both of these experiences.
Career Review - Formal Career Review is scheduled twice per year with the Program Director or Associate Program Director. A comprehensive range of topics is discussed, including performance, rotation planning and career development. Additional meetings are easily scheduled, at the request of the resident or Program Director.
CAGS - The program will provide all residents with a CAGS, Canadian Association of General Surgery, membership.
Mentorship - Strong informal mentorship is a feature of our program and readily available. We have added a formal mentorship program for those who wish this opportunity as well.