Western University - Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology - London
2023 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG
Western University, 1151 Richmond Street
Room 4044, Dental Sciences Building
London, Ontario, N6A 5C1
Program Contacts
Important Information
Late applications will not be considered.
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 Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
Proof of current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by submitting one of the following verifications to CaRMS by File Review Opening Date (January 10, 2023). (Photocopies acceptable). No other forms of verification are acceptable:
- Notarized photocopy of Birth Certificate issued by an authority in Canada with any photo ID, or
- Notarized photocopy of Canadian Passport, or
- Notarized photocopy of Canadian citizenship certificate, Record of Landing; or
- Notarized photocopy of Permanent Resident Card/Canadian Citizen Card – copies of both sides of card must be provided and legible.
Three reference letters are required and should be written by staff physicians/faculty members. All reference letters will be reviewed.
Required - used for memory aid
Medical School TranscriptYour 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.
The applicant will be required to submit a personal letter of approximately 500-1,000 words. This should include the reason for interest in AP as a specialty, why he/she is suited for the practice of pathology, and what makes he/she a good candidate for our program. Please include any other pertinent information which may be helpful in the selection process.
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
Applications will not be considered after the file review process has begun.
Interviews
Dates:
- February 13, 2023
- February 14, 2023
- February 15, 2023
- February 16, 2023
- February 17, 2023
This year, interviews will take place virtually. The process will include interviews with representatives from the AP Residency Training Committee, including the Program Director. Additionally, candidates will have a chance to meet with the residents, where there will be opportunities to learn more about the program and about life in London.
More information about preparing for your virtual interview can be found at Virtual Interview Resources for Residents.
Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodation for any part of the residency, fellowship, or AFC trainee application process may contact, in confidence, Learner Experience.
Selection Criteria
Candidates will be selected on the basis of demonstrated interest in Anatomical Pathology, reference letters, academic record, and interviews.
Program goals
The goal of Western's training program in Anatomical Pathology is to provide residents with high quality training in all areas of Anatomical Pathology, through a rigorous and comprehensive academic program, delivered by a faculty committed to resident success. The program has embraced Competency Based Medical Education (CBME), and meets the standards specified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
In addition to providing training in all core areas, residents receive training in research, education and quality assurance, and senior residents have the opportunity to tailor the program to suit their individual career goals and develop areas of scholarly interest.
The program is committed to inclusivity and resident wellness.
Selection process goals
Skills and attributes sought in the selection process are those which will afford residents the greatest opportunity for success in the program:
- Demonstrated interest in Anatomical Pathology (evidenced by Curriculum vitae / transcript, personal letter, reference letters)
- Academic ability
- Effective communication skills
- Demonstrated team work skills and anticipated ability to work collegially in a resident group
- Research interest and ability
- Commitment to upholding standards of equity, diversity and inclusion
File review process
Review team composition : The interview committee consists of the Program Director (chair) and members of the Residency Program Committee (RPC).
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Demonstrated interest in Anatomical Pathology; Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| Electives | Due to the pandemic there is not an elective requirement |
| Examinations | Academic ability |
| Extra-curricular | Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| Leadership skills | Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| MSPRs | Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| Personal letters | Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| Reference documents | Attributes that will contribute to success in residency training |
| Research/Publications | Research ability |
| Transcripts | Academic ability |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We may accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants due to weather, technology failure, or unforeseen circumstances.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Demonstration of collaboration skills |
| Collegiality | Demonstration of collegiality |
| Communication skills | Demonstration of communication skills |
| Health advocacy | Demonstration of health advocacy |
| Interest in the discipline | Demonstration of interest in the discipline |
| Interest in the program | Demonstration of interest in the program |
| Leadership skills | Demonstration of leadership skills |
| Professionalism | Demonstration of professionalism |
| Scholarly activities | Demonstration of scholarship |
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
- The Anatomical Pathology Program at Western University has a long tradition of academic excellence and success at the Royal College examination.
- The Program has a dedicated teaching faculty, with a 1:3 resident to faculty ratio, and an established mentorship program.
- There is a comprehensive educational program, with numerous rounds and teaching sessions.
- Forensic training is longitudinal, with abundant learning opportunities.
- Elective opportunities permit residents to tailor the program to their own needs and goals, while developing areas of scholarly interest.
- The Program is committed to resident wellness, with a departmental wellness budget allotted to residents.
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.
Anatomical Pathology
The Anatomical Pathology program at Western University is well established with a long tradition of excellence. The program was reviewed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in the fall of 2019, receiving full accreditation. The strength of the program lies in the excellent rapport between residents and faculty members, combined with faculty enthusiasm and dedication to teaching.
Residents are thoroughly prepared for their Royal College examinations with a comprehensive curriculum and regular in-training evaluations, resulting in a 100% pass rate at the Royal College exams from 1991-2021. Combined residency/MSc or residency/PhD programs are available for interested applicants.
The Program transitioned to a competency based medical education curriculum (Competency by Design) in July 2019, under the guidance of the Royal College. The program uses a 5 year framework for residents to complete the required Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) necessary to practice as a competent consultant pathologist. The mandatory rotations are designed to ensure that residents are able to fulfill all the goals and objectives of training. Elective opportunities permit senior residents to tailor the program to their own needs and goals. Numerous rounds and teaching sessions supplement the practical training component.
PGY1
Stages of training: Transition to Discipline (1 block), Foundations of Discipline (11 blocks), Core Discipline (1 block)
The early introductory and foundational training includes both clinical and pathology based rotations in various specialties. The initial 4 week "block" is spent in the pathology department with an introduction to specimen dissection, microscopy and autopsy. The first 8 Foundations blocks are spent in clinical rotations, selected to give a good grounding in clinical medicine and surgery, supporting good clinicopathological reasoning in future pathology practice. The subsequent 3 blocks are spent in the pathology department, developing skills in specimen dissection, microscopy, intraoperative "frozen section" consultation and autopsy. Core Discipline begins in the final block of PGY1.
PGY2-4
Stage of training: Core Discipline (39 blocks)
During core training, residents rotate through the Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Molecular Pathology and Autopsy services to ensure adequate exposure to all subspecialties. Surgical Pathology includes involvement in frozen sections, gross and microscopic examination, ancillary studies and subspecialty sign-out. Residents participate in research and teaching activities, and more senior residents serve on the departmental Quality Committee. There is ample elective time for residents to seek additional training in certain subspecialty areas, hone their exam skills, or seek fellowship opportunities.
PGY5
Stage of training: Transition to Practice
In the final stage of training, residents have the opportunity to take on more advanced leadership, research and teaching opportunities, obtain further training in individual areas of interest, and practice managing the daily workload of an Anatomical Pathologist.
Anatomical Pathology Educational Program
The program has a comprehensive academic curriculum, designed specifically for residents. There is a weekly academic half day, during which time residents are excused from all service responsibilities. This takes the form of didactic and seminar style teaching, along with practical at-the-microscope sessions. These sessions cover a broad range of AP topics as well as supplementary topics including Laboratory Management, Quality Assurance, Critical Appraisal, Wellness, and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization. In addition to the academic half day, there are numerous formal teaching sessions and rounds. There are 3 in-house written examinations per year and 2 oral examinations, and residents participate annually in the RISE (US based online exam). During Foundations of Discipline, residents participate in an integrated Introduction to Pathology course, which allows hands-on experience and familiarity with basic lab techniques.
Anatomical Pathology Electives
There is a significant period of time available for electives, with a wide choice of electives for the trainee to consider. These can include rotations in specific subspecialty areas of Anatomical Pathology e.g., gynecologic or gastrointestinal pathology, or in research. AP residents may choose electives in a community hospital in order to broaden their experience of day-to-day pathology practice or for career planning. Residents may also do electives in clinical pathology disciplines such as hematopathology, chemistry or microbiology if they are considering practicing in a community hospital setting. The flexibility in the elective program allows each individual resident to achieve their own personal goals and to explore possible career choices.
Anatomical Pathology Research
Each resident is required to do two research projects during the course of their residency, including a Quality Assurance project. Residents may do more at their discretion, and are required to participate annually in the departmental research day.
Many faculty members have active research programs, and therefore opportunities exist for residents to do research in a wide range of areas, including clinicopathological and bench type research, quality assurance and scholarship of teaching and learning.
Research can be performed as part of general rotations or as elective blocks. Residents are encouraged to present their work at provincial, national and international meetings, for which there is Departmental funding for travel expenses. Current and past residents have won numerous research prizes and travel awards.
Anatomical Pathology Teaching by Residents
Residents are involved in the formal teaching of undergraduate medical students (small groups and occasionally anatomy labs), as well as the informal teaching of medical students and residents from other services who rotate through pathology. They also teach each other during various rounds and at Academic Half Days.
Anatomical Pathology Assessment
There are 3 in-house written examinations per year and 2 oral examinations. These mimic the Royal College examination and provide an outstanding method of preparing for the Royal College exam. In addition, residents participate annually in the RISE (Resident in Service Examination, hosted by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists), a US based online exam that mimics the American "Boards".
Anatomical Pathology Summary
The AP program at Western University offers a superb training opportunity for residents wishing to pursue a career in Anatomical Pathology. The program offers all the opportunities and facilities of larger programs, but has the advantages of a single training site, focused faculty attention to individual residents, a well established mentorship program, longitudinal and on-site forensic pathology training, and program flexibility. The program does this in an easy-going and pleasant environment in which to live and work.
Residency Training Program Start Date
All programs at Western commence on July 1, 2023. There will be a PGME Orientation Day and lecture series beginning in June for residents to attend.
Training Sites
Western University
Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Chonnonton Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.
We respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as physicians and educators to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.
Anatomical Pathology Resources
The Pathology Department is centralized at the London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital. All pathologists and residents in the city work together, at one site, in a modern, state of the art department, equipped with digital imaging equipment. All residents have their own work station equipped with their personal microscope and computer. There is dedicated internet, a comprehensive software package, on-line access to medical journals, and a Departmental (resident room) collection of hard copy and on-line textbooks. Additional materials are available through the Hospital and western libraries.
The department serves as a referral centre for over 1,500,000 people in Southern Ontario, ensuring exposure to a wide range of pathological material (approximately 700 autopsies, 55,000 surgical and 30,000 cytological specimens annually). The department is equipped for electron microscopy, immunopathology and molecular biology, and there are complete services in medical biochemistry, medical microbiology, and hematology. Regional cytogenetics and clinical immunology laboratories are located in London, and there is an active multi-organ transplant program and the Regional Cancer Clinic. Community hospitals include (but are not limited to) Stratford General Hospital, Bluewater Health in Sarnia, and the Grey Bruce Regional Health Centre in Owen Sound.
Additional Information
About London
London is a pleasant city of approximately 385,000 people, situated in Southwestern Ontario, midway between Toronto and Windsor/Detroit. It is dubbed "The Forest City" due to its abundance of trees and parks, with numerous walking, running and biking trails. It offers many of the amenities of a larger city but remains more affordable and more easily "commutable", with lower traffic density. A significant proportion of London's population works at Western University or in one of the several health care or research facilities. London is also home to several large corporations, and there are excellent restaurants, theatres and many community-oriented events, all of which enhance family life.
London is home to many festivals throughout the year, and the main sports-entertainment venue "Budweiser Gardens" hosts numerous concerts and other events. For big-city sports or entertainment, Toronto and Detroit are 2 hours away by car or train. The town of Stratford (home to the Stratford festival) is a 30-40 minute drive from London. For sports lovers, London has much to offer with sailing either on Fanshawe Lake (in the city) or on Lake Huron, cross country skiing on groomed trails in Fanshawe Park, downhill skiing at the London Ski Club, mountain biking, hiking, beach volleyball (in the city), cycling and rollerblading along the Thames River (20km of connected paved paths) and golfing, not to mention the usual complement of tennis and squash clubs, etc.
FAQ
Q. How many positions are available?
- Western University Anatomical Pathology has two (2) PGY-1 positions available for the 2023 match.
Q. Do you accept international medical graduates (IMGs)?
- The Anatomical Pathology Training Program does not have any allocated IMG positions and will therefore not be considering international medical graduates for the 2023 match.