Program Contacts

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

All applications must be in 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

Applications will be reviewed by members of the residency program committee and assigned an overall score based on the following features;

1) academic and scholarly activities

2) personal letter and letters of reference

3) demonstrated interest in the specialty

4) leadership skills

 

The 16-20 applicants with the highest scores will be invited for an interview.

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Interviews

Dates:

• February 10, 2023

Selection Criteria

Program goals

This program is designed to fully satisfy the goals and objectives of training in dermatology as enunciated by the Dermatology Specialty Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Upon completion of training, a resident is expected to be a competent specialist in Dermatology capable of assuming a consultant's role in the specialty, including its foundations in the basic medical sciences and research. Residents must demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes for effective patient-centered care and service to a diverse population.

Selection process goals

Candidates will be selected on the basis of superior academic performance, demonstrated interest in our specialty, their ability to function as a team player and their potential to contribute to Canadian Dermatology. Applicants with an interest and /or proven experience in research, either at the level of basic science or clinical research, are encouraged to apply. While it is not mandatory for candidates to spend elective time at the University of Calgary, we strongly encourage applicatns to have completed an elective at our institution.

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

Quick Facts

The Dermatology Residency Program at the UofC offers:     -A comprehensive and flexible educational program in the field of dermatology; -Dedicated subspecialty clinics in Immuno-dermatology, Paediatric dermatology, Surgical dermatology and MOHS, Wound Care, Contact Dermatitis, Surgical Oncology/Melanoma, Cutaneous Lymphoma, Rural Medicine and Virtual care. -Numerous opportunities for basic science and clinical research; -Weekly Dermatology, Adult & Pediatric Medical Grand Rounds, basic science, morphology and dermatopathology rounds with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine; -Dermatopathology teaching from dermatopathologists working at one centre -Protected time to enable attendance at academic 1/2 day sessions; -Funding for conference travel in the Core Dermatology years as well as funding support for research presentations; -Average weekly at-home call of 1 in 8; -Ratio of residents to faculty during core Dermatology years of 1.5:1 -Ample elective time allowing the candidate to choose rotations based on their career goals; -The opportunity to pursue interprovincial and international electives; -A faculty and department committed to excellence in clinical medicine, research, and medical education.  We encourage and welcome students from out-of-province to apply to our program.

 

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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.

The Dermatology Residency Program at the University of Calgary is a hospital and community-based, five-year residency training program. The goals of our program are:

 1) To provide a comprehensive educational experience that will train candidates to function as independent, competent and compassionate consultants in dermatology;

 2) To meet the specialty training requirements in Dermatology of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Candidates who select this program will complete at least one year (PGY-1, PGY-2) of approved residency training in internal medicine or pediatrics. These years are designed to fulfill the requirements of the Royal College for dermatology training, and are provided at the University of Calgary teaching hospitals.

The PGY-3, PGY-4 and PGY-5 years will be dedicated to specialty training in both inpatient and outpatient dermatology. Residents will rotate through several subspecialty clinics which include pediatric dermatology, patch test, wound healing, phototherapy, skin cancer, dermatologic surgery,  teledermatology, solid organ transplant, lymphoma, immunobullous and connective tissue disease clinics.

Residents will attend clinics at the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the Foothills Medical Centre, the Alberta Children's Hospital and the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre.  Hospital consultations will be seen at the Foothills Medical Centre, the Rockyview General Hospital, the Peter Lougheed Centre, the South Health Campus and the Alberta Children's Hospital.  Rural rotations are available in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Canmore. Residents will also have the opportunity to work at The Alex community Health Centre in Calgary and the Siksika First Nation Reserve.

Dermatologic surgery training will take place at the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre under the direction of two dermatologic Mohs surgeons. Specialized procedures including laser therapy and phototherapy will be available to our residents through the offices of several community-based dermatologists in Calgary who actively support our residency program.

Pediatric dermatology training will occur at the Alberta's Children's Hospital and Richmond Road Diagnostic Treatment Centre.

Dermatopathology training will be carried out at Alberta Precision Laboratories Testing Lab under the direction of six dedicated dermatopathologists.

PGY-1, PGY-2

These years are arranged to encompass several facets of clinical medicine using a standard rotating format. Residents will complete at least one year of approved residency training in internal medicine or pediatrics.

PGY-3, PGY-4, PGY-5

The PGY-3, PGY-4 and PGY-5 years will consist of rotations through hospital, community and rural-based settings. In addition to general Dermatology clinics, residents will rotate through several subspecialty clinics. These include pediatric dermatology, patch test, wound healing, phototherapy, skin cancer, dermatologic surgery, laser, teledermatology, solid organ transplant, lymphoma, immunobullous and connective tissue disease clinics. Throughout their rotations, residents will be exposed to inpatient dermatology and provide inpatient consultations. In order to support the future career goals of our residents, ample elective time will be provided. In the final year, residents will be expected to take increased responsibility in decision making with regards to managing patients within the clinics and on the wards. Greater participation in teaching, supervising and supporting junior residents as well as non-dermatology residents and medical students is expected. The Chief Resident is appointed by his/her peers and has additional administrative duties related to organization of rotations and the academic program under the guidance of the Program Director.

Seminars

There is an active academic program at the UofC comprised of morphology conferences, dermatopathology slide sessions with lectures and discussions, clinical meetings, patient presentations, teaching rounds, journal clubs and formal grand rounds. Weekly basic science and clinical seminars are prepared and presented by trainees under the direction of faculty members. Residents are encouraged to participate in the biannual Alberta Society of Dermatologists meetings and to attend clinical and scientific conferences in Canada, the United States and abroad.

Research

All residents are required to complete mandatory research rotations. Residents are strongly encouraged to carry out research relevant to their career goals. The research may range from basic science through clinical trials and epidemiologic studies.

Resources

 

The Division of Dermatology at the University of Calgary has five main teaching sites: the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the Foothills Medical Centre, the Alberta Children's Hospital, the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre and Alberta Precision Laboratories Testing Lab. Hospital consultations will be seen at the Foothills Medical Centre, the Rockyview General Hospital, the Peter Lougheed Centre, the South Health Campus and the Alberta Children's Hospital. Residents will also rotate though several community and rural-based dermatology clinics.

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Training Sites

Resources

The Division of Dermatology at the University of Calgary has five main teaching sites: the Richmond Road Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, the Foothills Medical Centre, the Alberta Children's Hospital, the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre and the Alberta Precision Laboratory. Hospital consultations will be seen at the Foothills Medical Centre, the Rockyview General Hospital, the Peter Lougheed Centre, the South Health Campus and the Alberta Children's Hospital.  Residents will also rotate through several community and rural-based Dermatology clinics.

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Additional Information

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: Applying competency-based practices to residency education

To contribute to the success of Canadian physicians and the delivery of high-quality patient care, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has embarked upon an initiative to introduce competency-based medical education (CBME) in Canadian postgraduate specialty training and in professional practice in Canada. This initiative, called Competency by Design (CBD), aims to enhance patient care by aligning medical education and lifelong learning with evolving patient needs and empowering learners to more fully engage in their education process.

CBD will use time as a framework rather that the basis for progression. It is not anticipated that the duration of training will change for the majority of trainees. Residency programs will be broken down into stages, and each stage will have a series of milestones based on required competencies. These milstones will create more targeted learning outcomes and involve more frequent, formative assessments within the clinical workplace to ensure residents are developing and receiving feedback on the skills they need.

The Royal College anticipates that all specialty and subspecialty programs in Canada will adopt CBD in gradual phases. All disciplines have been divided into seven cohort groups, each of which will adopt CBD at different times. It is anticipated that national implementation of CBD within dermatology residency programs will occur in July 2022.

All programs implementing CBD will continue to undergo the same rigorous accreditation processes as traditional programs. All CBD (and traditional programs) will continue to lead to Royal College approved certification. Certification for trainees in both CBD and traditional programs will include the completion of a Royal College examination; however, residents in CBD programs will also be assessed against program milestones throughout their training. Within a CBD program, all milestones (documented within an electronic portfolio) and the Royal College examination must be successfully completed to achieve certification.

 

Fore more information, please contact cbd@royalcollege.ca.