University of British Columbia - Radiation Oncology - Vancouver
2023 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG
BC Cancer - Vancouver Ca. Ctre.
600 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver BC , British Columbia, V5Z 4E6
Program Contacts
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Thank you for your interest in the UBC Radiation Oncology Residency Program. We will be hosting virtual information sessions, please check the AFMC website for dates or contact our program administrator for more information.
Supporting Documentation / Information
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
Required documents for ALL applicants
Canadian Citizenship
The province of British Columbia will accept one of the following notarized/certified documents as proof of the citizenship/permanent residency and is required for all types of applicants. Photocopies are accepted but, citizenship documents other than what is listed below are not accepted. Proof of citizenship/permanent residency must be submitted to CaRMS by the File Review deadline. No allowances for late submission.
- Canadian Birth Certificate
- Canadian Passport
- Canadian Citizenship Certificate
- Canadian Citizen Card (both sides)
- Current Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides)
• IELTS
• Occupational English Test (OET) - Medicine
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) - General
CMG / USMG
If you graduated from an English medical school in Canada (including McGill) or the US, you are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency.
Candidates who attended medical school in Quebec or the University of Ottawa where the language of instruction or the primary language of patient care was not English, must fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements of the College of Physicians of Surgeons of BC as identified below. This requirement is the same for IMGs and is required by the start of the Ranking Period.
IMG
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC requires applicants to be proficient in the English language.
The Registration Committee may determine that an applicant has demonstrated English language proficiency if the following conditions are met:
- The primary language of medical education was English, and
- The primary language of patient care was English.
Applications received by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC on or before June 30, 2023, who have not met the above requirements will require one of: IELTS Academic examination, OET Medicine Examination or CELPIP General Examination for licensing (see criteria below). As such, applicants must submit the proof of English language proficiency to CaRMS by the start of Ranking Period. Photocopies are acceptable.
- IELTS Academic - Minimum score of 7 in each component.
- IELTS scores are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken.
- OET Medicine Examination - Minimum grade of B in each component.
- OET results are valid for a period of 2 years from the date taken.
- CELPIP General Examination - Minimum score of 9 in each component.
- CELPIP results are valid for a period of two years from the date taken.
Please note that results from these three examinations cannot be mixed. Candidates must meet all of the criteria in either the IELTS, OET or CELPIP examination.
Applicants are advised to review the College of Physicians and Surgeons English Language Proficiency Requirements here: https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/REG-ELP.pdf
Reference Letters highlighting the desired attributes listed in our selection criteria. Referees should demonstrate strong knowledge about the applicant and do not all have to be from Radiation Oncologists.
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.
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
Dates:
- February 9, 2023
- February 10, 2023
Plan for virtual social evening on February 9. 2023
Program initiated interviews. Applications are reviewed by the selection committee; selected candidates are invited for 2-3 small panel interviews by the members of the selection committee including the program director and current residents in the program. Notification for interview is by e-mail. A virtual tour of the centre will be conducted by senior residents.
Selection Criteria
Our selection committee is comprised of the residency program director, senior residents in the residency program, and other radiation oncology staff members from BC Cancer. Initial file review is done using a rubric with points awarded for academics (undergraduate/medical school transcripts), research, feedback from clinical rotations from MSPR, personal essay, demonstration of interest in radiation oncology (research projects, participation in CARO/CROF, clinical electives), and reference letters. Candidates are then invited for interviews based on rank from the initial file review. UBC has three separate mini interviews including with the program director, staff panel, and senior residents. Final rankings are determined based on scores from initial file review and from each interview.
Program goals
The goal of the UBC radiation oncology residency program is to provide residents the opportunity to acquire the competencies required to be a radiation oncologist. The program provides all the required training experiences in order for residents to learn and demonstrate these completencies.
The progam also aims to continually improve teaching and evaluation with the help of residents, the faculty, the residency training committee and the UBC postgraduate Deans.
Selection process goals
The UBC Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program seeks candidates who are likely to be able to achieve the competencies necessary for the practice of radiation oncology. Successful candidates will have had a strong academic and clinical career in medical school and post secondary education. A successful candidate will be someone anticipated to have a productive career and contribute meaningfully to the program and the department recognizing that a successful department has a diverse faculty with diverse interests including but not limited to research, administration/leadership, and education.
File review process
Review team composition : Program Director, Program Administrator, Senior Residents, and Radiation Oncologists from BC Cancer involved in resident training.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Education, work experience, research experience, community contribution |
| Electives | exposure to radiation oncology, breadth of clinical exposure |
| Examinations | we do not evaluate this file component |
| Extra-curricular | interests and strengths outside of medicine |
| Leadership skills | leadership strengths |
| MSPRs | function as a clinician |
| Personal letters | motivation for pursuing medicine and specifically radiation oncology as a specialty |
| Reference documents | function as a clinician or researcher and collaborative strengths |
| Research/Publications | research exposure and productivity |
| Transcripts | academic strengths |
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 | We are evaluating the candidate's strengths in collaboration. |
| Collegiality | We are evaluating the candidate's strengths in collegiality. |
| Communication skills | We are evaluating the candidate's strengths in communication skills. |
| Health advocacy | We are evaluating the candidate's strengths in Health advocacy |
| Interest in the discipline | We are evaluating the candidate's interest in the discipline and their future career interests. |
| Interest in the program | We are not evaluating how much the candidate wants to come to our program. |
| Leadership skills | We are evaluating the candidate's leadership strengths. |
| Professionalism | We are evaluating professionalism. |
| Scholarly activities | We are evaluating not just history of scholarship but potential for future scholarship. |
| Other interview component(s) | We are evaluating resilience, motivation, intellectual drive, compassion, self-reflection and humility. We are also assessing suitability for and a general understanding of the requirements of the profession. |
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 Radiation Oncology Program at the University of British Columbia has a great mix of excellent teaching, large amount of clinical exposure with good staff to learner ratios and exceptional research opportunities and mentorship. The residency program is based at the Vancouver Centre located just outside the downtown core. Residents have the opportunity to request clinical rotations at the other cancer centres in British Columbia (Prince George, Kelowna, Victoria, Abbotsford, Surrey). While only one community rotation is required, residents often choose to complete multiple rotations outside of Vancouver as we have excellent staff provincially and that are highly engaged in resident education. Teachers are rated as very approachable and the department is very collegial and appreciative of residents. Resident morale is very good in radiation oncology in British Columbia; residents see their colleagues graduate, participate in fellowship programs and then often return to British Columbia to embark on their careers with the UBC program having one of the highest rates of employment in the same province of training. We have a formal mentorship program that seeks to pair residents early in their training with a staff member with similar interests that will help with career development.
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.
Transition to Discipline
Our residency program begins with an introduction to the discipline of radiation oncology. Residents will be exposed over approximately 2 months to the practice of radiation oncology and the planning and delivery of radiation therapy. Residents will work in clinics in radiation oncology. They will also be exposed to simulation procedures for radiation therapy, planning of radiation therapy, delivery of therapy and on treatment-appointments.
Half-day teaching will be geared towards introductory topics for junior learners in radiation oncology as well as teaching in hospital information technology, communication skills and radiation safety as some examples.
Foundations
The subsequent approximately 14 months are an opportunity to acquire competencies in the care of the medical and surgical patient with some emphasis on oncology patients. Residents will spend blocks in general internal medicine and general surgery as well as sub-specialty medicine (including medical oncology) and sub-specialty surgery. There will also be rotations in palliative medicine and radiology and pathology.
Core
Approximately 3 years are spent on the core of the discipline of radiation oncology. Residents will become competent in the radiation oncology consultation including recommendations for treatment and consent discussions. Managing patients during treatment and follow up planning will also occur. All body sites within the discipline will be covered. At the beginning of the core rotations, residents will learn a number of sites at once. As they progress through core, rotations will be become more site specific for them to solidify their knowledge.
Core will also involve some research scholarship and elective opportunities.
At the completion of the phase of training, residents will take the Royal College exam.
Transition to Practice
For the last 6-12 months of residency, the focus will be on running an independent practice in radiation oncology. Residents will have supervision but will function more independently to prepare for the logistics of running a practice including other roles and responsibilities outside of clinic.
There may be additional opportunities to pursue particular interests including treatment techniques such as SABR or brachytherapy, or further research career development.
Core Academic Activities
Clinical Oncology
--Academic half day is organized into site specific months where teaching focuses on a certain body site.
--Within each month, there is teaching from senior residents, staff radiation oncologists who focus on clinical or radiotherapy planning, and a physics case focused on the planning aspects of the site.
Radiobiology
--Second year residents (early in Core) are funded to attend the University of Toronto Radiobiology course
Physics
--Second year residents (early in Core) participate in a weekly introductory physics course taught by a medical physicist
--Physics-based radiotherapy planning cases occur monthly during academic ½ day
--Physics rotation occurs later in Core exposing residents to planning techniques and quality assurance.
Pathology
--case-based teaching with clinical and pathological input during tumor board conferences and teaching during pathology rotation
Radiology
--introduction to normal and abnormal radiological anatomy during tumor board conferences and teaching during radiology rotation
Palliative Care
--month-long rotations in palliative care medicine
Epidemiology/Clinical trials design/Biostatistics
--Journal club monthly during academic ½ day taught by staff experienced in critical appraisal.
-additional teaching in halfday on biostatistics and clinical trial design
Research
All residents complete at least one scholarly project. There is a resident research director who is approachable and meets with each resident annually to discuss appropriate projects for them. Each year at the Department of Radiation Oncology academic day, residents present their annual research projects.
Residents are encouraged to present their research projects at national and international meetings, and publish their work.
The BC Cancer Research Centre and the Genome Science Centre have tight collaboration with the Radiation Oncology Department and BC Cancer. BC Cancer has a number of large population based databases that can be used for clinical outcomes research. Residents have also successfully completed projects in a number of different areas including machine learning, patient education, and quality assurance. Research activities are encouraged and supported by the Program Director, Department Head and Radiation Oncology Staff provincially.
Training Sites
Resources
The first year of residency can be based in Vancouver (St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital) or Victoria. These are all excellent teaching hospitals with supportive program directors on site.
The first year of residency location is determined through a lottery and residents will have a 50% chance of spending year one in Vancouver and a 50% chance of spending year one in Victoria.
Following the first year, the program is based at BC Cancer- Vancouver Cancer Center (VCC), with electives at Fraser Valley Cancer (Surrey), Abbotsford Cancer Centre, Vancouver Island Cancer (Victoria), Cancer Centre for the Southern Interior (Kelowna) and Cancer Centre for the North (Prince George).
There is ample exposure in Vancouver (and in the province) to specialized radiation treatments such as stereotactic radiation for brain and body, pediatric radiation, brachytherapy and orthovoltage treatment.
BC Cancer has tremendous resources including an extensive electronic medical library and patient information systems which are province-wide. These allow for smooth delivery of care and also excellent opportunities for population-based research.
Additional Information
Quick Facts
-There is an opportunity for inter-provincial as well as international elective rotations during this residency training. Senior residents are encouraged to organize electives in other centers in Canada, USA, or overseas. Residents must be in good academic standing in order to be considered for the out-of-site electives.
-Ratio of residents to faculty is: Vancouver Cancer Centre 1:2 ; Entire BCCA 1:5
-During Transition to Practice and Core stages of training, each resident is usually attached to a radiation oncology team that consists of 1-2 radiation oncology staff. Rotations are usually 8 weeks long. Residents may see between 5 and 10 consults per week and approximately 10-20 follow-up appointments. Residents are involved in radiation treatment planning and in-patient care (when required).
-The residency training program is based in Vancouver but residents do at least one month (many choose more) at one of the other BC Cancer Agency sites (Victoria, Surrey, Abbotsford, Prince George or Kelowna).