Program Contacts

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Important Information

Institution-wide CBME Implementation within PGME at Queen’s University

Queen’s University received approval to adopt a Competency-based Medical Education model in all specialty programs, effective July 1, 2017. 

Residents attending Queen’s in July 2017 and beyond will use time as a framework rather than 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 entrustable professional activities (EPAs) based on required competencies. These EPAs 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 changes at Queen’s University are intended to align with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons’ broader, national Competence by Design initiative to introduce CBME in all faculties and all disciplines.  This program at Queen’s University simply adopts CBME on an advanced timeline.  However, as each specialty and subspecialty adopts CBD nationally, Queen’s will make any necessary adjustments in order to fully align and comply with CBD. 

Further information on CBD can be found on the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada website at: CBD implementation 

Electives

We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted candidates’ opportunities to arrange and complete electives and would like to reassure you that a lack of elective activity this year will not negatively impact your application to our program. 

COVID-19 vaccination requirements:

Please refer to the 'Restrictions' section of the Ontario eligibility criteria for messaging regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

EDIIA Institutional Statement:

The goal of resident selection is to identify trainees likely to succeed both in training and, once out in practice, in meeting the health care needs of patients and Canadian society.  We know that having a physician workforce that reflects the demographics of the patients that they serve improves health care outcomes.  There are many populations within Canada under-represented in medicine (UIM) with a paucity of health care practitioners who are Black, Indigenous, Persons of Colour, 2SLGBTQ+, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and/or with disabilities. Diversity within training programs has also been shown to improve training environments.  Queen’s University PGME is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion within its community for these reasons as well as being part of the solution to address historic and contemporary inequities.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

 

Program application language: English

Please refer to Supporting Documents for specifics on the required documentation. Documents submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Key requirements for applications:

• Completed CaRMS Application
• Personal Statement
• Personal CV
• 3 Letters of Reference
• Medical School Transcript
• Medical School Progress Report (MSPR)
• Proof of Medical Diploma (MD)
• Others items relevant later in the process (e.g., photo, proof of citizenship/residence)

Items we neither require nor want:

• CTU assessments
• PDFs of publications
• PDFs of certificates/diplomas/degrees

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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

Selection Criteria

Academic strength as demonstrated by medical school record and undergraduate record.

Personal qualities of interpersonal skills, facility with communication and integrity.

Interest in and commitment to neurology as a career.

Background in neurosciences or other disciplines that can serve to enhance a career in neurology.

CV and personal letter must be included.

Program goals

Our residents will demonstrate exceptional clinical, research, and interpersonal skills, knowledge, and attitudes, always striving for academic excellence while fostering a collaborative environment. They will be active members of our local and academic communities, engaging in volunteer work and extracurricular activities. Our program believes in positive work/life balance and encourages participation in activities outside of medicine. 

 

Selection process goals

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

Identify applicants interested in Neurology, and those who will develop into exceptional Neurologist.  

Identify applicants who have demonstrated attributes highlighted in the CanMEDS 2015 roles. 

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability and enthusiasm to learn and are able to adapt to various demands of the Neurology resident training program. 

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

Program highlights

 

Welcome to the neurology residency program at Queen's University! We have a well-established academic program with a long track record of successful graduates that have gone on to academic and non-academic careers. We are an academic referral center based on beautiful Lake Ontario with a catchment population of approximately 600 000 people in South Eastern Ontario.  Our program is designed to give residents a combination didactic teaching and hands-on clinical exposure. Some of the highlights of our program include:

 

1. Clinical exposure: A unique strength of the neurology residency program at Queen’s is the supportive experiential approach to learning that our residents receive. Our teaching philosophy is that residents should be taught the basic principles and tools required to be a neurologists and then be given the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills in an independent manner. As a regional referral center our residents see a broad range of neurological disease. Our residents learn firsthand to diagnose, assess, and manage neurological disease by doing it. This permits the development of confidence in clinical skills and allows learning in a much more salient and practical way. Fundamental to this approach is a strong academic curriculum based on commitment from our faculty to teach the core skills and knowledge base.

 

1. Competence based education. The division of neurology has been proactive in developing a competency based curriculum with strong support from our dean. We have developed a regular schedule of short answer questions (SAQ) and OSCEs to challenge our residents. In addition the neurology residency program at Queens has instituted rigorous evaluation methods to facilitate our assessment process including
1. Neurology specific clinical encounter rubric
2. Multisource feedback form
3. Patient feedback form
4. Bedside education feedback form
5. Pre & Post-test examinations: This approach has been piloted in both EEG and EMG rotations. When residents start this block they are given a multiple choice examination based on the core principles of the subspecialty in addition to rotation specific objectives. At the end their block, they are given a similar quiz and are required to attain a score of 70% to pass.

 

1. Clinical teaching.
1. In-patient medicine:  The neurology service at Queens offers two streams of exposure to in-patient medicine including 1.) a stroke stream and 2.) a general neurology stream to better focus your learning and increase the student to staff ratio.
2. Ambulatory medicine: residents are exposed to a full range of ambulatory clinics including:

1. Longitudinal clinics: residents are assigned to a single mentor for 12 months in a general neurology clinic where they will follow their own patients.
2. Subspecialty clinics: neurology at queens offers a full range of subspecialty clinics including: stroke, epilepsy, neuromuscular/EMG, MS, headache/BOTOX etc..

1. Faculty led weekly rounds. In addition to a dedicated academic half day, residents have an abundance of educational opportunities.
1. Neurophysiology rounds: case based presentations emphasizing clinical approach including history, clinical examination techniques and interpretation of electrodiagnostic tests. Topics alternate between:

1. Neuromuscular/EMG&NCS
2. Epilepsy/EEG

1. Stroke rounds: faculty lead review of the imaging features and management strategies of strokes seen by the service over the previous week.
2. Neuropathology rounds: a presentation of gross neuropathological material (including gross specimens, histology, immunohistochemistry) and review of relevant medical literature.

 

1. Mentorship. The small resident-to-faculty ratio permits the development of meaningful academic relationships and strong communication between residents and faculty. Having graduated from the program myself, I can attest to the fact that the close mentoring I received directly influenced my career path, my fellowship choices and my practice.  

 

1. Resident engagement: The residents are directly engaged in improving the neurology program
1. The residents meet as a group each biannually to decide on what topics in they feel they need covered and this is brought to the RTC
2. The senior residents have developed weekly physical examination teaching sessions for junior residents on Fridays at noon
3. The residents have independently developed a monthly journal club.

 

1. Strong support from allied specialties and basic scientists:
1. Neuropathology: Our residents get excellent exposure to neuropathology through weekly brain cutting rounds and monthly neuropathology sessions that is part of their academic half day. This tradition has long been strength of Queens University and is being diligently continued by Dr. J. Rossiter.
2. Neurosurgery: This program has hired several additional faculty members, which has greatly increased our resident’s exposure and amount of teaching. Several of the neurosurgeons also have active basic science research programs that resident’s benefit from as well.
3. Center for Neuroscience:  a healthy relationship exists between clinical and basic neuroscience at Queens. This relationship gives residents to explore basic science in addition to clinical interests and is a great source of collaboration and teaching.
4. Neuroradiology: Queens has three talented neuro-radiologists that participate formally in our academic curriculum and had regular interaction with our residents.
5. Physiatry: there is a very close relationship between the divisions of neurology and physical medicine & rehabilitation that enhances our residents learning. Residents rotate through our rehabilitation hospital and participate in regular EMG and multi-disciplinary clinics.

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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 Division of Neurology at Queen's University is proud to offer a five-year postgraduate residency program fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.  Our residents have exposure to a good mix of neurological cases as our unit draws the most complex and challenging neurologic cases from the region, and this mixture of common and unusual patient presentations prepares residents well for clinical practice.

Our program also offers good education to service ratio. We don’t compromise the educational experience of our trainees by allowing service demands to influence the program. The service requirements are met by dedicated attending staff in order to avoid compromising the training program by unreasonable workloads.  

We are especially proud of our congenial work environment. There is a collegial relationship with the neurology attending staff as well as with the neurosurgeons, neuropathologists, physiatrists and neuroradiologists. This is enhanced by the small size of the training program and may not be found at other larger centres.

Our residents have met with great success after their training.  They do exceptionally well on their Royal College examinations and have gone on to academic appointments in Canada and major U.S. centres as well as community practice.

 

Academic Curriculum

We have dedicated academic half-days that occur weekly throughout the year, ensuring that residents are covering the entire curriculum in a comprehensive manner.  Topics include Neurosciences Case Rounds, Clinical Rounds, a seminar series, Journal Club, and a Clinical Examination Series.  Medicine Sign-In Rounds, Stroke Rounds, Neuropathology Rounds, and Medical Mortality / Morbidity Rounds occur weekly.

All PGY-1 Neurology residents are invited to attend the Queen’s Conference on Academic Residency Education (QCARE), the Teaching Improvement Project System (TIPS), the Critical Events Simulation Course, and the Senior Resident Leadership Course offered through the Kingston Resuscitation Institute.

Description of Clinical Training Experiences (typical)

Transition to Discipline and Foundations of Discipline stages (PGY-1 year)

- Cardiology – 2 blocks 

- Emergency Med – 2 blocks 

- Infectious Disease- 1 block  

- GIM – 3 blocks 

- Rheumatology – 1 block  

- Neurology – 3 blocks 

- Palliative care – 1 block  

Core of Discipline (PGY-2 year)

- IUC – 2 blocks 

- Geri Psych 

- Neruo Optho 

- Neuro Sx 

- Neruoradiology  

Core of Discipline Con't (PGY 3-5 year) (this number indicates the number of blocks between all 3 years) 

- Neurology Inpatient Stroke Service 5-10 blocks 

- General Neurology 7-12 blocks 

- EEG- Epilepsy – 3 blocks 

- EMG- Neuromuscular 3 blocks  

- Neuropathology -3-4 blocks 

- Neuropediatrics 3-6 blocks 

- Research 3-6 blocks  

- Elective 3 blocks  

 

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Training Sites

Resources

Kingston General Hospital

Hotel Dieu Hospital

Providence Care Hospital

Hospital for Sick Children - Toronto

 

Residents have a dedicated space in the Neurology library which provides them with access to a computer, printer and digital scanner. Several teaching files and CD's have been and continue to be downloaded onto this computer for use by neurology residents. Moreover, residents have access to over 100 scientific e-journals through this computer.

We strongly encourage residents to obtain additional training in areas of their interest both in Ontario and other Canadian University Hospitals. International electives can be provided upon special agreements with these hospitals. Funding during these electives is provided by Queen's University.

The ratio of residents to faculty is 11 residents to 9.5 full time neurology attending staff. In addition, 3 adjunct neurology professors offer assistance in teaching.

While on the inpatient hospital service, residents can expect to be responsible for approximately 5 patients; however, this number can vary depending on the size of the service and the number of residents rotating in neurology at a given time.

A mandatory 3 month rotation in neuropediatrics is required. Funding for travel and housing is provided by Queen's University.