Program Contacts

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Important Information

To obtain a postgraduate training license after the conclusion of the match, Canadian Medical Graduates (CMG's) must have registered and challenged the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part 1 (MCCQE 1) by July 1, 2024. Those unsuccessful in the exam are subject to the decision of the regulatory authority regarding licensure.

Our program values the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as a goal in the selection process. 

To help inform and advance EDI in our selection process we are pleased to offer the option to submit the voluntary CaRMS Self Identification Questionnaire. Additionally, there is an additional verification process for Indigenous membership or citizenship. Please see sections below for further information.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on December 2, 2023

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  December 2, 2023

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on December 2, 2023

Each file is initially reviewed separately by a resident and a faculty member using a scoring sheet.  This review is used to select candidates for interviews.  At the time of the interview, only the Program Director will re-review your file.  The other interviewers will NOT review your file, to allow for a less biased, more open interview.

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Interviews

Dates:

• January 15, 2024
• January 16, 2024
• January 17, 2024
• January 18, 2024

Selection Criteria

We look for well-rounded individuals who are hard workers, problem solvers, strong communicators, team players, leaders and learners.  Your academic record, extracurricular activities, community and research involvement help us identify these traits.

Program goals

All our residents will receive training to develop a strong foundation in core pediatric knowledge and skill. In addition, we will facilitate trainees to reach their individual learning and career goals. 

We will continue to teach the skills to be successful in scholarly work and community advocacy, and coach and support residents to remain enthusiastic in continuing pursuing these important areas during their future careers.

We place an emphasis on communication skills and team work and select residents with these attributes. Additionally, we provide opportunities to practice and hone these skills further. 

We will encourage our residents to look after themselves and each other and will support them in extracurricular activities and self-care. We will support our residents in their transition to the roles and responsibilities of residency, and later to independent practice. 

Selection process goals

Identify applicants who have demonstrated ability and enthusiasm to learn pediatrics.

Identify applicants who have insight into areas of relative weakness and have lifelong learning strategies.

Identify applicants who have strong communications skills.

Identify applicants who can work collaboratively in a team setting.

Identify applicants who have demonstrated commitment to their communities.

Identify applicants who have demonstrated organizational, time management skills and coping strategies to manage the multiple demands of residency.

Dalhousie is committed to fostering a collegial culture grounded in diversity and inclusiveness. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons, persons with a disability, racialized persons, women, persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community.

Candidates are not required to submit the CaRMS Self Identification questionnaire or to complete the verification process for Indigenous identity, membership, or citizenship, but for those that do feel comfortable doing so the information received would only be used to advantage those who would contribute to the diversity of our community.

Any self identification questionnaires received and the results of the verification process will be reviewed as part of our file review process, and used as an aid for file reviewers in selecting a diverse group of candidates for interviews. Information received may also be used by the program to adjust final rankings, at the discretion of the selection committee, to address issues of program priority and diversity.

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 Curriculum

This residency program is for 4 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

We have been fully immersed in competence by design since July 2021.  Residents must finish all 4 stages of pediatrics before moving to subspecialty training unless the individual subspecialty program can guarantee that they can provide the experience and evaluation to complete the remaining EPAs and required training experiences.  For most residents this will take 4 years. This is a national change, not specific to Dalhousie.

PGY1 (Transition to Practice/Foundation Stage)

The first couple of months of PGY1 is now called Transition to Discipline. Residents will generally complete one rotation on the Pediatric Medical Unit, one rotation of pediatric emergency medicine and one rotation of outpatient clinics (either cardiology, respirology, GI or the junior clinic rotation which is a mix of general pediatrics and other clinics such as ENT and dermatology). During this time residents do buddy call with a more senior resident. During the first 2 months, first year residents also have a longitudinal orientation with learning sessions every Tuesday.

Once the EPAs and other requirements have been completed for Transition to Discipline residents will move to Foundations of Discipline.  Residents will complete 2 further blocks (4 weeks X2) on the Pediatric Medical Unit, 2 weeks of normal newborns, 2 weeks of introduction to NICU and 4 weeks of Neonatal Intensive Care (level II), 4 weeks of pediatric surgery, 4 weeks of community pediatrics (outside of Halifax Regional Municipality), 4 weeks Academic Skills Course, 12 weeks of subspecialty rotations (3 of cardiology, nephrology, respirology, gastroenterology or junior clinics).  Residents get 4 weeks of vacation, timing to be negotiated with program.

 

PGY2 (Foundation/Core Stage)

During the second year of training, rotations include 4 weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, 8 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level III), 2 weeks in pediatric anesthesia and 4 weeks in adolescent/social pediatrics. Residents will have a four-week rotation on the Pediatric Medical Unit and 12 weeks of subspecialty rotations which may include: hematology/oncology, neurology, nephrology, cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, allergy/immunology, genetics, endocrine, and respirology. Residents will do one four-week elective block and one four week community pediatrics block (or may do an additional elective depending on career goals). Electives may be taken within the IWK Health Centre or Dalhousie University, but may also be taken in another centre, providing pediatric exposure in another environment. Trainees often leave the metropolitan area for electives. Trainees can also go outside of Canada and North America. Residents will be allowed a total of four-weeks of Research. In PGY2 residents also start participating in a Continuity Clinic once/month.

There is also a mandatory 6-week rotation in general pediatrics at the Saint John Regional Hospital in Saint John, New Brunswick. This hospital is linked closely to the IWK and has a wide range of inpatient general and subspecialty pediatric services plus many outreach consultant pediatric clinics. Here, residents will spend 6 weeks of their time supervising family medicine trainees and clinical clerks on a general inpatient pediatric ward and in the ambulatory clinics. Some time is also spent in the NICU. Trainees also have opportunity to participate in the clinic setting in smaller communities outside the Saint John region, or in offices of the Saint John pediatricians.

Transportation to these clinics is made available and trainees find this experience exceedingly relevant and rewarding as they have the opportunity to see first hand the life of a community consultant pediatrician. This experience also provides junior trainees with the ability to act at a more senior level, supervising the more junior house staff. The health problems of the patient population seen, are wide and comprehensive providing an excellent general pediatric experience.

Resident housing in Saint John is provided in the form of apartments close to the hospital. Family accommodation may be available if requested 4 months in advance.

At some point during the PGY 2 year most residents will move to Core of Discipline.

 

 

PGY3 (Core Stage)

Mandatory rotations include: 4 weeks of general inpatient pediatrics as the senior resident, 4 weeks of community "Junior Attending", 4 weeks of emergency pediatrics, 4 weeks of pediatric intensive care, 4 weeks of neonatology, 4 weeks of developmental pediatrics, 4 weeks with the Suspected Trauma and Abuse Response Team, 4 weeks in Child Psychiatry and 2 weeks in Emergency Department. Selectives in this year may include other pediatric subspecialty rotations (those listed under PGY2 and palliative care), medical education and research.

In the PGY3 year there is an elective four-week block and a 4 week community pediatrics block.  Electives may be taken within the IWK Health Centre or Dalhousie University, but may also be taken in another centre, providing pediatric exposure in another environment. Trainees often leave the metropolitan area for electives.  Trainees can go outside of Canada and North America as well.  Of the 4 elective/community pediatric blocks in PGY2/PGY3 years, 1 block of 4 weeks must be community and 1 block of 4 weeks must be done outside of Halifax Regional Municipality but with in the Maritimes.

Residents continue with their monthly Continuity Clinic.

PGY4 (Core/Transition to Practice Stage)

Core of Discipline will generally continue into the PGY4 year.  Once completed, residents will move to Transition to Practice.  During the PGY4 year (Core/Transition to Practice stage), residents spend 4 weeks as a senior supervising resident in an approved Maritime centre on the inpatient unit or in a community setting (junior attending) and 4 weeks as admitting senior on PMU. They also do 4 weeks in NICU + Community, 4 weeks Complex Care (2 weeks of palliative care and 2 weeks of rehab) and 4 weeks of Community Psychiatry. In the fourth year, there is also one four-week elective period and again residents may use this time either here at the IWK or Dalhousie University or travel to another centre.

The remainder of the PGY 4 year is spent in four- or six-week selectives based on the resident's career plans and identified areas for further study as well as working on the remaining Transition to Practice EPAs and required training experiences (including experience in palliative and complex care and a focus on quality improvement, patient safety and teaching skills). Residents continue their monthly Continuity Clinic.

Research

A minimum of one scholarly project is required to be completed during pediatric residency. All residents take a comprehensive Academic Skills Course in their first year. This course will cover research methodology, grant writing and submissions to the Ethics Review Board. Four weeks of research time is provided in the PGY2 year with more time permitted and encouraged in the third and fourth years of training to facilitate the completion of their scholarly project.

The Department of Pediatrics does subsidize resident travel to one educational meeting per year (up to $1,000.00), for CME, and full reimbursement if the resident is presenting. Trainees are encouraged to attend national or international meetings to present the results of their research at these meetings. An annual Resident Research Day is held in the spring of each year, where pediatric trainees are encouraged to present.

Academic Half Day

Four hours per week are spent in seminars/rounds specifically directed to pediatric trainees. Trainees are excused from their other duties to attend these seminars/rounds and are expected to be there if working in the IWK Health Centre or in close proximity. Academic Half Day is currently being conducted online via Zoom. Basic clinical sciences relevant to pediatrics as well as communication, collaboration, scholarship, leadership, professionalism and advocacy are covered in this format. The curriculum runs over three years and includes seminars in all major subspecialties as well as seminars in Dentistry, Nutrition, Pharmacology and Psychology. The last hour of Academic Half Day is generally resident run in consultation with a preceptor and rotates between clinical case rounds, journal club and patient safety rounds. 3 full half days per year are dedicated to simulation.

Fourth year residents will participate in separate Academic Half Days focused on transition to practice.

Mock codes (with low and high fidelity simulation) are held every Thursday morning (except over the summer).

On-Call Responsibilities

Residents in the first and second year of the program are on call generally one night in four; in the third year, one night in five; in the fourth year, one night in six. Residents after a night on call, go off duty after morning sign-over.

Residents work shifts when working in the Emergency Department.

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Training Sites

The IWK Health Centre is both a teaching hospital and a research centre. It is the tertiary care pediatric referral centre for Canada's three Maritime Provinces - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. This hospital serves as the pediatric hospital for the Halifax Regional Municipality (population base approximately 430,000). It is the only hospital in the metropolitan area that admits children, so it provides primary, secondary, and tertiary care and thus provides trainees the opportunity to see, in both ambulatory and inpatient environment, patients with problems in the primary, secondary and tertiary care areas.

This institution is also the maternity site for all normal and high-risk deliveries within the metropolitan area and serves as the referral site for all high-risk deliveries for the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. There are approximately 4500 obstetrical deliveries per year. There is an extremely busy Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to provide a broad range of neonatal exposures for residents.

There are approximately 28,500 visits to the Emergency, 75,000 pediatric ambulatory clinic visits, 1,100 Pediatric Medicine discharges, 450 Pediatric Surgery discharges, and 1000 admissions to the NICU. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit is busy providing services for a broad range of intensive care problems. There are approximately 400 admissions to the PICU.

General and subspecialty medical and surgical services are all well represented in this institution to ensure optimum care for this diverse pediatric patient group. In addition, all general gynecological services for women in the metropolitan area are provided through this hospital complex. For more information about Dalhousie University, Pediatrics and the IWK Health Centre, visit their websites at: Dalhousie University, Department of Pediatrics and IWK Health

Electronic resources: There is a computer available solely for resident use in the resident lounge, shared computers in Research Services and additional computer facilities in the Health Sciences Library at the IWK.

Rotations outside Halifax:

• Saint John Rotation - Residents in the PGY2 year will spend 6 weeks at the Saint John Regional Hospital, in Saint John, New Brunswick.  This is the major tertiary care centre for New Brunswick. There is a separate pediatric unit, with an inpatient unit and ambulatory clinics. There is a NICU, and beds for pediatric ICU. Resident housing is provided in the form of apartments close to the hospital. Family accommodation can be arranged if required. One round trip of transportation is reimbursed.
• Community Pediatrics – Residents must do Community Pediatrics in first year and one more in either second or third year; however, there is the opportunity to do additional Community Pediatrics rotations in second and third years if residents choose. There are a variety of community pediatrics placements within Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island for residents to choose from. Residents can also choose to go outside the Maritime Provinces with the program directors approval.
• NICU + Community - Residents in PGY4 year will spend 4 weeks in a NICU + Community rotation, there will be sites for residents to choose from, these are currently being arranged.
• Junior Attending - Residents in PGY4 year will spend 4 weeks as the senior resident (Jr attending) in an outpatient unit in the Maritimes.  Residents may choose from an approved location, or propose a different location with the approval of the Program Director.
• Community Psychiatry - Residents in PGY4 year will spend 4 weeks in community psyciaitry.  The details of this rotation are currently being worked out.
• Other rotations – All residency programs at Dalhousie are now required to have 10% of their training outside of Halifax Regional Municipality (but within the maritime provinces) as stipulated in the most recent Academic Funding Plan set out by the Department of Health and Wellness.   There are many excellent learning opportunities outside of Halifax and residents will likely be able to pick from a variety of choices (e.g. doing one of level II NICU rotations in another center, more community pediatrics rotations)
• Details about electives are discussed elsewhere in the text.

Ratio of residents to faculty is 1:3

Average patient load depends on the location. The busiest rotations are the Pediatric Medicine Unit where there is a senior and junior resident plus clinical clerks and the NICU.

Dalhousie University and the IWK offer pediatric subspecialty training in the areas of: Allergy/Immunology, Cardiology, Neurology, Neonatology, Infectious Diseases, Hematology/Oncology and Emergency Medicine. 

Our pediatric program has the opportunity to provide primary, secondary and tertiary care exposure to trainees within a single site. In addition, we are in very close proximity to the medical school and are in fact on the campus of Dalhousie University, within easy walking distance to the Dalplex sport facilities, the medical library and the main university library. We are also within walking distance of much housing, in the form of flats and apartment complexes in larger buildings and residential single unit homes. We are close to the Spring Garden Road shopping centre, one of the most frequented retail areas within the city. Many residents are able to live within easy walking or biking distance from the hospital.

Our program is of moderate size and offers all residents within their core training the opportunity to experience significant exposure to general pediatrics, both from the inpatient and ambulatory perspective, and to rotate through all major subspecialties. Although we have a number of subspecialty fellowship training programs, our program is such that residents are usually directly supervised by the attending staff, and therefore have the opportunity to deal as the first-line physician with the majority of patients entering our hospital, either for ambulatory or inpatient services. Trainees come to know our faculty on a personal level and receive a great deal of one-to-one teaching. Our program attracts individuals who: like to have clinical responsibility early on in training, are self-starters, and enjoy the opportunity to develop procedural skill expertise. Supervision is very close but trainees have the opportunity to learn and make decisions at an early level. In addition, our trainees are encouraged to participate in the teaching of more junior medical staff, and occasionally have the opportunity to participate in the teaching of other medical and paramedical personnel.

All trainees attend a Neonatal Resuscitation Program and a Pediatric Advanced Life Support course.

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Additional Information

Vacation

Each resident has four weeks of paid vacation per year plus six days over the Christmas/New Year period.