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Dalhousie University - Urology - Halifax

2024 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG

Last approved on September 19, 2023

Summary of changes

Approximate Quota:

 2 

Accreditation status : Accredited

Provincial Criteria


Dr. Andrea Lantz Powers
Urology 
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre  
Victoria General Site, Room 294, 5 Victoria
1276 South Park Street, Halifax NS B3H 2Y9 , Nova Scotia, B3H 2Y9
(902) 473-5469
(902) 473-5850
Department of Urology

Program Contacts

Paula Snow
Education Coordinator
paula.snow@nshealth.ca
902-473-5469

Dr. Andrea Lantz Powers
Program Director
aglantz@dal.ca


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.


General Instructions

Program application language: English


Supporting Documentation / Information

Applicants are advised to only provide the documents requested by the program. No other documents submitted will be reviewed.
Canadian citizenship
CaRMS partners with third-party organizations to verify your citizenship or permanent resident status. If your status is verified by one of these organizations, you will not need to provide citizenship documents in your application. If your citizenship status is not verified, you must provide one of the documents listed below.
Required
Submit one of the following documents to verify your Canadian citizenship:
• 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)

 

You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident at the time of application.

Reference documents
Required
Number requested: 3

A maximum of three letters are required from faculty and/or practising physicians or surgeons, at least two of which should be from urologists.

Additional documents
Required
Photo 
[Note: Photograph is used as memory aid only]

Medical School Transcript 

Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:

  1. 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;
  2. Ask your medical school to upload your medical transcript through their CaRMS Undergraduate Portal account; or
  3. International (IMGs) and United States (USMGs) medical graduates can transfer their transcript from their physiciansapply.ca account.

Medical Student Performance Record 

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.

Personal Letter 
Word count
Minimum : None
Maximum : 500

A personal letter describing your background, career goals, reasons for choice of urology, and extracurricular activities should be submitted.  Maximum word count of 500.

You should include the answers to these questions in your letter:

  1. Why do you want to be a urologist?
  2. What experiences have you had that will allow you to thrive in a surgical residency?
  3. What are your strengths?
  4. Describe any unique qualities that would make you a superior candidate for our residency program.
  5. Why do you want to match to urology at Dalhousie?

Custom Résumé / CV 

Optional - will be reviewed
Abstract/Publications 

Copies of representative articles/abstracts which have been published/presented by the applicant should be sent directly to the CaRMS Office.


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



Interviews

Selected candidates will be interviewed during the Urology Fair.  The date and format (in person or virtual) will be finalized by the Royal College Specialty Committee in Urology in the near future.

Program will notify all applicants through CaRMS Online and will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview.
Each interview is 20 minutes in length. Each candidate will be interviewed by 3-5 members of the Residency Program Committee, including at least one resident member and the Program Director. The candidate will be asked questions from a standard bank of interview questions and will also be given time to ask the interviewers questions about the program. 


Selection Criteria

Candidates must have an excellent academic record and an expressed and demonstrated interest in urology. This should include electives in urology. Expressed and fulfilled research interests will be beneficial, but do not necessarily have to be in urology. References from urologists outlining motivation, aptitude, maturity, inter-personal skills, ethical behaviour and empathy will be regarded highly. Three letters of reference are required, at least two of which should be from urologists. 

 

 

Program goals

The goal of the Dalhousie Urology Residency Program is to provide excellent training from a clinical and academic perspective. Our residents are trained to become competent specialists in the field of urology and to fulfill the requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada through a competency-based curriculum design.  We strive to promote and participate in continuing medical education activities and aim to lead the advancement and dissemination of knowledge through research.  We place significant emphasis on supportive interactions with a variety of other medical disciplines, nurses and allied health professionals.

Selection process goals

Applications will be assessed for academic achievements (grades, scholarships, awards), previous employment, research endeavors, extracurricular activities (community, committees, athletics, arts, unique qualities), personal letter (specific for Dalhousie), reference letters and elective experience in urology or urology-related specialties.   

Successful applicants will have an excellent academic record and have demonstrated expressed interest in urology.  Applicants should possess expressed and fulfilled research interests (not necessary to have been related to urology). It is important to the applicant's success in our residency program that they posess a high level of motivation, aptitude and maturity.  We will be looking to identify applicants with excellent inter-personal skills and ethical behaviour.

Our program and university value the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in residency education, and achieving a diverse and inclusive group of residents is a goal in our selection process.

File review process

Review team composition : The Residency Program Committee makes up the review team. This includes: Program Director, Dept. Head, Victoria General site coordinator, Halifax Infirmary site coordinator, IWK site coordinator, Chair of Resident Research, Chair of Competence Committee, resident members (2) and chief resident.

Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 0 - 50

Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %

Evaluation criteria :
File component Criteria
CV Previous education, work experience, volunteer experience, scholarships
Electives Urology, urology-related electives, location, supervisor, duration
Examinations We do not evaluate this file component
Extra-curricular Variety, type, role of the applicant, well-roundedness
Leadership skills Previous leadership experiences
MSPRs Overall medical student performance
Personal letters Interest in urology, interest in Dalhousie Urology program
Reference documents Knowledge, skills, professionalism, maturity
Research/Publications Quality of project, role of the applicant, authorship
Transcripts Transcript marks

Elective criteria

We encourage applicants to have completed at least one elective in our discipline.
We do not require applicants to have done onsite electives.

We recognize that students have a limited time to complete electives. It is not mandatory for students to complete an elective at our centre to receive an interview.

Interview process

Interview format :



We do not re-schedule interviews for applicants after we have completed the scheduling process.

Interview evaluation criteria :
Interview components Criteria
Collaboration skills Ability to work well in a team environment in a productive manner
Collegiality Ability to function well with peers and colleagues
Communication skills Clarity, listening, confidence, friendliness, open-mindedness, nonverbal communication
Health advocacy Prior experience and/or interest in health advocacy
Interest in the discipline Exposure to urology, understanding of urology residency and career, knowledge, research
Interest in the program Knowledge of our program, experience at our centre
Leadership skills Experience, ability to make decisions, ability to deal with difficult situations
Professionalism Experience, ability to act in a professional manner, appropriate attire
Scholarly activities Awards, scholarships, academic endeavours

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 Department of Urology at Dalhousie University has a collaborative, supportive, and cohesive team.  We pride ourselves on caring for our residents and for each other.  We have a faulty-to-resident ratio that is usually close to 1:1 which results in a close-knit and supportive group.  Our residents typically socialize together and have a strong support system, even for those who come to us from outside the Maritimes.  

Halifax is a vibrant city with many opportunities for social and recreational activities.  Nova Scotia is a beautiful province with many hidden gems - sandy beaches, hiking trails, world-class surfing, boating, fishing, wineries, gardens, diverse communities, music, arts, and many other ways to maintain physical health and mental wellness. 

Our residents often present research at national and international meeting and publish papers.  As a result, our residents often have very strong fellowship applications. We also graduate competent surgeons with excellent surgical exposure who are ready to start community practice if they choose not to complete fellowship training.


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.

Curriculum

The Urology Residency Program follows a Competency-Based Curriculum Design. During the first 18-24 months, residents focus on completing rotations tailored towards the Surgical Foundations CBD Curriculum in addition to Urology CBD Curriculum. The last 36 months are devoted to completing the remaining Urology CBD curriculum. 

PGY-1

There is a six month exposure to urology in PGY-1, including ambulatory and inpatient care. Other clinical experiences include general surgery, and various electives in emergency medicine, anesthesia, various medical rotations (eg nephrology,cardiology), and other surgical selective. During PGY-1 residents complete the Transition to Discipline stage of both Surgical Foundations and Urology. Residents will transition into the Foundations stage of CBD curriculum for both Surgical Foundations and Urology during PGY-1. 



PGY-2

During PGY-2 there is a six month exposure to inpatient and ambulatory urology, three months general surgery, two months surgical intensive care unit, one month research. The PGY-1 and PGY-2 years are designed to help prepare residents for the Surgical Foundations examination, provide learning opportunities in other specialties and maintain contact with their home program. 

During the PGY-2 year, the resident will complete the Foundations stage of the Surgical Foundations CBD curriculum. The resident will continue to work on the Foundations stage of the Urology CBD curriculum. 

PGY-3

This year is dedicated to introducing residents to urology in greater depth and to allowing them to further develop clinical judgement and endoscopic skills. A major emphasis is placed on ambulatory care and outpatient procedures. Trainees perform minor urological procedures under supervision of both senior resident staff and attending staff and assist at major surgical cases. They are expected to demonstrate the competent early management of urological emergencies and uncomplicated pre- and post-operative care. Rotations are usually three months in length and permit exposure to different hospitals, services and academic staff. A rotation in pediatric Urology often occurs during this year.

During PGY-3, the resident will progress from the Foundations stage of the Urology CBD curriculum to the Core stage. 

PGY-4

This intermediate year allows extension of and further refinement of urological surgical skills. The resident is expected to develop and demonstrate sound clinical judgement with the efficient initiation and organization of appropriate investigations and management of more complex urological problems. He/she is often in charge of a clinical service and is responsible for consultations off-service. Responsibility in the operating room will increase and teaching and supervision of junior house staff is required. Opportunities to pursue subspecialty interests through elective experience are often available. A community rotation at Saint John Regional Hospital occurs in this year.  A two or three month elective in Urology often occurs during this year.

During PGY-4, the resident will continue in the Core stage of the Urology CBD curriculum. 



PGY-5

This is the chief resident year involving significant clinical, administrative and academic responsibilities. The Chief Resident is expected to efficiently run the inpatient clinical unit and perform major surgical procedures in their entirety. He/she will also gain further experience in pediatric urology, as well as transplantation. He/she will organize and coordinate rounds, seminars, vacation schedules and attendance at meetings. At the end of this year, the individual is expected to be able to function independently, efficiently, and safely as a fully trained urologist. 

During the PGY-5 year, the resident will complete their Royal College Examination. In addition, they will progress from the Core stage of Urology CBD curriculum to the final stage, Transition to Discipline. 

Research

Residents are required, early in their academic training, to select areas of clinical research which can be carried on throughout their residency training.  Residents have a one month block in their PGY-2 year dedicated to research. There is a firm commitment by faculty to assist and supervise these projects and regular departmental and university resident research days are held. Residents are encouraged to submit abstracts to appropriate national and international meetings; travel/registration for such meetings is subsidized by the Department.



Seminars

There is a very strong scientific and academic program with numerous seminars by and for residents. An "Academic Halfday" is held each Wednesday afternoon at which time all residents are relieved of all clinical duties. For PGY1 and 2's, a "Surgical Foundations" lecture series takes place weekly in preparation for the POS exam and is coordinated by the general surgery department. For all PGY2-5 residents, attendance to academic halfday is mandatory. These consist of "Urology School" which are coordinated by faculty members, each addressing a different urologic topic. There is also protected time for independent study or research. Weekly inter-hospital grand rounds and monthly journal clubs are held. There are regularly scheduled short answer and OSCE examinations. There is an ongoing schedule of visiting professors and the residents have input into their selection.




Training Sites

- Queen Elizabeth II Health Sicences Centre

- IWK Health Centre

- Saint John Regional Hospital

- Fredericton Hospital

- Moncton Hospital

- There is an opportunity for electives while training.

- Ratio of residents to faculty is approximately 1:1

- Ambulatory experience is provided as a defined rotation.

NOTE: All residency programs are required to have 10% of their residency training outside of Halifax Regional Municipality as stipulated by the Nova Scotia Government's Department of Health and Wellness.  Please be aware that if matched to Halifax, as part of your training you may be expected to complete rotations outside of Central Zone but within the Maritime Provinces.


Summary of changes

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