Queen’s University - Anesthesiology - Kingston
2024 R-1 Main Residency Match - first iteration
CMG Stream for CMG
Kingston Health Sciences Centre, KGH Site
76 Stuart Street
Kingston K7L 2V7, Ontario, K7L 2V7
Queen's University Anesthesiology Postgraduate Program
Residency Program Instagram Account
AFMC Web Calendar of Events
Departmental Twitter Account
Queen's University Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
Queen's Postgraduate Medical Education
Queen's University
Program Contacts
Important Information
Acuity Insights (formerly Altus Suite) - Admissions assessments of non-cognitive skills – Required
All applicants applying to the Anesthesiology program at Queen's University are required to complete the Casper Test, to assist with our selection process for the 2023-2024 Application Cycle.
The Casper Test is a standardized, two-part online open-response situational judgment test (SJT) assessing non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal values and priorities that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. The Casper assessment will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing the Casper Test, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
Access acuityinsights.app to create an account and for more information on important dates and requirements.
You will register for Acuity Insights for Canadian Postgraduate Medical Education (CSP-20201 – Canadian Postgraduate Medical Education),
The test dates are:
English:
October 19, 2023, 5pm EST
November 2,2023, 8pm EST
November 9, 2023, 8pm EST
Electives
We are looking for and rewarding applicants who have completed a broad range of electives including in our discipline.
We do not require applicants to have done on-site electives.
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.
Equity and diversity
We welcome diversity among our trainees and seek to foster an environment that is welcoming to all, regardless of gender identity, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Gaps in Training, Remediation, or Professionalism issues
Please address any gaps in training, remediation, or professionalism issues in your personal letter as a separate paragraph. This will not count towards your maximum word count.
General Instructions
Program application language: English
Please note that due to the volume of applications our program receives we are not able to provide individual feedback to applicants who are not successful in the match.
Supporting Documentation / Information
• Canadian Birth Certificate or Act of Birth
• Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada
• Passport page showing Canadian Citizenship
• Canadian Citizenship Card (both sides of card)
• Canadian Permanent Resident Card (both sides of card)
Proof of valid current citizenship or permanent resident status must be provided by submitting one of the following verifications to CaRMS by the File Review Opening deadline. Failure to provide valid proof will result in your application being removed. No other forms of verification are acceptable:
- Notarized/certified photocopy of Birth Certificate/Act of Birth issued by an authority in Canada accompanied by photo ID (must be Canadian government-issued photo ID).
- Failure to provide proof of citizenship will result in the removal of your application. No other forms of verification are acceptable.
- Documents must be notarized/certified photocopies. Notarized/certified copies must be dated and not older than two years from the date of application submission deadline; otherwise, a new notarized/certified copy is required.
- Confirmation of permanent residence must be accompanied by a photo ID (must be a Canadian government-issued photo ID).
CaRMS is partnering with third-party organizations to automate the verification of citizenship/legal status required by postgraduate offices for entry into residency. Third-party verification simplifies the process for applicants and programs. All applicants who do not receive third-party citizenship verification will be required to upload and assign an acceptable proof of citizenship document. Please see additional information here.
Your Casper assessment result is sent directly to CaRMS from Acuity Insights. Please ensure that you give Acuity Insights permission to share your results with CaRMS.
Applicants who take the test in the first iteration of the current match are not eligible to rewrite the test in second iteration. The Casper assessment is only valid for one admissions cycle. If you have taken the assessment in previous years, you are expected to re-take it.
To register for the Casper assessment visit www.takeCASPer.com.
Three confidential references are required from staff physicians. If possible, one or more reference letters from a faculty member from Anesthesiology is helpful, but not required. We realize that this may not be possible this year with the restrictions on electives and reassure you that this will not be detrimental to your application. If three letters of reference are not received by the due date, the candidate's application is deemed to be incomplete, and the candidate may not be considered for an interview.
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.
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.
A personal letter is required. Word count should not exceed 700. Candidates may wish to describe important achievements, extracurricular activities, personal goals during residency, career aspirations or anything else that can give the selection committee an idea of who the candidate is as a person.
Custom Résumé / CV PhotoDocuments that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized translation. Students applying in the last year of medical school will need to submit their most recent marks/transcripts, and will need to provide proof of their MD to CPSO prior to the start of residency training.
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
Dates:
- January 22, 2024
- January 23, 2024
- January 24, 2024
- January 25, 2024
Monday, January 22, 2024
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Candidates will have two separate interviews. One interview with Dr. Leitch, our Program Director and Dr. Cenkowski, our Assistant Program Director. The other interview with two residents. Each interview will be 20 minutes in duration. Immediately following these interviews there will be a separate Zoom session for candidates to have an informal Question and Answer session with some of our residents.
Prior to the interviews, candidates will be provided with recorded material about the program that applicants may access at their convenience.
Also, during the months of November, December and January we will be hosting Town Hall information sessions and Meet and Greet sessions with our Program Director, Assistant Program Director, as well as sessions with our Residents by Zoom.
Selection Criteria
An academic record which demonstrates proficiency in subjects particularly relevant to anesthesia.
References which attest to an interest in, as well as cognitive and technical suitability for, the specialty of anesthesia.
Excellent communication skills.
We welcome diversity among our trainees, and seek to foster an environment that is welcoming to all, regardless of gender identity, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
Program goals
The Queen's Anesthesiology Residency is dedicated to the development of physicians who exemplify the priciples of the World Medical Association's Declaration of Geneva. The Queen's Anesthesiology Residency seeks to educate resident anesthesiologists using the CanMEDs framework to fulfill the Royal College Objectives of Specialty Training in Anesthesiology.
The Royal College Anesthesiology Competencies: https://www.royalcollege.ca/content/dam/documents/ibd/anesthesiology-(anes)/anesthesiology-competencies-e.pdf
The Royal College Anesthesiology Training Experiences: https://www.royalcollege.ca/content/dam/documents/ibd/anesthesiology-(anes)/anesthesiology-training-experiences-e.pdf
Selection process goals
The Selection Process is designed to identify candidates with a high probability of successfully completing the postgraduate anesthesiology program at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario. It aims to identify candidates with exemplary skills in all of the CanMEDs roles: medical expert, communicator, collaborator, leader, health advocate, scholar and professional. We are looking for candidates with the potential to become comprehensive, compassionate and competent anesthesiologists, who will be outstanding physicians within their respective communities, to become stewards of the profession as clinicians, researchers, educators and administrators, with a dedication to lifelong learning and the advancement of anesthesiology.
File review process
Review team composition : Our file review is conducted by the Program Director, Assistant Program Director and two other staff anesthesiologists.
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 51 - 200
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 51 - 75 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | Organized and professional review of pertinent accomplishments. |
| Electives | Evidence of interest in Anesthesiology. |
| Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component |
| Extra-curricular | Activities contributing to a humanistic and well rounded individual. |
| Leadership skills | Leadership contributions in any realm. |
| MSPRs | Performance in all CanMeds domains. |
| Personal letters | Insight into Anesthesiology and one's self. Interest in Queen's program and Kingston |
| Reference documents | Personal and professional qualities of a successful anesthesia resident. |
| Research/Publications | Research history, publication/presentation, experience with methodology. interest in Anesthesiology. |
| Transcripts | Academic performance. |
Elective criteria
Interview process
Interview format :
We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | Evidence of excellent skills necessary to work effectively with others towards a common goal. |
| Collegiality | Able to contribute and cooperate with colleagues with a shared responsibility. |
| Communication skills | Effective and efficient ability to facilitate the gathering and sharing of essential information. |
| Health advocacy | Demonstrated advocacy for patient health. |
| Interest in the discipline | Demonstrated insight into and interest in anesthesiology. |
| Interest in the program | Demonstrated interest in Queen's Anesthesiology. |
| Leadership skills | Evidence of meaningful service and leadership roles. |
| Professionalism | Evidence of professional ethics, high personal standards of behaviour & accountability. |
| Scholarly activities | Demonstrate commitment to excellence through learning, teaching, critical thinking & scholarship. |
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 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 Anesthesiology program at Queen's University is fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and complies with all of their standards and policies. We are committed to providing our residents with exceptional training in order for them to be successful in their FRCPC exams and their career.
The relatively small size of the program allows for a close relationship between the faculty and the residents. This enables a rapid progression to independent activities for individual residents. To help residents meet their career goals, they are assigned a faculty Academic Advisor for each stage of the program.
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Transition to Discipline (Total of 2 blocks)
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Foundations (Total of 18 blocks)
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Core (Total of 36 blocks)
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Transition to Practice (Total of 9 blocks)
| Rotation | Duration |
Location/Notes |
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Perioperative Medicine/Satellite/Pre-Anesthesia Clinics |
1 block |
Kingston General Hospital/Hotel Dieu Hospital |
| Obstetrical Anesthesia |
1 block |
Kingston General Hospital |
| Anesthesia |
7 blocks |
Kingston General Hopsital/Hotel Dieu Hospital |
The Transition to Practice stage focuses on these areas listed below:
Independent practice
Quality Assurance
Teaching
Leadership and Managerial skills
Electives during Foundations, Core and Transition to Pratice Rotations
Elective Rotations - Up to 6 blocks of elective time may be taken, which may include subspecialty areas of anesthesia, research or other areas of medicine which may contribute to the advancement of one's education in anesthesia. Electives are arranged in consultation with the Program Director. Many residents undertake international electives and opportunities for anesthesia in developing countries is available.
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The Academic Program
The academic program is based upon the National Curriculum, the Entrustable Professional Activities and the milestones as outlined by the Royal College, using academic seminars and independent study modules. These seminars run bi-weekly from September to June. The topics run on a two-year cycle for Foundations and Core and once a year cycle for Transition to Discipline. All Transition to Discipline, Foundations and Core residents attend these seminars. There are practice MCQ examinations. Formal oral examinations are conducted in September and January of each year for all residents, and additionally in May for our Transition to Practice residents.
All residents are involved in our simulator program. The simulation program is tailored to resident level and compliment the academic seminar program. They provide an exceptional hands-on experience to complement the clinical learning opportunities. These sessions are both educational and evaluative.
Foundations residents take part in Boot Camp and a 3-day Airway Workshop. Time in the simulator is an important part of these courses.
Academic Program seminars are supplemented by weekly Grand Rounds (prepared by staff and residents) on Wednesday mornings, Case Management and Simulation Rounds on Friday mornings, Cardiac Anesthesia and TEE Rounds every other Tuesday morning, Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia Rounds every month as well as Journal Club events 4-5 times per year.
The Visiting Professorship Program provides both our residents and faculty with continuing education and an opportunity to interact with recognized experts in our specialty. We usually have three-four guest lecturers per year.
All residents are provided with formal instruction in the principles and practice of transthoracic echocardiography. In conjunction with formal clinical hands on training in focused TTE, our residents are able to become proficient in the use of this modality.
Additional training
In addition, residents are continually exposed to, and gain experience in other areas such as anesthesia in remote locations (MRI, CV Lab, Radiology, etc), pre-anesthetic assessment clinics and trauma/emergency call. Obstetrical anesthesia and acute pain are both covered by residents while on call, as well as having a dedicated rotation in each early in their training.
All residents acquire certification in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), advanced trauma life support (ATLS), and neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) as part of their residency program. Residents receive support from the department for completion of these courses. Opportunities to undertake neonatal and pediatric anesthesia occur throughout the residency, and this experience supplements the mandatory three month rotation at a children's hospital (eg. CHEO). Residents are expected to do 1 month out of Kingston during their training in a community site (Peterborough, Humber River and Oshawa) in addition to 3 months away doing Pediatrics.
More information can be found on our website: http://anesthesiology.queensu.ca/
Research
Residents are expected, during their Core years, and with the guidance and help from the staff, to undertake a scholarly project. These can be a clinical or basic sciences research project, a quality assurance project, a research project in the area of medical education, or any other scholarly project in areas relevant to academic anesthesiology. All residents attend an introductory research course as well as core seminars on critical appraisal and research methods. In addition there are regular Journal Clubs throughout the year. Each spring Resident Research Day is the time the residents present their findings to a panel of judges. Many clinical projects have gone on to be presented at national and international meetings. These research projects offer a useful and interesting insight into the critical evaluation of the literature and into clinical research methods.
Residents receive support to attend annual conferences and present research papers, at the discretion of the Program Director.
Training Sites
Resources
Kingston Health Sciences Centre: Kingston General Hospital site / Hotel Dieu Hospital site
Providence Care Hospital
Humber River Hospital (community experience)
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (pediatric anesthesia rotation)
Lakeridge Health Centre (Oshawa) (critical care, anesthesia)
Peterborough Regional Health Centre (community experience)
Additional Information
The Surroundings
Kingston is a lovely medium-sized city in which to live. Settled more than 300 years ago, the historic buildings offer a quaint backdrop for the modern coffee shops and restaurants in the bustling downtown area. The hospitals are situated in close proximity to both Queen's University and the downtown area. Kingston General Hospital is located right on the shore of Lake Ontario where Olympic caliber sailing and windsurfing opportunities abound. Several nearby provincial parks offer superb canoeing, camping and other outdoor sports such as cross country skiing, biking, and triathlon.
The Health Sciences Complex enjoys a close relationship both physically and academically with Queen's University. Through Queen's, there is ready access to facilities for both the arts and athletics.