Program Contacts

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Important Information

Applying Competency-based Practices to NOSM University's Anesthesiology Program
 
To contribute to the success of Canadian physicians and the delivery of high-quality patient care, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has embarked upon an initiative to introduce competency-based medical education (CBME) in Canadian postgraduate specialty training and in professional practice in Canada. This initiative, called Competence by Design (CBD), aims to enhance patient care by aligning medical education and lifelong learning with evolving patient needs and empowering learners to more fully engage in their education process. 

As of 2017, residents entering a Canadian anesthesiology program will experience Competence by Design (CBD)-based learning and assessment. As such, all incoming cohorts who successfully matched to NOSM University's Anesthesiology program will be entering into a fully integrated CBD-based residency program.

CBD will use time as a framework rather than the basis for progression, and 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 milestones based on required competencies. These milestones 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. 

In 2013 NOSM University became the first anesthesiology program in Canada to implement components of a competency-based curriculum, and this curriculum has already been woven into the fabric of NOSM University's FRCP Anesthesiology program. Key components of this transition that have been effectively implemented include; competency-based assessment, high volume work-place-based assessment with frequent, authentic feedback, competency-based promotion, and individualized learning plans.

For more information on applying competency-based practices to residency education, please visit www.carms.ca/en/rcpsc.

 

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Our program will be hosting virtual information sessions as listed below.  Both sessions will be at 7:00 PM EST.  We hope you are able to attend one of them.  If not, please reach out to the program coordinator to arrange a time to meet with one of our residents. 

 

 

 

Pre-residency orientation programs

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Return of Service

The Ministry requests all ROS agreements before June 1 of the year they were matched. All agreements should be returned to the Ministry prior to the start of residency training. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm eligibility with respect to THE ROS requirements of other provinces.

Information about the Ministry’s ROS programs is available at the Return of Service Program

A letter of release from existing return of service agreements must be submitted as part of the application.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Applications will be accepted through the CaRMS R-1 Match application process.

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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

Two different members of the resident selection committee will review and score each applicant file, including reference letters. The scoring system takes into consideration the selection criteria outlined below. These scores will be aggregated and reviewed by the selection committee. Unfortunately, we are not able to interview all of the applicants and we will offer interviews to the most competitive candidates based on these reviews.    

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Interviews

Dates:

• January 25, 2024

Selection Criteria

Candidates for the NOSM University Anesthesiology Program are selected based on the following factors:

• An academic record that demonstrates proficiency in subjects particularly relevant to anesthesiology
  
  
• Evidence of an interest in anesthesia, a mature learning style, and technical suitability for the specialty
  
  
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  
  
• Suitability to learning and success in the NOSM University Anesthesiology Program
  
  
• Demonstrated success in domains outside of academia

 

Program goals

The NOSM University Anesthesiology Program strives to be outstanding and provide an unparalleled clinical training experience for all residents within a supportive learning environment. Our program aims to ensure that residents achieve competence in the specialty of anesthesiology and that they acquire the necessary skills to prepare them for practice in any setting.

Our program aims to ensure that upon completion of their training, our residents will have:

• Achieved all the objectives of training in Anesthesia as outlined by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
  
  
• Assimilated all of the CanMEDS Roles (Medical Expert, Communicator, Collaborator, Manager, Health Advocate, Scholar, and Professional) into clinical practice to provide effective patient-centred care and resident-focused training.
  
  
• Demonstrated the ability to function appropriately and effectively as an independent Anesthesiologist in urban, northern urban, rural, and remote communities.
  
  
• Demonstrated the ability to meet the needs of the people of Northern Ontario including Indigenous and Francophone populations.

 

Selection process goals

Through our selection process, our program aims to identify candidates who have a strong academic history with demonstrated competence and interest in anesthesia (e.g. scholarly activities, conference involvement, and other related work or life experiences). We are seeking candidates who possess superior communication skills and have the ability to relate to patients, their families, and caregivers with compassion, empathy, sensitivity, and humility.

We are looking for candidates who possess the ability and willingness to work collaboratively (within and across professional domains) in a team dynamic to secure optimal patient outcomes while exemplifying the highest standards of professional behavior -- inclusive of responsibility, respect, and self-awareness.

We are also looking to identify candidates who would be a good fit for our program. Candidates who are well suited to our program are those who can adapt and thrive in a hands-on, distributed residency program that requires flexibility and some travel away from their primary location of residence. 

We also believe that candidates who are resilient, can prioritize their personal well-being and work-life balance, and are also committed to self-reflective learning, continuing professional development, and quality improvement, are well-suited to our program. Through our selection process, we aim to identify and successfully match candidates who possess these attributes as well.

 

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
Other : In keeping with the CanMEDs roles, please note that throughout the entire application and interview process, your interactions with NOSM personnel may be taken into consideration by the program in their selection process and ranking decisions.

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

The Anesthesiology program at NOSM University strives to be outstanding. We have a long history of training Royal College residents with unparalleled clinical experience and incredibly skilled and enthusiastic staff. 

The NOSM Univeristy Anesthesia academic program is based on “active learning” utilizing a wide variety of simulation and problem-based cases.  Through an innovative, comprehensive curriculum and assessment process, residents in this program will receive frequent feedback to help acquire lifelong, reflective learning skills, ensuring clinical excellence.  In addition to the CBD framework, novel education interventions, simulation, and e-Learning are integral parts of the program.  We are highly responsive to resident feedback resulting in a process of continual evaluation and modification of the academic and clinical program. We are using a unique, modular framework to implement CBD to help organize and guide the resident's progress while adding flexibility to allow individualized progress. 

Residents in this program will have a number of opportunities unique to Northern Ontario.  While the majority of the training takes place in Sudbury, the opportunity for clinical experiences in various centers across the North, from small rural hospitals to other major centers such as Thunder Bay, provides a unique chance to understand how anesthesia is provided outside of the major teaching center, and exposure to potential career opportunities. In addition to clinical research opportunities, residents have a unique ability to engage in medical education scholarship in this cutting-edge program.

Residents are an integral part of the perioperative team but are not necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the hospital. This means we are all about education!  The service-to-education balance is very much in favour of the resident.

Residents in this program will work in a collegial group, dedicated to outstanding clinical care and education, living in a growing city with lots of opportunities for "outdoor living".
 

In addition to the above, other aspects of the NOSM University program that set it apart include:

• Rapid integration as a valued member of the healthcare team
• Community ­based, clinical learning experiences
• Exposure to the culture and social fabric of Francophone and Indigenous communities
• State-of-the-art technologies in both the clinical and academic setting, including a new simulation centre
• Exceptional lifestyle balanced with a multitude of recreational opportunities in Northern Ontario

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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.

Since 2017, residents entering an anesthesiology program have experience Competence by Design (CBD) based learning and assessment. Incoming cohorts of successfully matched applicants to the NOSM University Anesthesiology program will be entering into a CBD-based residency program.

Below is an overview of the Competency By Design clinical map.  Working with assigned stage leads and other program leadership, you will have the opportunity to tailor it to meet your training needs as you progress through residency.

Please refer to NOSM University's Anesthesiology Program Competency by Design Module Map for a comprehensive snapshot of our clinical curriculum. 

The small size of the program allows for close mentorship between the faculty and the residents.  This has been frequently identified as one of the great strengths of our program and enables a rapid progression to independent activities for individual residents.  Our formal mentorship program pairs residents with staff that they have identified as mentors to support their progress and overall well-being throughout their residency.

As a new and growing program, resident feedback is an integral part of shaping this program for the future.  This is a program that is extremely responsive to residents input throughout their training.  Program Review dinners take place twice per year, giving residents a formal arena to offer feedback.

Academic Program

The core academic program is heavily based on active learning techniques such as problem-based learning and simulation. Residents participate in the 3-year cycle of weekly afternoon teaching sessions as well as written, oral and simulation-based assessments to help guide them to success in their Royal College examinations.  First-year residents are part of the “Summer Series” program which is an intensive, interactive introduction to a selection of key topics in anesthesia.  In addition to the core program, our rich academic program includes Trouble Rounds, ICU rounds, Anesthesia Department Rounds and Journal club.

Research

Built into the core program is a comprehensive physician scholar program.  This includes an introductory course in Evidence-Based Medicine with core seminars on critical appraisal and research methods. Residents are expected to undertake a scholarly project, with guidance from faculty, structured around a series of Research Milestones.  This scholarly project can be a clinical or basic sciences research project, a quality improvement project or any other scholarly project in areas relevant to academic anesthesiology.  

Simulation

Simulation plays a major role in the active learning curriculum of the NOSM University anesthesiology residency program. Our simulation program incorporates high-fidelity simulation with mannequins, hybrid patients, and standardized patients.  Residents in the NOSM Anesthesia program take hands-on learning to the next level with state-of-the-art technology and simulation scenarios integrated throughout the training program, starting in the first week of orientation. Residents participate in approximately four full days of simulation per academic year.  Each simulation scenario is followed by a rich student-led debriefing session. The debriefing sessions focus on anesthesia non-technical skills such as teamwork, crisis resource management, situational awareness, and decision-making.

Additional Training

All residents acquire certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) as part of the residency program. Residents receive support from the Anesthesiology program for the completion of these courses. It is expected that you complete ACLS training before entry to the program or within the first three months.  Opportunities to undertake NRP and PALS occur throughout the foundation and core years of training in the North, and this experience supplements the mandatory three-month rotation at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

 

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Training Sites

Resources

• Health Sciences North (Sudbury)
• North Bay Regional Health Centre
• Sault Area Hospital
• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
• Toronto Hospital for Sick Children

 

There are 22 other hospitals in Northern Ontario that NOSM is directly associated with including but not limited to:

• Dryden District Health Centre
• Lake of the Woods District Hospital (Kenora)
• Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre (Sioux Lookout)
• Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
• Riverside Healthcare Facilities Inc. (Fort Frances)
• St. Josehph's Care Group
• Temiskaming Hospital
• Timmins & District Hospital
• West Parry Sound Health Centre
• Anson General Hospital (Iroquois Falls)
• Notre Dame Hospital (Hearst)
• Royal Victoria Hospital of Barrie 

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Additional Information

To learn more about northern Ontario, please visit the "Wider Campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine" webpage.