Program Contacts

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Important Information

Please refer to the CaRMS website for provincial eligibility information: CaRMS Ontario Provincial Criteria. It is important to review the requirements carefully.

To learn more about the program, upcoming informational events and the McMaster PGME community please visit: https://pgme.mcmaster.ca/carms_r1_match_program_information/

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Return of Service

Return of Service (ROS) Requirements:

Additional criteria for CMGs:

Applicants with a ROS agreement in another province should ensure they are aware of the commitments and requirements. 

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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 November 29, 2024

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  November 29, 2024

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on November 29, 2024

Reference letters from the institution/discipline will not be required for consideration of interview.

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Interviews

Dates:

• January 31, 2025
• February 3, 2025
• February 4, 2025

Selection Criteria

Residents should have an interest in pediatrics with commitment to consultative, academic or subspecialty practice, rather than primary care, as this is reflective of the vast majority of pediatric practice in our region. There is an emphasis on team experience on the pediatric medicine ward as well as community pediatrics exposure within the program. Residents have the opportunity for progressive responsibility as they progress through competency-based stages (Transition to Discipline, Foundations of Discipline, Core of Discipline, and Transition to Practice).

Successful candidates should demonstrate clinical competence, academic aptitude, excellent communication and collaboration skills, have a keen interest in child health and commitment to the care of children.

Program goals

Mission: To foster expert and clinically excellent pediatricians who provide care for children and youth nationally and internationally.

Goals: To train expert clinicians in the care of children. To produce clinical leaders with skills in education, advocacy and research in the field of Pediatrics. To foster a supportive environment in which resident wellness is cultivated.

Our program is committed to providing the best education possible for our residents, teaching skills in the areas of clinical medicine, research and education.

Selection process goals

1. Identify applicants who have a demonstrated interest in pediatrics and those who will develop into excellent pediatricians.
2. Identify applicants who are active and engaged learners, and who work well in multi-disciplinary environments.
3. Identify applicants who show skill and empathy in the care of children and their families, as well as their social contexts.
4. Identify applicants who demonstrate a growth mindset and show potential in becoming innovators in research, advocacy and education.
5. Identify and support the training of applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, or members of other racialized groups, and others who experience systemic oppression such as 2SLGBTQIA+ people, people living with disabilities, and other equity-deserving and underrepresented groups.

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

Welcome to the McMaster University Pediatric Residency Program! The program is committed to providing exceptional, flexible training in clinical pediatrics, advocacy, scholarly work and education. Residents benefit from our faculty's collegial approach and broad expertise, enabling trainees to thrive as they prepare for a career in pediatric medicine or its subspecialties. The Pediatric Residency Program accepts 10-12 residents per year from various entry streams.

Residents play a pivotal role, alongside the faculty, to continue to improve and vitalize the program. Their opinions are highly valued, and we depend on resident involvement as part of continuous program quality improvement and to maintain high morale and pride amongst the residents.

Supporting residents is a priority for our faculty who welcome the opportunity to provide clinical, research and educational mentorship. The residents recognize the collegiality of the faculty and close resident-faculty interaction as a major strength of the program.

McMaster Children’s Hospital serves a population of over 2.3 million people, the second largest catchment area in Ontario. All pediatric subspecialties are represented within our Department of Pediatrics, with a wide variety of expertise amongst faculty. Residents obtain exposure to a diverse spectrum of diseases from common problems encountered in general pediatrics, to all subspecialties and referrals from surrounding communities.

A unique undergraduate program at McMaster allows extensive involvement by pediatric residents. Many of our residents teach formal clinical skills to the undergraduate class and are acknowledged by students as outstanding teachers. Residents receive training and coaching in developing their skills as a teacher and have the opportunity to participate in a rotation in their senior years focused on teaching skills and medical education principles.

McMaster University is the home of many of the world experts in evidence-based medicine. Residents in the training program can expect to receive outstanding formal training and critical appraisal skills through Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) rounds, Academic Half Day, Journal Clubs, subspecialty teaching rounds, resident teaching sessions and our unique Longitudinal CanMEDS Competencies (LCC) curriculum focused on the development of non-medical expert core CanMEDS competencies. Through their clinical rotations, residents learn to use literature in the daily management of patients, providing lifelong learning skills that will make them better physicians.

Social accountability is emphasized within the program. McMaster was one of the first pediatric residency programs to initiate a unique Social Pediatrics rotation, with well-established connections with community partners and advocacy programs.

There are strong research faculty and supports at McMaster committed to promoting resident scholarly activities. The Resident Research Committee is composed of faculty who help facilitate resident research and scholarly projects, and host the annual McMaster Child Health Research Day. There is competitive funding available for resident projects through the Pediatric Residency Program, Department of Pediatrics Education Endowment Fund and the Postgraduate Office. There is protected time available for research during the residency program. Funding for annual conferences and learning opportunities is available through the program.

The program is also known for its innovation and leadership in educational and quality improvement scholarship. Our Social Pediatrics rotation, unique Transition to Senior Resident curriculum, wellness supports and mentorship initiatives are all a result of resident-driven educational scholarship. Residents benefit from career counselling and transition to practice curriculum throughout all years of training, twice annual resident retreats including an annual overnight retreat, and multiple social and wellness activities throughout the year. We have a robust wellness curriculum with regularly embedded wellness topics throughout Academic Half- Day, as well as 'Treats & Talks’ sessions facilitated by a Resident Affairs counsellor and a unique Resident Support Network. Residents have multiple opportunities in the program to participate in teaching activities, scholarly projects, advocacy, committee work, leadership roles, curriculum development and resident selection.

Along with all pediatric residency programs in Canada, our program transitioned to Competency Based Medical Education in July 2021. This curriculum ensures that all residents completing the program receive an excellent foundation in pediatrics that will prepare them for any career they may eventually choose. The structure of the 4-year program is designed to facilitate graduated responsibility and flexibility in training. Our program allows for ample elective and selective time, allowing residents to address individual learning objectives and prepare themselves for their selected career choices. All residents have elective time in Core and Transition to Practice stages (2nd to 4th year). Residents may participate in global health experiences during these electives, with global health training opportunities and mentorship within the department and the university for all residents. There is also significant flexibility through Integrated Pediatrics (IP) blocks, allowing residents to return to clinical areas for more experience and to explore unique supplementary clinical opportunities.

We feel it is essential for residents to be exposed to general consulting pediatric practice in the community setting, thus there are mandatory community rotations in the program. Hamilton has many smaller communities within an hour of the city (including Brampton, Niagara, Kitchener- Waterloo and Brantford), with strong educational links to these communities allowing for valuable learning experiences.

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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.

Pediatric Training Program: Curriculum

The Pediatric Residency Program focuses on providing excellent training in all aspects of pediatrics so that trainees may pursue either community consulting pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty. The program provides broad-based clinical and academic training in pediatrics with the goal of creating the foundation required for practice of general and subspecialty pediatrics.

The program competencies are developed around the 7 CanMEDS roles.

The work environment is friendly and supportive. The program has a well-established Academic Coach system, Competence committee and a variety of mentorship programs to support residents throughout their training.

Transition to Discipline ~ 3 blocks 

Multiweek orientation 'bootcamp' will provide residents with multiple learning opportunities and a supported transition to residency including:

• Orientation to program, clinical environment, and McMaster University
• Clinical orientation and opportunity to practice pediatric history-taking & physical examination skills
• Recognition and management of common pediatric problems, newborn examination and key foundational clinical skills
• Opportunities to network and get to know peers, other residents and faculty in relaxed, collegial setting
• Introduction to Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) including growth mindset and competence committee, and unique aspects of the program
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support Program (PALS)

 Clinical rotations during this stage of training include:

• Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) at McMaster Children's Hospital
• Community pediatrics in local community hospital OR Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• An introduction to a pediatric subspecialty - clinics and inpatient exposure
• Weekend daytime call shifts on CTU

Foundations of Training ~10-11 blocks

This stage of training will include clinical rotations in the following areas:

• Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) at McMaster Children's Hospital and Level II Nursery at St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton
• Community Pediatrics, in local community hospital, with focus on Level II nursery care
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine at McMaster Children's Hospital
• Pediatric Subspecialties including outpatient clinics and inpatients:
  • Pediatric Neurology (2 weeks)
  • Pediatric Rheumatology (2 weeks)
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (4weeks)
  • Pediatric General Surgery (2 weeks)
  • Introduction to Pediatric Critical Care and Neonatal Intensive Care (2 weeks)
• Social Pediatrics with focus on structural/social determinants of health and advocacy skill development (4 weeks)
• Junior Night float blocks (6-8 weeks total)

Curriculum and educational opportunities include:

• Research/Scholarly Project bootcamp – research methodology and development of a proposal for a scholarly project
• Neonatal and Pediatric procedural skills workshops
• Complex care skills workshop
• Communication skills workshop
• Critical appraisal, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety curriculum
• Simulation training focused on procedural and clinical skills

Core of Discipline ~30 blocks

This is a senior resident stage, with increasing patient care and teaching responsibility on the general pediatric ward, consulting in the Emergency Department, and integrating critical care exposure. This is a time to consolidate the trainee's general pediatric experience with opportunity for more subspecialty rotations as well as generous elective and 'Integrated Pediatric' time, planned in collaboration with the resident's academic coach to meet individual learning goals.

Clinical rotations during this stage of training include:

• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (8 weeks total)
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level III Nursery) (8 weeks total)
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
• Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) in Senior Resident role (4 weeks)
• Community pediatrics in local community hospital including rural/remote opportunities
• Anaesthesia (2 weeks)
• Pediatric mental health (4 weeks)
• Pediatric Subspecialties
  • Adolescent medicine (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Cardiology (4 weeks)
  • Developmental Pediatrics (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Endocrinology (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology (4 weeks)
  • Genetics/metabolics (4 weeks)
  • Child Maltreatment (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Nephrology (4 weeks)
  • Pediatric Respirology (4 weeks)
• Senior Night float in 2-week blocks in both CTU and Subspecialty/Critical Care
• Electives (12 weeks total)
• Integrated Pediatrics - selective opportunities planned in collaboration with resident's Academic Coach to meet individual learning goals

Learning and other clinical activities throughout this stage of training:

• Support for completion of scholarly project
• Resident Continuity clinic in academic pediatric medicine or community pediatrics setting
• Teaching skills and multiple opportunities to engage in teaching junior learners and peers
• Neonatal and Pediatric procedural skills workshops
• Complex care skills workshops
• Communication skills workshops
• Critical appraisal, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety curriculum
• Simulation Training focused on procedural and clinical skills

Transition to Practice (TTP) stage ~7 blocks

Clinical rotations include:

• Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) at McMaster Children's Hospital - in role of Junior Attending
• Quality of Life and Advanced Care team (Pediatric Palliative Care)
• Pediatric Complex Care
• Level II Nursery  
• Community pediatrics in local community hospital
• Senior Night Float in 2-week blocks in both CTU and Subspecialty/Critical Care
• Electives
• Integrated Pediatrics - selective opportunities planned in collaboration with resident's Academic Coach to meet individual learning goals

Learning and other clinical activities throughout this stage of training:

• Resident Continuity clinic in academic pediatric medicine or community pediatrics setting
• Teaching skills and multiple opportunities to engage in teaching junior learners and peers
• Patient Safety / Quality Improvement curriculum
• Formal curriculum to support transition to practice including: practice management, financial aspects and billing, mentorship

Research and Scholarly Work 

The Residency Program Committee believes research and scholarly work to be an essential part of the residency-training program. It is expected that all pediatric trainees will complete at least one scholarly project during their training. Research 'Bootcamp' held throughout Foundations stage will address foundational principles of research, and Critical Appraisal curriculum and monthly Research Roundtables support residents in their scholarly work. Residents may choose to do a short or long-term project on advocacy, quality improvement, medical education, clinical or basic science research. Supervision and mentorship are offered by faculty members and by the Residency Research Committee. Residents may schedule protected research time into their rotations longitudinally or use their Integrated Pediatric selective or elective time to work on their scholarly project.

Educational Activities 

All incoming residents will participate in a multiweek orientation bootcamp, as outlined above to support their transition to residency.

The program provides time for resident learning using a format of seminars, lectures, workshops, interactive discussions and journal clubs. The curriculum is planned by the Residency Program Committee with resident and faculty input.

Protected teaching times include monthly research rounds, and weekly Departmental Grand Rounds and Academic Half Days on Wednesday afternoons (total of 4.5 hours per week). The curriculum for the Academic Half Day follows a four-year cycle, with each session led by an experienced faculty member.

Resident-led teaching including teaching around Canadian Paediatric Society practice points and position statements, as well as senior teaching around key practical topics and physical exam skills are also integrated within academic half-day. There are various weekly subspecialty seminars in addition to Journal Clubs, bedside and senior-directed teaching. Residents also have scheduled administrative time.

A robust pediatric simulation curriculum runs for residents in all stages of training exploring acute care scenarios. Annual skills workshops are also integrated into resident curriculum exploring neonatal procedures, acute care procedures, complex care procedures and management, physical examination and communication skills. There are monthly small group discussions (LCC-Longitudinal CanMEDS Competencies) that focus on discussion and development of CanMEDS roles in a supported environment. There is a comprehensive transition to practice curriculum for final year residents that incorporates some dedicated time for clinical review sessions and practical skills for entry into practice.

Residents are encouraged and financially supported to participate in external Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities with funding for conferences, courses and virtual learning available through the program.

Call:  

All residents participate in on-call responsibilities primarily through a night float model while at the McMaster site, allowing for better patient continuity and resident wellness. This includes residents being on call on alternate evenings (4:30pm to 8:00am) for 2-weeks at a time spread throughout the year. This schedule minimizes time away from scheduled daytime training experiences and allows for future planning of afterhours responsibilities.

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Training Sites

Primary Training Sites:

McMaster Children's Hospital - for most rotations

Community sites (Brampton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Niagara, Brantford, Burlington, Oakville)

St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton (Level II nursery)

Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre (developmental pediatrics and mental health)

 

Descriptions:

McMaster Children's Hospital provides primary, secondary and tertiary care to the local community and the region. Most rotations are done at McMaster Children's Hospital, the children's hospital with the second largest population catchment in Ontario, serving 2.3 million people. There is a very busy emergency department and general pediatrics wards where common problems are seen in significant volumes. In addition, all pediatric subspecialties exist at McMaster Children's Hospital which ensure excellent learning opportunities from patient volume and variety.

Rotations in consultative pediatrics with community pediatricians in outlying communities are an integral part of the program. Funding has allowed us to offer greater community experiences to all residents in the program. We have strong educational alliances with multiple communities including: Kitchener-Waterloo, Brampton, Brantford, St. Catharines/Niagara, Oakville, and Burlington.

A Level II nursery rotation is done at St. Joseph's Healthcare, also located in Hamilton. This nursery is staffed by academic general pediatricians who have experience facilitating excellent learning opportunities for residents, allowing for emerging independence in senior rotations.

Developmental Pediatrics along with mental health services are located nearby at Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre, a state-of-the-art institution built in 2015 offering the unique co- location of multiple programs and healthcare teams.

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Additional Information

Quick Facts 

• Residents may undertake inter-provincial and international electives. Global health mentorship and pre-departure training as well as limited competitive funding for global health electives are available.
• A separate stream for one resident per year is available in Kitchener-Waterloo - further details available under Pediatrics-Waterloo CaRMS site.
• For residents interested in research, once they have started their residency, they can apply for the Clinical Investigator Program (CIP). CIP training involves protected time for research including graduate or postdoctoral research studies, that must be coordinated with specialty or subspecialty training plans to fulfill McMaster CIP and Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada training objectives. CIP training provides individualized mentorship in research and promotes the development of broad and specialized research knowledge, skills and attitudes that are important for future clinician investigators.

 

Competency-Based Medical Education: Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

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.

CBD uses competencies rather than time as the basis for progression. Residency programs are 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. Stages of pediatric training are further outlined in the Program Curriculum section as Pediatrics programs across Canada formally launch our CBD curriculum in July 2021.

All programs implementing CBD will continue to undergo the same rigorous accreditation processes as traditional programs. All CBD programs will continue to lead to Royal College approved certification. Certification for trainees in both CBD and traditional programs will include the completion of a Royal College examination; however, residents in CBD programs will also be assessed against program milestones throughout their training. Within a CBD program, all milestones (documented within an electronic portfolio) and the Royal College examination must be successfully completed to achieve certification.

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FAQ

How do I meet with the program director and/or Lead Residents to learn more about the program or ask questions?

We host multiple information sessions about the program throughout the year. Please see our R1 Match program information on the McMaster PGME website for session details once they are finalized. Or, contact our Program Administrators (peded@mcmaster.ca). We highly encourage all applicants to learn more about our program and selection process from these sessions.

Question and answer sessions about the program are held with the Program Director, Associate Program Directors and Lead Residents on select Wednesdays each month starting in September until January from 12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Please contact our Program Administrators (peded@mcmaster.ca) for more information.

Please see the CANPREPP: Events Calendar for additional information about program information sessions and 'ask a resident' evening sessions for McMaster Pediatrics and other programs across Canada.