Program Contacts

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Important Information

The structure of the health regions in Alberta and Calgary allow for centralization of neuropathology service for the greater Calgary region to two sites; the Foothills Medical Centre and the Alberta Children's Hospital. This program has a dedicated neuropathology laboratory with expertise in processing and staining tissues of the nervous system and muscle located at Foothills Medical Centre. The neuropathology laboratory receives neuropathology specimens from all of Calgary and in the case of medical muscle and peripheral nerve biopsy from all of southern Alberta.

All Alberta laboratories were amalgamated into Alberta Precision Laboratories. This has resulted in significant improvements in our pathology residency training program with an increased degree of staff specialization, greater participation in teaching for all 85 Calgary pathologists, and a common laboratory database serving our catchment area of over one million people.

Neuropathology has a strong relationship with the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Foothills Medical Centre and Alberta Children's Hospital. In addition, the University of Calgary also has a world-class basic neuroscience research.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Useful Electives/Experience:

Neuropathology, Anatomical Pathology, Adult Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuro-Radiology; Pediatric Neurology or other neuroscience or pathology related field.

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on March 17, 2026

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  March 17, 2026

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on March 17, 2026

Selection Criteria

Good to strong academic record.

Demonstrated interest in neuropathology (for example by prior undergraduate work in neuroscience, graduate level study of neuroscience, rotations in neurology, neurosurgery, and pathology, or rotation(s) in neuropathology). 

Program goals

The program aims to train future neuropathologists whose career goals may include any part or combination of the full spectrum of practice in Canada. In addition to clinical practice competencies achieved through broad-based training, nurturing skills for future activity in research and medical education are also emphasized. Foundations will be laid for advocacy and development of the discipline by participating in the discipline’s regional, national or international activities and working with other physicians and allied health colleagues in the setting of interdisciplinary rounds, clinical correlation rounds and quality assurance activities. The program aims to cultivate core skills in communication and teamwork with high standards of professionalism. Instilling lifelong learning skills will also benefit future graduates as they navigate the changing medical landscape and a diversity of career paths.

Date of last accreditation: 2022

Selection process goals

• Documented interest and experience in neuropathology, neuroscience, or pathology
• Aptitude for pathology (strong evaluations from pathology elective(s) or a letter of reference from a pathologist/neuropathologist)
• Broad and well-rounded medical knowledge (strong medical school performance and/or examination scores)
• Excellent written and spoken skills in English as well as non-verbal communication skills
• Evidence of research and teaching ability
• Desirable personal attributes such as collegiality, teamwork skills, leadership skills, conflict management ability, and time management skills
• Professionalism attributes include integrity, reliability, collegiality, resilience, punctuality and responsibility

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

Almost all material from the Calgary Region catchment area is examined at one location, in the McCaig Tower at the Foothills Medical Centre. Important relationships with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Alberta Childrens' Hospital for forensic and pediatric neuropathology are accessible within a 30 minute walk from the main site. The neuropathology lab, the neuropathologists and neuropathology residents are all located in one wing of one floor within the department also including colleagues in anatomical pathology, general pathology and hematopathology, facilitating interactions with other laboratory medicine residents and staff.

The Foothills Medical Centre is located approximately 6 km from downtown Calgary. Calgary is located near the Canadian Rocky Mountains and is only a 1 hour drive from Banff with easy access to a variety of outdoor activities, both summer and winter. Calgary is a vibrant and growing city of slightly greater than 1.2 million people. The city and our department reflect a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Strengths of program:

Our teaching staff is a relatively large group of seven neuropathologists, of whom five are primarily clinical neuropathologists and two clinician-investigators who participate in significant research in Neuro-Oncology. All are actively engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.  The current resident group consist of one neuropathology trainee. The program also has active collaboration with multiple programs, hosting rotating residents from neurology, neurosurgery and pathology residents rotating through neuropathology. The workload comprises adult, pediatric and perinatal neuropathology including surgical material and autopsy material which also includes an active neuromuscular pathology service. A dedicated longitudinal forensic pathology experience has been in practice for a few years with collaboration with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.  Materials are further supplemented by diverse teaching slide sets.

Two examinations are held every year, including a written and practical examination as well as the ASCP NPISE. Additional in-house examination simulations are held through case-based teaching sessions at academic half-day and through participation in inter-institutional diagnostic slide sessions monthly. Other academic half-day activities include a roughly two-year curriculum of didactics, and regular journal club. Collaboration with the other laboratory medicine residencies also allow for occasional attendance of other academic teaching as service permits. Teaching and examinations regularly incorporate digital pathology, using the similar digital platform as that of the Royal College examination.

Other Key Features:

Neurosciences are a major focus of the University of Calgary with a wide variety of bench and translational research providing exceptional opportunity for interaction amongst the various disciplines of the neurosciences including neurosurgery, adult neurology, pediatric neurology, and neuroradiology.

Common Clinical Encounters:

The Neuropathology service comprises intra-operative consultation, surgical pathology specimens, muscle biopsies, peripheral nerve biopsies, and autopsies (adult, perinatal and pediatric in hospital and forensic settings). The autopsy service includes medical, neurodegenerative, neoplastic, and pediatric malformation/developmental cases. Neuropathologists and residents participate in or present at frequent clinical rounds, including clinical correlation rounds, brain tumour boards and quality assurance activities allowing for teaching and education.

Workload:

These are estimations of approximate workhours and can vary widely. Duty hours comply with criteria outlined by the newest PARA agreement.

Rotation type	Duty hours	Estimated recommended reading	Call frequency
Clinical rotations	As per PARA	Ad libidum	As per PARA
Anatomical pathology rotations	~ 40 h/week	Ad libidum	Home call with neuropathology 1 week at a time, 1 week maximum per block starting after six blocks of pathology have been completed
Neuropathology	~ 40 h/week	At least 10 hours/week minimum is recommended	Home call with neuropathology 1 week at a time, 1 week maximum per block

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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.

The neuropathology training program has transitioned to the Competency by Design and new trainees will adhere to the CBD training curriculum and evaluation strategies. The neuropathology staff have had professional development in this area and have had previous experience with CBD residents from other laboratory medicine programs.

Transition to Discipline (3 months)

A laboratory medicine ‘boot camp” is centered at Foothills Medical Centre. It  has been in place for at least three years coordinating orientation and early training of anatomical pathology, general pathology and neuropathology residents, all of whom have similar overlapping TtD EPAs. This training experience includes orientation to the pathology department, the laboratory medicine information system, basic specimen handling, and basic microscopy skills.

Foundation (approximately 8 months clinical, at least 11 months anatomical pathology)

The foundations stage includes clinical rotations and anatomical pathology rotations. The clinical rotations establish the clinical understanding and experience for clinical context to improve skills in diagnostic correlation and interpretation as a neuropathologist. Clinical rotations consist of a rotation in adult neurology, adult neuro-oncology, pediatric neurology, pediatric oncology, internal medicine, neurosurgery, neuroradiology and an elective. The anatomical pathology rotations provide some more flexibility, but recommendations are as follows:

General surgical pathology 2-3 blocks

Pediatric pathology 2 blocks

Bone and soft tissue pathology 1 block

Lymph node pathology 1 block

Head and neck pathology 1 block

Molecular pathology 1 block

Autopsy pathology 2 blocks

Forensic pathology 1 block

Core (at least 2 years)

Core neuropathology training consists of an integrated service of both surgical and autopsy experiences. Pediatric neuropathology is concurrent with specimens referred to the Foothills Medical Centre for interpretation and diagnosis. In addition to a wide panel of special and immunohistochemical stains performed in-house, on site electron microscopy and molecular testing are available for neuropathology resident to gain direct skills in interpretation and integration of ancillary findings.

Hospital autopsies are also centralized in Calgary, such that all Calgary regional autopsies are performed at Foothills Medical Centre, ranging between 180 to 220 adult autopsies a year and 120 to 150 perinatal/pediatric autopsies a year.

Residents are also expected to participate in quality assurance activities which may include quality assurance rounds, or a quality improvement project. At least one scholarly project is expected to be completed during residency, which may include research, quality assurance/quality improvement, or medical education project.

Electives in subspecialty areas are also acceptable during this period. Some funding is available to support neuropathology subspecialty electives which may include but is not limited to pediatric neuropathology, forensic neuropathology, or neuromuscular pathology.

Transition to Practice (approximately 3 months)

This stage is meant to be an opportunity for residents to function as a junior staff with responsibilities to manage appropriate workloads in preparation for full practice under supervision. Activities will also include the expected participation in clinicopathologic correlation rounds and quality assurance activities.

Research

There are active research programs in neurodegenerative disorders, neurodegeneration, cerebral ischemia and neuro-oncology. Active participation by trainees in one or another research program will be strongly encouraged. Clinical research such as publication/conference presentation of interesting case studies/series is expected. Attendance at national specialty conferences is strongly encouraged for research experience, career development and professional networking. Presentation of at least one scholarly project during at least one of the departmental Research Days is expected.

Teaching

Residents received teaching in a case-based during service, through multidisciplinary rounds and at the neuropathology academic half day which includes a two year curriculum of topics delivered through case-based teaching cases, didactics, and interactive ‘flipped classroom’ discussions. Regular journal club discussions aimed at developing academic appraisal skills are resident led with staff supervision and participation.

Residents learn and develop teaching skills through mandatory PGME training workshops and have to opportunity to engage in further workshop training if so desired. Development of a teaching portfolio through resident participation in teaching occurs with visiting medical students, rotating residents, and other neuropathology residents.

 

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Training Sites

General Aspects

Neuropathology in the Calgary Zone is centralized under Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) South Sector. The neuropathology laboratory and most of the neuropathology training occurs at the Foothills Medical Centre, McCaig Tower.  Additional sites of training include Alberta Children's Hospital (training in paediatric neuropathology) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (forensic neuropathology).

The dedicated neuropathology laboratory processes all of the autopsies and surgical specimens, all nerve and muscle biopsies, and most of the special stains unique to neuropathology. Surgical neuropathology specimens and brain autopsies from most of Southern Alberta are handled by the Calgary neuropathology group.

Our Program Director, Dr. Denise Ng, was appointed Program Director in 2017.  In addition to being a Royal College Fellow in Neuropathology, she is also a Royal College Fellow in Anatomical Pathology.  She is also a Fellow in the College of American Pathologists with completion of her American Board of Pathology Certification in Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology.  All staff pathologists show main academic interests in teaching with active participation in transitioning to Competency By Design.  To meet the demands of the ever-expanding field of the clinical neurosciences, the University of Calgary Neuropathology Training Program is constantly undergoing transition to ensure best practices are brought forward.

 Features of the program include:

i) encouragement for residents to be involved in research (basic and clinical),

ii) development of new teaching tools, including virtual microscopy,

iii) training in molecular diagnostics and other molecular techniques,

iv) improved longitudinal clinical exposures in paediatric and forensic neuropathology, and;

v) progressive or graded responsibility for the resident, commensurate with their training and competency.

The program aims to be dynamic; to that end, we expect the neuropathology resident to participate in quality improvement processes for the program including active engagement in the residency training program through their chief resident duties and program meeting discussions.

The goal of our program is to graduate competent surgical and autopsy neuropathologists who will advance the discipline of neuropathology by their involvement in service, academics, research, and education.

Training Sites

- Foothills Medical Centre (FMC)

- Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH)

- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)

- Diagnostic and Scientific Centre (DSC)

- Rockyview General Hospital (RGH)

- Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC)

- South Health Campus (SHC)

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Additional Information

Quick Facts

- Interprovincial and international electives are possible.  Each request for training outside the province is reviewed individually and approved by the Neuropathology Residency Program Committee.

- The neuropathology program in Calgary currently has seven neuropathologists on staff.

- The residents' room is equipped with individual computers, microscopes, ergonomic desks,a microscope camera, library of reference material, access to electronic medical records and resources, and equipment for preparing presentations or rounds including dedicated cameras.