The Postgraduate Medical Education Orientation which will be held on Friday, June 26, 2026 is mandatory for all residents.
The Pediatric Postgraduate Medical Education Orientation will be held on June 30, 2026.
Program application language: English
You are required to fulfill ALL of the most current Provincial Criteria for Canadian Medical Graduates for Manitoba
The criteria can be found at: https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/manitoba/
Notarized/certified photocopied proof of citizenship must be provided. Photocopies are accepted but citizenship documents other than what is listed above are not accepted.
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 referee must complete the required structured reference form. Please include this link within your reference request: Pediatrics Structured Reference Letter. Traditional letters of reference are no longer accepted for this program.
Consistent with the AFMC measures established in response to the Québec physicians’ strike, we will implement the following accommodations for applicants from Québec faculties of medicine and for applicants from other Canadian faculties who had planned visiting electives in Québec during this time.
Your medical school transcript can be submitted through one of the methods below:
In lieu of a personal letter please answer the following 2 questions:
#1. Why do you want to complete residency in our residency program? Do you have a connection to Manitoba? What unique attributes and perspectives would you bring to our community and residency program? Do you belong to a community or come from a background that has not traditionally been represented in medicine? (Approx. 300 words)
#2. The United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People provides a broad framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of society. How have you seen anti-Indigenous racism operationalized in the medical education or health care system? What is your role and what are your responsibilities on the path to Indigenous reconciliation? (Approx. 300 words)
Medical Student Performance RecordFor 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.
For applicants from Québec faculties of medicine, as well as those from other Canadian faculties who had scheduled visiting electives in Québec during this period, we will accept incomplete MSPRs for file review and ranking purposes.
An incomplete MSPR is one that may be missing final assessments from placements expected to be completed by the date of submission but delayed due to the strike. A complete MSPR will not be required as a criterion for file review or ranking for these applicants.
The University of Manitoba Pediatric Residency Program requires your undergraduate transcript.
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
Applicants selected for interviews will be contacted by email to arrange a virtual interview.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the social justice principles of equity, access & participation and to promoting opportunities for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous, Black, racially marginalized Peoples, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities) and women.
Our residents will develop the academic skills, clinical skills and knowledge required to excel as general pediatricians who are capable of managing medically and socially complex children and adolescents. They will utilize their medical expertise within a model of patient-centered care and become proficient with shared decision making in medically and socially complex situations. They will develop a comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health and wellness though exposure to urban, rural, immigrant, refugee, Aboriginal and Inuit populations. They will become effective advocates for their patients, community and profession.
1. Demonstrated ability to communicate and work with patients, families, and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
2. Committed to providing anti-racist and culturally safe health care to Indigenous people and other marginalized groups.
3. Demonstrated ability to function well within a multidisciplinary healthcare team with a strong work ethic.
4. Interest in scholarly activity, either through previous experience or a desire to participate in scholarly activity.
An inclusive, open and diverse community is essential to excellence and fosters voices that have been ignored or discouraged. To address the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences commitment to equity, access and participation, and in recognition of the underrepresentation of members of historically and currently excluded groups, our program has taken the following proactive measures as part of our selection process: implicit bias training for all selection committee members, diverse representation of selection committee members, inclusion of interview questions targeted to assess applicant recognition of and commitment to EDIA.
We strive for diverse perspectives and cultural safety throughout the hiring process (resident selection committees, short-list of applicants, interviews). The directions for our Personal Letter encourage applicants to self-identify whether they belong to a group that is traditionally underrepresented in medicine, which encourages all applicants to include an EDIA statement with evidence demonstrating their own commitment to EDIA in their work and training thus far.
Review team composition : Our review team is composed of the program director, associate program director, and lead residents
Average number of applications received by our program in the last five years : 51 - 200
Average percentage of applicants offered interviews : 76 - 100 %
| File component | Criteria |
|---|---|
| CV | We are evaluating the applicant's personal, educational, volunteer, and work journey and accomplishments. We are looking to see if all of the applicant's time is accounted for and that absences from work or education are identified and explained. |
| Electives | We are evaluating the applicant's range of experiences in within Pediatrics and related specialties. |
| Examinations | We do not evaluate this file component. |
| Extra-curricular | We are evaluating the applicant's volunteer activities, with long term and extensive involvement in an activity weighted more favourably than superficial involvement in many activities. If an applicant has not been able to participate, or has had limited participation, in extra-curricular activities due to social or life circumstances the applicant should include this in their response to Question #1 of the personal letter. This will be factored in to how this element is scored in file review. We are also evaluating the applicant's non-medical areas of interest and talent. |
| Leadership skills | We are evaluating the applicant's involvement in leadership roles on committees, organizations, extra-curricular activities, and clubs. We are also interested in learning about unique leadership roles and experiences that the applicant may have had in their family or past employment or education. |
| MSPRs | We are evaluating the MSPR for overall weakness and strengths of the applicant during their time in medical school. |
| Personal letters | We are evaluating the applicant's interest and motivation in completing residency in Manitoba through their knowledge of our program, knowledge of Manitoba, and possible connections to Manitoba. We are evaluating if the applicant is from a group, community, or background that is underrepresented in medicine. We are also evaluating what unique experiences and perspectives the applicant would bring to our program and community. We are evaluating the applicant's knowledge and understanding of Indigenous health issues, including the role of anti-Indigenous racism in Canadian medical education and health care. |
| Reference documents | We are evaluating the referees' assessment of the applicant's aptitude, medical expertise, communication skills, ability to work in a team environment and work ethic. |
| Research/Publications | We are evaluating past experiences in research and academic scholarship, current projects and interest in future projects. If an applicant has not been able to participate, or has had limited participation, in research or scholarly activities due to social or life circumstances the applicant should include this in their response to Question #1 of the personal letter. This will be factored in to how this element is scored in file review. Significant contributions to a project will be weighted more favourably than minor contributions. |
| Transcripts | We do not evaluate this file component. However, this file component is required by the University of Manitoba |
Interview format :
We routinely accommodate requests to re-schedule interviews for applicants.
| Interview components | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Collaboration skills | We are evaluating the applicant's ability to work well with individuals from diverse backgrounds and collaborate with families and colleagues in medical decision making. |
| Collegiality | We are evaluating whether the applicant demonstrates professional and respectful behaviour. The applicant should value and consider the perspectives and opinions of others. |
| Communication skills | We are evaluating the applicant's verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The ability to speak and write in English is mandatory. The ability to communicate in other languages is weighted favourably. |
| Health advocacy | We are evaluating the applicant's interest and experience in health advocacy, including their ideas for advocacy initiatives. |
| Interest in the discipline | We are evaluating the applicant's interest and commitment to Pediatrics. We are interested in learning how the applicant sees themselves contributing to the health of children. |
| Interest in the program | We are evaluating the applicant's knowledge of our program and province and their interest in living in Winnipeg. We are interested in learning how the applicant sees themselves fitting into our program. |
| Leadership skills | We are evaluating the applicant's skills to lead by example with strong communication, collaboration and delegation skills. We are evaluating if the applicant has leadership experience and how the applicant has learned from past experience. We are also interested in learning about unique leadership roles and experiences that the applicant may have had in their family or past employment or education. |
| Professionalism | We are evaluating the applicant's professional interactions with interviewers, faculty, residents, other interviewees and program assistants. |
| Scholarly activities | We are evaluating the applicant's past scholarly activities and interest in future scholarly activities . |
Quick Facts
In Their Words
"I could not imagine being a resident without this group of such genuine, supportive and passionate colleagues and faculty helping me along the way to becoming a well-qualified Pediatrician." -PGY4
"The very welcoming and friendly resident and faculty body contributes to a highly supportive, smaller-centre feel while working in a centre that sees a wide diversity of patients will all subspecialties represented." -PGY1
"I doubt there's another pediatric program in Canada that would have given me the same diversity of patients and firsthand experiences than this one!" -PGY3
"Unique and large patient population with a plethora of rare and unique diseases" -PGY2
"The program directors ate. They are outstanding in every sense of the word" -Program director
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.
General Description
The Program design fulfills the Specialty Training Requirements in Pediatrics from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Since July 2021 our program has delivered a Competence By Design (CBD) curriculum to residents at all stages of training.
The Pediatric Residency Program provides the resident a choice in training experience selection each training year. Residents are provided with at least one elective training experience each year which can be a program selective or elective, an outside elective or a research elective. Residents are required to undertake a minimum of six weeks in rural pediatrics during their core stage of training. This includes a two-week rotation in Brandon, Manitoba and a four-week rotation in Thompson, Manitoba.
Overnight and weekend call occurs throughout all four years. Senior call is predominantly covered by senior residents on their night float rotations. The majority of junior overnight call is provided by the pediatric and off-service learners on their CTU rotations. Residents rotating through the PICU cover 50-75% of PICU calls. All remaining calls are assigned to off-service pediatric residents who have completed at least one PICU block in the core stage of training.
The University of Manitoba program is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities spanning all seven CanMEDS compentencies. With an early transition-to-senior process, more time is available for teaching and supervisory experiences. A close collaboration with faculty is fostered and encouraged.
The purpose of Transition to Discipline is confirm knowledge and skills achieved in medical school and to orient the trainee to the speciality of Pediatrics, our training program, the University of Manitoba and Children's Hospital. The focus of Transition of Discipline is successful achievement in conducting a Pediatric specific history and physical exam and communicating patient centred care plans.
Training Experiences May Include:
The purpose of Foundations is to gain experience with common pediatric presenting issues and diagnoses across the full range of ages seen in pediatric medicine. The focus of Foundations is to perform patient assessments and to develop, initiate and document management plans for common straightforward presenting issues across the spectrum of pediatric ages. Foundations also includes providing preventative health care and performing basic proceedures.
Training Experiences Include:
*If not previously completed in Transition to Discipline
**This 2 week academic skills course occurs simultaneously for all residents in Foundations and provides residents with a strong background in research and teaching skills
***During this 2 week night float training experience the resident will be in the senior resident role. The resident will do several buddied call shifts before transitioning to independent senior for the completion of the rotation
The purpose of core is to continue to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to practice as a competent consultant pediatrician. The focus of this stage is to gain experience and skill performing patient assessment and management of complex and rare pediatric presentations. This includes patients in the ambulatory and hospital settings across the range of pediatric ages, including patients who are acutely critically ill. This stage also focuses on providing longitudinal patient management experience as well as development of communication skills for difficult and sensitive issues including mental health concerns, behavioral issues, concerns related to child maltreatment and goals of care discussions.
Training Experiences Include:
*16 weeks total in Core
**8 weeks total in Core
***12 weeks total in Core
The purpose of Transition to Practice is for residents to consolidate their pediatric knowledge and enhance their skills as they prepare to enter independent practice in general pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty. The focus of this stage is for residents to apply their knowledge and skills to provide comprehesive care in episodic and longitudinal settings. This stage also includes refining communication skills and developing practice management and leadership skills.
Training Experiences Include:
With the exception of Senior Call, all non-elective training experiences are 4-weeks in total.
Residents have a three-hour weekly academic half-day that is protected educational time with mandatory attendance. Academic half-day is organized to provide a standardized curriculum on core general and subspecialty pediatrics topics rotating over a three-year basis. The academic half-day curriculum also includes ethics, evidence-based medicine, and palliative care, in addition to other non-Medical Expert CanMEDS roles. Academic half-day sessions are delivered in a facilitated interactive small group model, where resident groups of 8-10 engage actively in usually case-based discussion of important topics for general pediatrics guided by the specialist preceptors.
A specialized Pediatric Indigenous Health curriculum was introduced in 2021. This was created within the residency program in collaboration with Indigenous leaders in medical education, and designed as a distributed experience. At the start of each academic year, there will be one Academic half-day session dedicated to this topic, with a difference focus for each residency cohort to allow for a progressive development of experience in a spiral fashion over the four years of training. Over the rest of the year, there are three hour-long sessions for the entire pediatric cohort where a specific topic will be presented didactically, experientially, and finally practically.
Transition to Discipline residents have a special series of academic half-days for the first two months of residency. This provides an in-depth orientation to residency. Transition to Practice residents attend protected group study time in preparation for the Royal College examination.
Mandatory courses through the Faculty PGME office include topics on Teaching Development, Practice Management, Professional Boundaries, Diversity, and Conflict Management. Additional courses provided and required by the pediatric residency program include PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation) as well as the choice of either TRIK (Trauma Resuscitation for Kids) or ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support).
Other academic activities include a variety of CTU teaching rounds, pediatric Grand Rounds (protected educational time), mock codes, simulation sessions and resident-led seminars (protected educational time Monday afternoons). Morning Report occurs weekly for senior residents only (protected educational time) and involves a resident-led case-based discussion with a faculty preceptor. An evening journal club is held monthly at the homes of faculty members.
Our residents participate in Ice Cream Rounds (protected educational time) that focus on discussing and processing difficult situations that have been encountered during residency as well as learning to adapt to adversity and improving resiliency. These rounds are resident led with mentorship from faculty trained and experienced in physician wellness.
The Pediatric Residency Wellness Council was created in 2021 as a dedicated forum to discuss important issues pertaining to resident wellness. This is co-chaired by the Pediatric Lead Residents and the Wellness Lead for the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. Designated funding support for wellness activities is also provided by the Department.
Each resident must complete a scholarly project as part of their residency training. For many residents, the scholarly project will be a research project. Residents in Foundations participate in a dedicated two-week Academic Skills rotation and thereby receive a separate curriculum providing an introduction to clinical research with exposure to existing projects and the development of individual research projects. Critical appraisal is taught both formally and as part of journal club experiences and mentorship sessions. A formal research committee, comprised of both clinician scientists and doctoral researchers, supervises and provides excellent resources as part of the larger and well-funded Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. Additional support in biostatistical counseling is provided to residents from the Centre of Healthcare Innovation.
In each year of training, residents may choose to have an elective rotation dedicated to their research project(s). Competitive funding for resident research projects is awarded from the Children's Hospital Foundation. Resident progress is supported with Work In Progress (WIP) presentations for feedback and advice. Resident research is presented each year at the departmental research day and at the faculty-wide research symposium. The winner(s) of the resident research competition will receive funding to attend the National Pediatric Resident and Fellow Research Competition at which representatives from each pediatric residency program across Canada take part in the competition by presenting their completed research projects.
All residents in the latter half of Core are required to work collaboratively on a group health advocacy project. The project will be developed by the residents in response to their own assessment of the health needs of the children at the level of the local community, the province, the nation, or internationally. Previous projects have included successful lobbying for restricting tanning salons for minors, booster seat legislation, and promoting various advocacy topics such as literacy, influenza vaccination, HPV vaccination for boys, pain management during venipunctures, and use of bicycle helmets. Funding is provided by the residency program. Supervision of the project is provided by faculty members as well as non-faculty committee leaders. At the end of the academic year, the residents involved present their project at Pediatric Grand Rounds and at a Manitoba Pediatric Society dinner, and submit a written report on the outcome of their initiative.
The main training site for pediatric residents at the University of Manitoba is located at the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg, part of the Health Sciences Centre. Established in 1909, the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg has grown to be a 127-bed facility and treats over 130,000 children each year. Newer additions include an intensive care building housing the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department and surgical suites. A new state-of-the-art Women's Hospital opened in 2019 and includes a new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg is the only pediatric hospital in Manitoba and provides tertiary pediatric care for residents of Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.
Additional teaching sites in Winnipeg include St. Boniface General Hospital and various community office sites. Teaching sites outside of Winnipeg include Brandon General Hospital and Thompson General Hospital. Residents also have the opportunity to travel to various remote communities in northern Manitoba and Nunavut under the supervision of the pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists working with Ongomiizwin – Health Services. A more in-depth elective experience in Iqaluit and the neighbouring communities is also available.
Winnipeg is a mid-sized city of over 850,000 people that is home to many diverse communities. The province of Manitoba has a population of 1.5 million people. Winnipeg is home to a culturally diverse city with a multi-ethnic population representing one hundred (100) spoken languages and is known for its cultural achievements, flourishing arts scene, and numerous art and cultural festivals. Highlights include the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, many wonderful restaurants sure to satisfy even the most discerning foodie, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Winnipeg Jets (and their many enthusiastic fans), The Forks, Folklarama, the International Jazz Festival, the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, and Folk Festival, among many others.
Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the numerous and easily accessible urban parks, trails, and the wide-open prairie sky. Winnipeg offers a reasonable cost-of-living which is lower than most other North American cities.
Most importantly, Winnipeg is not as cold as you are expecting. We promise. Yes, the numbers look low at at times, but the fact that it is a "dry cold" does actually make a difference. Also, even when it is cold it's almost always sunny. Winnipeg receives over 2,300 hours of sunlight annually and has more clear skies than any other Canadian city! Due to its northern location, Winnipeg residents enjoy up to 16 hours of sunlight daily during the summer months.
How many subspecialty fellows are at the University of Manitoba?
University of Manitoba offers pediatric subspecialty training programs in Allergy and Immunology, Emergency Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, Child Development, Infectious Diseases, and Neonatology with approximately 5-10 subspecialty residents at any given time. These subspecialty trainees teach and work alongside pediatric residents, but do not detract from learning opportunities.
How are residents evaluated?
Work place based assessments are used to asses whether residents are developing and demonstrating the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) required in each stage of training. Rotation Evaluations are done by each rotation supervisor at the end of each rotation. Residents participate in two mock OSCEs each year as well as twice-yearly STACERs (observed history and physical). Written Canadian in-training exams occur twice each year. Within the Royal College competency-based medical education curriculum, pediatric residents will have opportunities as a senior resident to evaluate more junior learners and thereby actively participate in the medical education process. The competence committee meets regularly to review the progress of each resident. Residents meet with the program director twice each year and as needed to monitor progress.
What social activities are part of the resident schedule?
Our wonderful group of residents are known to be friendly, hard-working and extremely supportive of one another. They also have a reputation for having fun! Seriously, they're a vibe. Official activities include twice-yearly retreats (including a weekend retreat away from the city), a December holiday dinner organized by the residents for the Department of Pediatrics, and an end-of-year dinner sponsored by the Manitoba Pediatric Society. In addition, residents enjoy socializing at monthly journal clubs and research activities, and regular wellness events and an annual cohort dinner are sponsored by the Department through the Wellness Council.
Do you have electronic medical records?
Laboratory and radiology data is reported as part of an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) available throughout the hospital. Documentation is completed on EPR in the emergency department and neonatal intensive care units. Orders are currently done on paper. Documentation on inpatient units is done in a paper chart. There is a plan to move towards electronic ordering in the near future.
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