Program Contacts

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Return of Service

There are no return of service requirements at the University of Alberta.

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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 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

Candidates are expected to have a good academic record, strong communication and organizational skills, and a capacity for self-motivation. Research experience (clinical or basic science) is an asset but not a requirement.  See "Selection process goals" for further details.

Program goals

The goal of the program is to train highly competent pathologists who will be equipped to pursue careers in whatever setting of laboratory medicine they choose to work, and who will make substantial contributions to their health care communities as experts in laboratory medicine, collaborators with their colleagues inside and outside the laboratory, leaders, and teachers.  The program aims to deliver high-quality training across all the laboratory medicine disciplines and exposure to a wide variety of laboratory environments.  

As a generalist specialty, Diagnostic and Clinical Pathology exists in a diversity of environments.  The practice of diagnostic and clinical pathologists varies greatly depending on geographic location and type of facility.  The available technologies and test menus will vary, as will the number and training of other staff within the laboratory, and the clinical physicians and other healthcare providers receiving the laboratory results.  It is our goal that graduates of our program are equipped and capable to both pursue their individual goals and interests, and to meet the needs of the public in whatever community our graduates find themselves in, be it large or small.    

Selection process goals

Characteristics of a strong candidate for Diagnostic and Clinical Pathology include the following: 

• Genuine interest in and aptitude for pursuing a career in pathology
  • Although laboratory medicine is a highly rewarding field, it is often not visible to or easily imagined by aspirants to a medical career, and knowledge of what the field entails is essential to satisfaction both as a trainee and as a staff pathologist.   
• Excellent communication skills
  • Communication with clinicians is often solely by means of a written report.  Although face-to-face or telephone discussions with clinicians are certainly used, direct verbal communication is not always possible, and the art of composing a report that is comprehensive, clear, relevant and timely is a key skill. 
•  Strong organizational skills, self-motivation and intellectual curiosity 
  • A pathology resident, like a staff pathologist, may have multiple duties and face competing demands on their time.  In particular, the breadth and volume of material to be learned in a generalist specialty such as Diagnostic and Clinical Pathology requires a resident to be aware of their individual strengths and weaknesses and be an active driver of their own education.   
•  Ability to interact and collaborate with a variety of other healthcare professionals
  • Although a pathologist is a medical expert in laboratory medicine, like all professionals they must be aware of their own limits and seek assistance when required.  No one is an expert in absolutely everything.  In addition, pathologists value the expertise of those with whom they work, including that of other non-medical laboratory staff and non-laboratory healthcare professionals.   
•  Commitment to high standards of quality 
  • Pathologists play a key role in ensuring the quality of laboratory results, upon which so much of patient care depends.  

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

This is a comprehensive program providing experiences in all facets of laboratory services in a variety of settings, from rural to tertiary-care facilities, and including community hospitals and private facilities. 

There are no mandatory rural rotations, but residents can and have undertaken rural laboratory electives.  In addition, residents participate in a longitudinal rural laboratory management rotation in which each resident is paired with a rural site for which the resident acts as consultant, along with their supervisor.

There is a strong cooperative relationship between the laboratory medicine training programs at the University of Alberta, with a long history of sharing of resources and human expertise.  Besides the five FRCPC programs, there are longstanding links with the undergraduate MD and Medical Laboratory Science programs. Also, the department has other training programs such as the Pathology Assistant program and Clinical Biochemistry Fellowship as well as other fellowships listed on the department website.  These relationships allow pathology residents to interact with, teach, and learn from their future colleagues.

Research is actively encouraged in both programs. All residents are expected to participate in at least one clinical or basic science project, and to present their results at an annual departmental research day and, when appropriate, at a national or international meeting during the course of their training.

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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.

Competence by Design (CBD) had replaced the previous structure, which divided the programs into PGY years, and will instead use the following 4 stages over the length of the program, which is expected to be 5 years for most residents:

 

1) Transition to Discipline

Includes basic skills and concepts not necessarily covered in medical school, including laboratory safety, microscopy skills, principles of specimen handling and workflow in the laboratory, and basics of laboratory testing.

 

2) Foundations of Discipline

Includes rotations in relevant clinical specialties (Infectious Diseases, Hematology, Medical Oncology, Surgery, Radiology, etc.) and exposure to selected procedures such as fine-needle aspiration and bone marrow biopsy. 

Experiences in normal histology/morphology, frozen section, autopsy, and grossing of simple specimens are also included, as are experiences in the biochemistry, hematopathology (including transfusion medicine) and microbiology laboratories.   

 

3) Core of Discipline

This stage comprises the bulk of the program (at least three years) and includes:

• Rotations in anatomic pathology (including selected subspecialty areas such as neuropathology, cytopathology, etc.) and,
• Rotations in the three clinical pathology areas: biochemistry, hematopathology and microbiology, with exposure to and benchwork in the various subdisciplines of each.

Trainees will continue to acquire skills and knowledge to become effective and knowledgeable laboratory consultants, not only regarding histology/morphology and the generation of accurate and comprehensive laboratory reports, but also regarding laboratory management. 

 

4) Transition to Practice

In this stage, trainees consolidate their skills to work independently and demonstrate leadership in rounds, teaching and other activities.

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Training Sites

University of Alberta Hospital (UAH): 8440 112 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7

Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH): 10240 Kingsway Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB, T5H 3V9

Misericordia Community Hospital (MCH): 16940 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5R 4H5

Grey Nuns Community Hospital (GNH): 1100 Youville Drive NW, Edmonton, AB, T6L 5X8 

Alberta Precision Labs Baselab: #200, 10150 - 102 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5J 5E2

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (MEO): 7007 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T6H 5R8

In addition to a service base of over one million population in Edmonton and the surrounding communities, specialized clinical programs in the region attract patients from across western and northern Canada. Elective experiences are available in a variety of community hospitals. The Edmonton zone also provides pathologist support for a number of rural hospitals in the northern half of the province, and experience in acting as a regional consultant is built into the program.  This combination provides resources for training in laboratory medicine in general as well as subspecialty areas.

 

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Additional Information

The University of Alberta recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, inclusivity, decolonization, and indigenization (EDIDI) and is committed to the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry’s policy on anti-racism. 

Further, the University is committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action that are relevant to education and medicine. The pursuit of diversity and equitable opportunities is a core value that guides our selection practices. 

The University encourages applications from underrepresented groups, including Indigenous persons, persons with a disability, racialized persons, women, persons of a minority gender identity or sexual orientation, and individuals who would contribute to the diversity of the medical community. The CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ) is an optional form that candidates can fill out. 

Our program recognizes the importance of EDIDI and anti-racism in residency selection, but is currently not using the CSIQ as part of our application process. We are using other methods to ensure mitigation of bias and equitable opportunities for all applicants. 

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FAQ

1. a) What are some strengths about your specialty? What draws and keeps people in your specialty?

The opportunity to understand the nature of disease in an in-depth way that isn’t achieved in any other specialty. You get to practice scientific diagnostic medicine over a broad range of subjects and you have a fair degree of control over your schedule.  You are very much a part of the team taking care of the patient (it just isn’t as obvious!), and this is becoming even more apparent in the era of precision medicine.

Although there is limited direct contact with patients, there is a great deal of contact with a variety of clinicians outside the laboratory as well as with physician, PhD, and technical staff colleagues within the laboratory. We get satisfaction from the interactions we have with others, and knowing that we are helping a clinician take the next step in diagnosing or treating a patient.  The stereotypical image of the hermit-like pathologist who stays in their office and never talks to anyone is rapidly disappearing in today’s pathology practice.  

          b) What are some common complaints about your specialty?

There is limited direct clinical contact – you’ll never have an office full of patients who regard you as their doctor and most pathologists have a hospital-based practice which can limit professional autonomy.

You often have to sit/stand at a microscope and/or computer a lot, so sometimes you need to get creative about staying active during the day.

 

2. Why did you choose your specialty?

Potential breadth of practice. Although it is true that a pathologist who actively practices in all 4 areas (anatomic pathology, hematopathology, medical biochemistry, and medical microbiology) is very rare today, having that broad-based training is perennially useful and also situates you well for leadership roles within the laboratory.     

 

3. What types of clinical cases do you commonly see?

The entire gamut of clinical problems has a counterpart in pathology. You can practice as a subspecialist or as a generalist depending on your interest and on the needs of your practice environment.

 

4. Briefly describe a typical day.

Depends upon the setting. Pathologists are involved in rounds, laboratory supervision, and direct diagnostic work in biopsies, surgical pathology, hematology, autopsies, etc.  Academics do academic things; community-based pathologists often have major roles in their institutions/medical staff organizations.  Some pathologists do procedures such as fine-needle aspiration and bone marrow aspiration and biopsy procurement.  Evening and weekend call is variable and in many settings is light compared with many other specialties.  Call is always taken from home and usually the problems can be solved over the phone or by a brief hospital visit.

 

5. a) What are the varieties of lifestyles within your field?

It is possible to do pathology and do it well and still have a life outside medicine. Most pathologists work regular office hours and work quite hard during the day, but don’t haunt the hospitals at night!   

          b) Specifically, how able is your specialty to accommodate family life?

Relatively easily. Working hours are regular for pathologists and there is usually enough flexibility to deal with life’s other demands as you need to.  As described, call is variable in terms of how busy it is, but even during a busier call week our families still see us! 

 

6. Range of incomes?

In Alberta, pathologists are paid on a standard grid, depending on experience, and are well-remunerated. Pathologists do have our own specific overhead costs, but generally do not have the kind of overhead required by maintaining your own clinic or office.

 

7. How do you see your discipline changing over the next decade?

While morphology will remain the mainstay of diagnosis, there will be increasing usage of molecular techniques for both diagnosis, prognostic determination and treatment responses. These will be exciting changes.