General Pediatrics Residency Program
Welcome to the General Pediatrics Residency Program at the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ.
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Number one
Leader in solid organ transplants
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Thirteen
Subspecialty programs
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Eight
Rural outreach sites throughout 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ & Northwest Territories
Interview/CaRMS Specific Information
We look forward to meeting you at our live events.
Check out the dates on the . Our group is an exciting bunch. We encourage you to ask questions and have some fun.
All interviews will be conducted virtually using Zoom as our interview platform.
There will be a welcome and registration with the Program Directors on the day of your interview, we will email you your schedule with all your schedule details.
We interview using the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Format. Our MMI circuit consists of:
- Seven stations: five stations are related to various CanMEDS roles, and two stations are interactive.
- The stations are eight minutes, with two minutes between for reading the stem.
While you are with us, you will:
- Have a virtual welcome with our Program Directors.
- Have your MMI Interview.
- Have a virtual guided tour by one or two of our fabulous residents.
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) Process was adopted by the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ, Pediatrics Residency Program in 2005. The MMI process allows for independent assessments by different interviewers based on different scenarios, during a timed circuit of seven stations. Applicants are individually scored and ranked by each interviewer.
The 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ Pediatrics MMI circuit consists of five CanMEDS based scenarios and two personal stations.
Candidate applications are reviewed and scored separately by a small committee and this results in our offer to interview with us. One interviewer per track reviews your personal letter, all other interviewers are blind to your application.
MMI Interview tracks are 10 minutes per station in total including two minutes to read the scenario and eight minutes to respond to the scenario.
There will be a countdown timer at the top of the top of the screen during your virtual MMI.
*Tip: If you feel you performed poorly in a station, don't worry, take a deep breath & calm yourself before you move onto the next station. This is a benefit of the MMI process!*
Once you have responded to the scenario to the best of your ability, you may tell the interviewer you have completed your response. If there is time remaining, the interviewers are trained to not engage in any additional/personal conversations. This often results in sitting in silence for the time remaining; while we recognize this can be somewhat uncomfortable, for both the candidate and the interviewer, silence is okay and should not be construed as negative. It is just meant to standardize the process.
Every attempt is made to ensure that interviewers do not know the candidates they are interviewing, however, it does happen occasionally. We explicitly have interviewers identify any conflicts of interest ahead of the MMI process. If you know one of your interviewers, please carry on with the station.
Contact Information
General Pediatrics Residency Program
Department of Pediatrics,
91ÒùĸÊÓƵ
genpeds@ualberta.ca
Pediatric Division Page
Welcome to Our Program
Jessica Foulds
Program Director
Troy Turner
Assistant Program Director
Anna Serebrin
Assistant Program Director
Jodi Gartner
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Cassie Rivait
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Message from the Program Directors
We are fortunate to have a great team including residents, administrative personnel, allied health and faculty. We all work together to promote the health of children and their families. Some of our strengths include the tremendous clinical diversity, rural and northern locations, health advocacy, engaged teachers and growing Indigenous child and youth health intitatives. We are fortunate to work with colleagues at the Nipishihkopahk Pediatric Clinic, one of the only on-reserve pediatric clinics in Canada, a short 45 minutes drive away serving all 4 Nations in Maskwacis.
We provide services and education in all pediatric subspecialties including exposure to unique programs. The Stollery Children's Hospital is the referral center for all pediatric liver and small bowel transplants, and all pediatric cardiac surgeries including cardiac transplant in Western Canada. Our two pediatric intensive care units (Medical/Surgical and Cardiac) and Pediatric Emergency see a wide variety of pediatric diagnosis. Our residents have gone on to meaninful careers across North America both in the community and as academic faculty in Genereal Pediatrics and subspecialties. We are committed to continous quality improvement and reflecting on learner experience and social accountability.
We value connection: with patients, with community, with colleagues. Our curriculum is dynamic, adapting to the needs of learners, with embedded longitudinal assessment helping develop clinical expertise, as well as exam preparation. Connection through personal, near peer, and academic mentorship is established early on. The department's collaboration with the Women and Children's Health 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ Institute (WCHRI) enables a well support resident research program.
Thank you for your interest, we hope to have the opportunity to meet you!
Our Program
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Our program is four core years spent in general pediatrics.
U of A General Pediatrics Mission Statement
To support, educate, and foster the development of pediatricians in their preparation for the breadth and depth of pediatrics practice. We strive to do this in a dynamic manner that is mindful of the well-being of the learners, patients, their families and the greater community we serve.
Program Goals
Our mission & vision align the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ:
Our mission: To serve the public with social accountability through partnerships, leadership, and innovation in education, research and health care
Our vision: Health and wellness of all through excellence in education, discovery and clinical care
Our aim in the Department of Pediatrics is to train pediatricians who provide excellence in care for infants, children, youth and families by:
● Providing comprehensive health care
● Advocating for health equity
● Educating health professionals for today and the future
● Advancing knowledge through innovative research
● Promoting quality and patient safety
● Developing leaders in child health
Program Highlights
Residency at a Glance
Learn about each year of the program with an overview of each year.
10 blocks - Foundations of Discipline (F)
- 12 weeks - Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU - junior)
- 4 weeks - NICU
- 4 weeks - Emergency
- 4 weeks - Developmental Pediatrics (Junior)
- 4 weeks - Pediatric Surgery
- 12 weeks - Selective (opportunity to do sub-specialty)
- 2 weeks - 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ
- 4 weeks - Ambulatory
- 4 weeks - Night Float
- 4 weeks - Vacation
- 8 weeks - Pediatric Intensive Care
- 4 weeks - NICU
- 2 weeks - 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ
- 10 weeks - Selective (opportunity to do sub-specialty)
- 8 weeks - Elective (call free)
- 4 weeks - Community General Pediatrics (rural or urban)
- 4 - 8 weeks - Clinical Teaching Unit (triage/green team)
- 4 weeks - Social Pediatrics
- 4 weeks - Night Float
- 4 weeks - Vacation
- 4 weeks - Developmental Pediatrics (Senior)
- 12 weeks - Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU - senior)
- 8 weeks - Elective (call free)
- 4 weeks - Community Rural (away rural, i.e. Yellowknife/Red Deer)
- 4 weeks - Emergency
- 4 weeks - NICU
- 6 weeks - Selective (opportunity to do sub-specialty)
- 4 weeks - Mental Health
- 3 weeks - Night Float
- 1-4 weeks - 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ (1 week allotted for research, however flexible with selective time)
- 4 weeks - Vacation
8-9 blocks - Transition to Practice (TTP)
- Transition to Practice streams for Ambulatory, Rural/Regional Pediatrics, and Academic/Subspecialty varied by amount of NICU and rural/regional experiences with lots of opportunity to tailor to learning and transition to practice needs.
Teaching Hospitals
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Our program is four core years spent in general pediatrics at multiple locations.
RURAL ROTATIONS AND OUTREACH CLINIC OPPORTUNITIES
Our referral base is approximately two million people in 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ from the north and Western Arctic, as well as northeastern British Columbia. As such, we are excited to be able to offer our residents rural rotations in Red Deer and Yellowknife (NWT) as well as out-reach clinic opportunities in Maskwacis and High Level.
The referral base for the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ General Pediatrics stretches across northwestern Canada. Some of the key resident training centres are indicated.
Subspecialties
During General Pediatric training, residents have the opportunity to rotate through a wide variety of subspecialties led by excellent and dedicated teaching staff. Many of these subspecialty rotations have a residency training program of their own. The Department of Pediatrics is proud to offer 13 Royal College Accredited subspecialty programs, as well as many fellowship programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
We offer flexible elective opportunities for those interested in rural/regional training
Including opportunities in:
- Yellowknife
- Red Deer
- Grand Praire
- Slave Lake
- Cold Lake
- High Level
- Saddle Lake
- Maskwacis
Our people. Faculty and support staff are dedicated to providing you with the best, most diverse pediatric education possible.
Longitudinal confidence building in NICU care as our hospital is not a labour and delivery site.
Call back-up restructuring that is sustainable and informed by fatigue risk management principles (reviewed annually!)
Resident Testimonials
We asked our residents what their highlights of their program are, and one piece of advice about the interview process for applicants. Here is what a few of them had to say:
What are the highlights of the program for you? One of the biggest strengths of this program is its focus on fostering a supportive learning environment. Our program directors genuinely prioritize our well-being and we are so lucky to have program admins who always go above and beyond for our wellness. While the faculty encourages autonomy and professional development, they are also committed to teaching and mentorship. There is a strong sense of community and camaraderie within the resident group that makes training more meaningful and enjoyable.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process? Be yourself and reflect on your values, experiences, and priorities to see what feels like the right fit. Remember that you are also getting to know the programs as much as they are getting to know you. Keep moving forward after each interview and try to enjoy the process, it really does fly by.
What are the highlights of the program for you? As I graduate this year I cannot express enough how incredible this program has been. The patient population, subspeciality knowledge and mentorship provided are invaluable to learn from. Our PDs and admins are incredibly organized, supportive and passionate about our program and we benefit hugely from that. Residency is tough for everyone no matter what program you are in, so going through it with such support makes the biggest difference. I cannot imagine doing my training anywhere else.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process? Have fun with it! You're getting to know the program as much as the program is getting to know you, ask them questions important to your values and see whats a right fit for you. Don't worry about trying to fit into a box, we're such a diverse collection of personalities that the program just wants to see who you are.