Emergency Medicine

Program Director
Dr. Ian Rigby
Foothills Medical Centre
1403 - 29 Street NW
Calgary  AB  T2N 2T9
Phone: (403) 944-1635
Fax: (403) 944-2419
e-mail: judy.mackay@albertahealthservices.ca

For further information see also:
www.carms.ca (click on Program Directory)
http://www.calgaryem.com

Program Goals
The goal of the Royal College emergency medicine residency program at the University of Calgary is to educate physicians who wish to pursue an academic career in emergency medicine, including involvement in research and education. Graduates of the program will be thoroughly trained in all aspects of emergency medicine, including toxicology, trauma, pre-hospital care, air transport, disaster medicine, and environmental medicine. They will be able to demonstrate consultant level abilities in the recognition, understanding, and management of patients with any illness or injury presenting to the emergency department, and will be well-prepared for clinical, academic, and leadership roles within the specialty.

Program Outline
The emergency medicine residency program is five years in duration, including the PGY-1 year. It is an integrated university-based program that involves the multiple, participating training sites listed below. Residents are evaluated on an ongoing basis by means of direct observation, as well as in-training written and oral exams. The program director reviews resident progress on a regular basis, and residents completing the University of Calgary program have had a very high success rate on the Royal College written and oral examinations.

PGY-1
The objectives of the first year of the program are to consolidate clinical skills, to gain clinical experience in other disciplines relevant to emergency medicine (including general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, and anesthesia) and to provide at least three months experience in emergency medicine.

PGY-2-3
During the early years of the program, broad-based training in a variety of disciplines continues, consistent with the broad-based knowledge base required in the specialty of emergency medicine. Core training includes critical care (including cardiac, intensive, and pediatric intensive care), orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, radiology and neurosurgery. One month elective time is available in the PGY-2 year and three months in the PGY-3 year.

PGY-4-5
In addition to training in emergency department administration, toxicology, and air transport medicine, considerable flexibility and extensive elective time exists to allow residents the opportunity to pursue areas of special interest within the discipline, which may include a concentrated period of training in a selected domain of emergency medicine (e.g. disaster medicine). Emphasis during emergency department rotations is placed on graded responsibility, so that senior residents can concentrate on developing the leadership and consultant skills necessary to function effectively as a specialist emergency physician in a busy emergency department. In addition to assuming increasing responsibility for the management of patients in the emergency department, the chief resident has organizational, academic, and administrative responsibilities, which include the scheduling and teaching of
more junior house staff and medical students.

Seminars and Rounds
The formal academic program is intensive and well organized. Approximately five hours per week are spent in various types of rounds and seminars (often interactive or case-based) for the purpose of teaching the curriculum of emergency medicine. This is largely concentrated in an academic full-day every Thursday and residents are excused from their clinical responsibilities in order to attend. Journal Club is held monthly, and there is an annual educational resident retreat.

Research
Formal training in critical appraisal, epidemiology, and evidence-based medicine is provided for all residents. Beginning in the PGY-2 year, a research project is undertaken with the assistance of a faculty preceptor in an area of mutual interest. The residency program's research coordinators meet with the residents throughout the year to help coordinate the resident projects, and residents are encouraged to present their research each year at the Emergency Medicine Research Day (a high-profile event in our program), as well as at national and international meetings. Conference leave is allowed in each year, and a book/travel fund is available annually to residents, which may be used to attend a medical conference.

Resources

• The Alberta Children's Hospital is a tertiary children's hospital referral centre. The Emergency Department sees many complicated pediatric problems from throughout Southern Alberta and Southeastern British Columbia, as well as a large volume of common pediatric emergencies, and primary care pediatric problems.
• The Rockyview General Hospital is a large community hospital with a high-volume Emergency Department that serves South Calgary.
• The Peter Lougheed Centre is a busy teaching hospital in Northeast Calgary with a high number of emergency patients.
• The Foothills Medical Centre is a comprehensive tertiary care hospital and trauma centre located in Northwest Calgary. It is adjacent to the University of Calgary Medical School and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. It serves as a referral centre for Southern Alberta and Southeastern British Columbia. The high-volume, high-acuity Emergency Department sees many patients with complicated medical and surgical problems, as well as a wide variety of trauma.
• The Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS) is the regional Poison Centre for all of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It is located in the Special Services Building within the Foothills Medical Centre.
• The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS) provides both rotary and fixed-wing dedicated air transport capability, for both on-scene response or inter-facility transfer of critically ill or injured patients. STARS covers Southern Central Alberta as well as Southeastern British Columbia. The flight crew includes paramedics, emergency/critical care nurses and Emergency Physicians.

Program Strengths

• The Royal College emergency medicine residency program at the University of Calgary has a collegial philosophy and noncompetitive atmosphere. A mutually supportive relationship exists amongst the residents, a close working relationship exists between the faculty and residents, and the program administration has an "open door" philosophy.
• There is a large faculty of Royal College-certified, residency-trained emergency physicians who are dedicated and committed to teaching, and many have made substantial contributions in academic emergency medicine.
• The departments of emergency medicine in each of the teaching hospitals are well respected.
• The educational resources, including an extensive and varied patient population, are excellent. Particular expertise exists
• in air transport, toxicology, and pre-hospital care, as the medical directors of STARS, PADIS, and EMS are all emergency medicine faculty. The academic program is rigorous, well-organized, and has excellent secretarial support.
• The program subscribes to several emergency medicine publications, which are readily available, along with internet access, in the residents' office. Internet access is also available in each of the emergency departments.

 

Selection Criteria
All selection to the residency program is through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). The following criteria will
be considered in the selection process:

• Academic performance. Interest in emergency medicine (e.g., elective rotations or research project).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Letters of reference (at least one letter from a specialist emergency physician working in an academic centre). 
• Demonstrated proficiency in clinical judgment and decision-making 
• Commitment and leadership qualities.