The Department of Surgery postgraduate program for resident training has approved specialty programs in cardiac surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, plastic surgery, pediatric general surgery, radiation oncology, thoracic surgery, and vascular surgery.
Post Graduate Year 1 [PGY-1] positions are available in general surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, plastic surgery and radiation oncology. Subspecialty residency training programs are filled with candidates who have completed an approved residency in a base surgical specialty. General surgery is required for pediatric general surgery; and either cardiac surgery or general surgery is required for vascular surgery and thoracic surgery. There is also a pathway to enter cardiac surgery after completion of general surgery. Entry into all PGY-1 positions is governed by the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) Program.
Detailed descriptions for PGY1 positions are available at CaRMS.
A list of the program directors for each of the specialties follows: Drs. A. Campbell and R. Cook [co-directors], Cardiac Surgery; Dr. M. Hameed, General Surgery; Dr. R. Akagami, Neurosurgery; Dr. F. Kozak, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Dr. M. Hill, Plastic Surgery; Dr. E. D. Skarsgard, Pediatric General Surgery; Dr. H. Carolan, Radiation Oncology; Dr. K. G. Evans, Thoracic Surgery; and Dr. R. Sidhu, Vascular Surgery.
Further information on surgical programs in the affiliated hospitals (Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, St. Paul's Hospital, Royal Columbian Hospital, and BC Children's Hospital in addition to numerous hospitals across the province) is available at Department of Surgery and Postgraduate Programs.
Residents enter the primary surgical specialties (Cardiac Surgery, General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Plastic Surgery) directly following completion of the M.D. degree or equivalent. The first two years of these programs include Surgical Foundations which is under the direction of Dr. R. Sidhu, Director, Postgraduate Education, Department of Surgery. The Surgical Foundations in Surgery incorporates clinical rotations as mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) training requirements in each entry-level discipline, together with weekly seminars and technical skills sessions, covering the Principles of Surgery curriculum and leading to eligibility for the Principles of Surgery examination of the RCPSC.