Pediatric Surgery Residency Program

Program Goals

Pediatric Surgery Programs in North America

The education of our trainees is the main goal of the UBC Pediatric Surgery subspecialty residency training program. With two trainees in a typical academic year, they are exposed to a robust learning environment with 6 highly experienced faculty in Post Graduate Medical Education which inform the high standards of our program. Trainees are given graduated responsibilities throughout their training to reach the ultimate goal of becoming a competent Pediatric General Surgeon as certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

The goal of our training program is to produce fully trained and competent Pediatric General Surgeons who are able to:

• Complete the eligibility requirements and successfully pass the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada specialty examination and/or the American College of Surgeons in Pediatric Surgery
• Able to practice at a consultant level in Pediatric Surgery
• Have a superior knowledge of Pediatric Surgery and other related disciplines
• Obtain exceptional clinical knowledge and operative skills
• Obtain proficiency in Pediatric Surgery procedures
• Become a medical expert and scholar. To act in a professional manner with excellent collaborator, health-advocate and communicator skills
• Exhibit excellent leadership skills
• Have an excellent understanding of research methodology.

Clinical Rotations

The Pediatric Surgery Program has access to busy and high-acuity surgical services at BC Children’s Hospital. Trainees are expected to spend 1 month in NICU and PICU (unless past experience obviates this need) in their first year and 12 consecutive months on the surgical service in their chief year. Further, depending on the interest of the trainee there are opportunities to have exposure to other departments such as pediatric urology, gastroenterology, radiology, etc.

Training Site

BC Children’s Hospital

Program Highlights

The Pediatric Surgery program at the BC Children’s Hospital is responsible for all tertiary/quaternary level surgical care for children in the province of British Columbia, with an enormous geographical catchment area and a population served approaching 5 million people. As such, we see the full spectrum of congenital, oncologic and pediatric trauma populations, with many routine pediatric procedures (onychectomy, appendectomy, etc…) performed at outside facilities. We take particular pride in servicing our northern, remote and Indigenous communities in a culturally contextualized manner. We also dedicate considerable energy and resources to ensuring a rigorous academic curriculum nested within the educational framework of both the Royal College of Canada as well as the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Our median case volumes remain well within the standards of the ACS, and electives in other surgical subspecialties as well as international surgical experience are available depending on individual trainee interests and career aspirations.

Residents are actively involved in the educational program through citizenship in the Competence Committee and Residency Program Committee.

Canadian and American Medical Graduates

Canadian medical school graduates must apply through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Details on how to apply through NRMP can be found on the NRMP website.

International Trainees

Prospective internationally sponsored trainees are encouraged to directly reach out to the Program Director or the Program Administrator on any current or future appointments.

An internationally sponsored medical trainee is a physician who is not a Canadian or American citizen or permanent resident. Their tuition and salary may be funded by a sponsoring agency in their home country. In this case, a postgraduate training agreement must be in place between UBC and the international sponsoring agency before PGME can process an application. Details on how to apply can be found on the PGME website. In addition, the UBC Pediatric Surgery training program is proud to sponsor non-funded International trainees pending a vacant training position and appropriate qualifications.

Academic Half Day

Academic Half Days (AHDs) currently take place on a weekly basis on Tuesday mornings. Lectures are typically facilitated by faculty around core topics with a curriculum based on the Surgical Core and Not a Textbook resources for Pediatric Surgery. Additional supplementary lectures are facilitated by other physicians and staff in subspecialty divisions that intersect with Pediatric Surgery. These sessions are complemented by collaborative weekly rounds with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Colleagues. Every few weeks, the AHD is then concluded with:

• additional collaborative rounds with other specialties, such as Radiology, Pathology or Gastroenterology
• Journal Clubs
• clinic quality improvement meetings
• gratitude rounds with all the staff in the clinic

Stage of Training Outline Pediatric Surgery training in Canada is supported through the Competency-Based Medical Education framework as articulated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Please see attached pathway to competence in Pediatric Surgery as outlined by The Royal College.

Dr. Amanpreet Brar – PGY 6

Dr. Moses Kasumba – PGY 7

Pediatric Surgery program to provide a safe, positive, healthy learning environment for all residents by creating, promoting, and sustaining a culture of wellness and resilience within the program. Wellness and resilience are recognized as an important area of focus to optimize resident well-being and high-level performance. There is a Resident Counselling and Peer Support Office committed to ensuring resident wellbeing as well as resources to report Learner Mistreatment. 

The program and residents will follow the wellness policy adopted by the UBC PGME policy.

The Pediatric Surgery Subspecialty Residency Program is a community of learners, faculty and staff who share responsibility for creating and maintaining a positive, inclusive, learning and work environment where all participants are valued and treated with respect. There is a Resident Counselling and Peer Support Office committed to ensuring resident well-being as well as resources to report Learner Mistreatment.

• Inclusivity in the Learning Environment
• Gender Bias in the Learning Environment
• Student Mistreatment Video
• PGME Policies & Procedures
• Resident Resources
• Resident Insider
• Resident as Teachers
• Transition into Practice Program
• Resident Management System
• Competency-Based Medical Education
• Entrada
• One45
• Mistreatment Help
• Resident Reimbursements

Program Policies & Guidelines

• Pediatric Surgery Health and Safety Policy
• Pediatric Surgery Trainee Supervision Policy
• Pediatric Surgery Wellness and Accommodation Policy
• Pediatric Surgery Fatigue Risk Management Policy

Before commencing training, the program director and faculty work closely with each resident to determine their career interests and target their training to meet the needed competencies.

During Training:

An annual Pediatric Surgery In-Training Examination is completed through the American Board of Surgery as an internal exam to assess competencies and knowledge of residents at that point in time in their training. In addition, mock written and oral examinations are offered on a biannual basis.

After completion of the 2-year training period, trainees will typically complete one of two examinations as the final step towards board certification in Pediatric Surgery:

1. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons – Pediatric Surgery Examination
2. American Board of Surgery – Pediatric Surgery Certifying Examination

• Co-Creating Mutual Goals
• Direct Observation and Feedback in a Clinical Setting
• Probing Clinical Reasoning through Collaborative Questioning
• Reflection and Feedback Conversations
• Competency by Design (CBD): Resident Training & Assessment
• Direct Observation Videos for Assessment
• Building Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

Out of Province Residents

All postgraduate electives arranged for any training location within the province of British Columbia by Out of Province Medical Residents must be processed through the UBC PGME Dean’s Office.

Eligibility

• Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents currently enrolled in a recognized Family Practice or Specialty (Royal College) training program in Canada, OR
• Canadian Citizens currently enrolled in a recognized Family Practice or Specialty training program in the USA.

Process and Application

• Applicants must arrange their own postgraduate resident electives directly with the residency education director in Pediatric Surgery, Dr. Shahrzad Joharifard (Shahrzad.Joharifard@cw.bc.ca).
• Once the elective dates have been confirmed, applicants will need to work with the Program Administrator and the PGME Dean’s Office on the application and licensing. Please check Postgraduate Visiting Electives for information on the application process and timeline, required documents and administrative fee.

International Postgraduate Trainees

Currently, postgraduate electives by International Postgraduate Trainees are offered only to the potential applicants to the program under the Internationally Sponsored Trainee stream. All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility

• Citizens of other countries enrolled in a recognized or Pediatric General Surgical training who are pursuing further clinical or research training in their own specialty, but who have not yet completed sufficient training that would allow them to be listed (registered) as a specialist in their home country.

Process and Application

• Please check International Postgraduate Trainee for information on the process and timeline, administrative fee, credentials verification, English language proficiency requirements, immigration/work permit documentation and more.