Postgraduate Years 2-5 Objectives

These years will provide the experience required to complete the specialty training requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This includes:

  • A minimum of 30 months of clinical anesthesia. This will include a six-month rotation at the Hospital for Sick Children and also dedicated month-long rotations in pain management and obstetrical anesthesia. (The balance of the obstetrical anesthesia required by the Royal College is obtained through experience in the base hospitals.)
  • Six months experience in internal medicine. This will include rotations in cardiology (1 month CCU), nephrology (1 month), medical consults (1 month), respirology (2 months), and a medical elective (1 month).
  • Six months training in adult intensive care. This is taken as two-month rotations in each of three different hospitals. (Opportunity also exists within the program to obtain experience in neonatal and paediatric intensive care.) The training in internal medicine and critical care is usually spread out over the PG3 and PG4 years.
  • The remaining six months may be further training in anesthesia or in research. It is also possible to extend research to a full year as permitted by the Royal College Specialty Training Requirements. A further option is the Clinician Investigator Program in which a graduate degree, MSc or PhD, is taken in the midst of residency training.

The order of these components of training is flexible but residents should do one year of clinical anesthesia in the PG2 year and spend the final six months of the program in clinical anesthesia.