Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management (TWH)

Toronto Western Hospital (TWH)

(6 positions per year)

CLINICAL CURRICULUM

The Toronto Western Hospital is a busy tertiary-care centre specializing, among other things, in major orthopedic surgery of the upper and lower limb, hand surgery, and general surgery. Women's College Hospital is an ambulatory care site with a focus on sports medicine, breast surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, and general surgery.

Regional anesthesia at both sites is provided through a block room model under the supervision of experienced regional anesthesiologists. Fellows will gain experience in a variety of regional anesthesia techniques, including all the common approaches to brachial plexus blocks, motor-sparing blocks of the upper limb, blocks for foot and ankle surgery, blocks for total joint replacement, blocks for sports-related surgical procedures, and blocks for interventional spine procedures and surgery.

Fellows will also participate in the Acute Pain Service (APS) rotation at Toronto Western Hospital and non-regional anesthesia cases during the training year. The APS manages approximately 2,000 patients per year, including some referrals with challenging chronic cancer pain.

Outside of the work in the block room, fellows will also provide clinical anesthesia care for a range of inpatient and ambulatory adult surgical cases, including but not limited to orthopedics, general surgery, bariatric surgery, spine surgery, neurosurgery, and urology. Fellows will also be actively involved in the pre-operative assessment and counselling of patients undergoing planned regional anesthetic procedures.

CALL DUTIES

Fellows will participate in general emergency on-call duties at a frequency of approximately 4-5 calls per month.

RESEARCH

Regional anesthesia fellows at TWH are expected to actively participate in academic, research, and educational activities. Over the course of the year, up to 20% of working days may be allocated as academic time for this purpose. Examples of academic activities that fellows are involved in include the design of new research projects, the conduct of ongoing clinical research, data analysis, and the writing of scientific papers, as well as the preparation of monographs and book chapters.

EDUCATION

Regular Regional Rounds are held at the departmental level throughout the year, which will include journal discussions, case discussions, and didactic presentations.

Fellows are expected to participate in these rounds to gain experience in presentation and teaching. Fellows are also expected to take an active role in resident education in regional anesthesia. There are opportunities for faculty to assist at regional anesthesia workshops organized by the Regional Anesthesia Group at Toronto Western Hospital.

APPLICATION

Up to six 1-year fellowship positions are currently offered, beginning in July or January (specific details are available following the application).

Applications should be sent in between 18-24 months before the anticipated start date of the fellowship. The required documents and information to complete the initial application include:

An updated Curriculum Vitae
A letter of intent stating the applicant's goals and objectives for undertaking the fellowship
Names and contact details of 3 referees

Please refer to the University of Toronto Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine web page for further details on the general requirements for undertaking fellowship training.

Note: Due to the high volume of applications, only complete applications will be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the department. At this time, additional supporting materials, including a short personal testimonial video, may be requested.

If you are interested in applying for the Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Fellowship at Toronto Western Hospital, please complete the online application for your desired start date:

July 2024 (closing date: January 31, 2023)
January 2025 (closing date: May 31, 2024)
July 2025 (closing date: April 1, 2024)
January 2026 (closing date: October 1, 2024)
July 2026 (closing date: April 1, 2025)

DIRECT INQUIRIES

Dr. Ki Jinn Chin
kijinn.chin@uhn.ca
Director, Regional Anesthesia Fellowship

Toronto Western Hospital
399 Bathurst Street, McL2-405
Toronto, ON M5T 2S8