Perioperative POCUS Fellowship (SHSC)

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is one of four major teaching hospitals in the city. There are three hospital sites: Bayview Campus, Holland Centre and St. John's Rehab. Fellows will be expected to work at Bayview Campus and the Holland Centre depending on their subspecialty interest. Sunnybrook is a major tertiary referral centre for cardiac (700 cases/year), major trauma (800+/year), oncology, and burns.  A full complement of surgical specialties except for pediatrics are on site. In total the hospital carries out approximately 18,000 surgical procedures per year and provides obstetrical services for over 4,000 deliveries per year. The Department of Anaesthesia also runs a Clinical Simulation Centre, providing training for multiple medical specialties.

The Sunnybrook Health Sciences POCUS fellowship was the first program in Toronto. Fellows will spend one-year learning different aspects of POCUS using the established I-AIM (Indication, Acquisition, Interpretation and Medical Decision-Making) framework. 

Duration and Positions

This fellowship is 12 months. Fellowships that are shorter or longer may be pursued under certain circumstances.

There are two (2) positions per year.

Program / Curriculum

The program objectives include learning the fundamentals and advanced applications of perioperative echocardiography using advanced transthoracic echocardiography, basic transesophageal echocardiography, advanced lung ultrasound, limited abdominal ultrasound for trauma (FAST), procedural ultrasound for vascular access as well as gastric and airway ultrasound. At the end of the program, the fellows will achieve the requirements to obtain the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) Diagnostic POCUS Certificate Program and the National Board of Echocardiography certification for Basic Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (Basic PTEeXAM).

The perioperative POCUS program at Sunnybrook uses different learning modalities, including high-fidelity simulation, hands-on training with POCUS-certified faculty and educational rounds in collaboration with the Critical Care and Anesthesia Basic Ultrasound Curriculum. 

Research Experience

POCUS fellows will be allotted non-clinical time to develop and improve the delivery of bedside ultrasound-guided assessments to patients in the perioperative setting. This time may also be used to pursue related quality and improvement studies and research.

Licensing

Once accepted, a temporary license is issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). This enables the fellow to practice under direct supervision in a teaching hospital. After successful completion of a 1 to 3 month assessment period, the CPSO issues an educational license and the fellow may continue the fellowship. This assessment period is mandated by the CPSO and failure of this assessment will preclude licensure and the fellowship will be immediately terminated.

Medical Malpractice insurance must be procured by the fellow.

Application Process

Please follow the application instructions and note that the application links provided will close after the application cut-off date. You may, under special circumstances, be considered for a late application. Please contact the Fellowship Director if you are applying outside the normal timeline.

The fellowship committee will review and rank all candidates and only those highest ranked will be contacted. Fluency in English is mandatory. Applicants whose first language is not English must pass the TOEFL/TSE or IETLS.

The application process is outlined below:

• Applications should be made at least 18 months in advance.
• To apply, please use the following links below. Each link corresponds to a specific intake period. Please choose only one intake period for the application (if you are flexible in your start time, please clarify this in your letter of intent).
• In addition to using the links below, please send a CV and letter of intent to Dr. Pablo Perez d’Empaire (pablo.perezdempaire@mail.utoronto.ca)
• The letter of intent should stipulate the dates when you wish to start the program, the educational goals, the research aims (if any) and future plans.
• Reference letters need to be signed by the referee and sent independently to our office.
• Please note that when applying, electronic correspondence (i.e. email) is preferred for all documents (including reference letters).

Begin Your Application

Applicants can apply using the online platform: 

• The January 2027 application session has now closed.
• If you are interested in applying for July 2027, please complete this online application form HERE
• If you are interested in applying for January 2028, please complete this online application form HERE

General Inquiries and Reference Letters should be directed to:

Dr. Roland Xu (shuzhengrong.xu@sunnybrook.ca)
Fellowship Director, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2075 Bayview Avenue, Room M3-200
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4N 3M5