Adult Critical Care
Welcome to the Adult Critical Care Residency Program at the University of Alberta.
SUPPORTIVE
OUR PROGRAM IS WELCOMING AND SUPPORTIVE. OUR RESIDENTS ARE PART OF OUR WORK FAMILY
DYNAMIC
THIS DYNAMIC PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS AND CAREER GOALS OF EACH TRAINEE
DIVERSE
THERE IS A DIVERSE RANGE OF FACULTY EXPERTISE AND PATIENT POPULATION
Interview/CaRMS Specific Information
Interviews for the 2024 CaRMS match will be held virtually over the Zoom video conferencing platform on Sep 18, 2024. There will be three sets of interviews which will include our Program Director, Department Chair and a variety of other interviewers which highlight our program. We will also provide a 1:1 session with our current trainees to give you the opportunity to ask questions and see our program from our trainee's perspective.
Postgraduate training agreements for residency and fellowship positions are currently in place between the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and sponsoring agencies from the following countries:
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
All international trainee applications must be submitted by the sponsoring agency from one of the above countries to pgspon@ualberta.ca.
Applications must include:
1) Curriculum vitae
2) Letter of intent
3) Three (3) letters of recommendation
4) Copy of medical degree
5) Full medical school transcripts
6) Results of Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1
7) Results of one of the three College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta's accepted English Language Proficiency tests, as per the CPSA’s website.
*Please note: our program may request additional information*
The due date to submit applications for a July 1 start date is the previous July 31st. The Office of Postgraduate Medical Education will forward applications to the applicable program after verifying the sponsor.
Contact Us
Dr. Adam Romanovsky
Program Director, Critical Care Medicine
2-124 Clinical Sciences Building
8440 112 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7
asr1@ualberta.ca
780-492-8311
780-492-1500
Ms. Ana Wigger
Program Assistant
ccmedu@ualberta.ca
780-492-8311
Dr. Adam Romanovsky
Program Director
Ms. Ana Wigger
Program Assistant
Welcome to Our Program
Welcome to the Critical Care Medicine program at the University of Alberta, one of the leading subspecialty training programs in the country. Our program offers trainees a unique and comprehensive experience, preparing you not only to be excellent clinicians, but leaders in the field of Critical Care Medicine.
We provide a flexible training program that is dynamic and continuously evolving to meet the needs of each resident. Between our five main teaching units you will experience the entire breadth of critical care medicine while caring for patients from a wide catchment area. Our intensivists have wide-ranging clinical backgrounds, having trained in 14 different base specialties and acquired training in many other clinical and academic areas. This enables us to draw from a wealth of expertise and offer a unique educational experience. In addition to clinical medicine, our program offers a strong academic experience with ample opportunity to pursue clinical and basic science research, quality improvement and informatics .
Our group is collegial and dedicated to providing a supportive environment for our trainees, all in the setting of a vibrant city that provides endless opportunities to relax and have fun outside of work. We could not be more proud of our program, our city, and most of all our residents.
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Dr. Adam Romanovsky
Program Director
Our Program
The Critical Care Medicine program fulfills the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada requirements for training over a 2-year period which includes 13 blocks of ICU. Between core rotations there is ample elective time to round out the resident’s knowledge and pursue special interests or academic projects.
Program Highlights
International leaders in critical care nephrology facilitating training in intermittent hemodialysis in addition to CRRT.
Largest transplant centre in Western Canada offering critical care experience managing donors and recipients of all solid-organ transplants.
Robust academic portfolio with ample opportunity to pursue clinical and basic science research, quality improvement and informatics.
Unparalleled exposure to subspecialty critical care in dedicated units including Cardiovascular ICU, Neuro ICU, and Burn ICU.
Overview Videos
We have put together a series of brief videos from members of our Department that highlights many of the professional and personal reasons why we love Edmonton.
http://www.ualbertaccmcarms.ca/
Residency at a Glance
We have 3 funded residency training spots per year with 6-8 residents in the program at any given time.
- 8 blocks University of Alberta Hospital General Systems ICU (4 per year)
- 4 blocks Royal Alexandra ICU (2 per year)
- 1 block Cardiovascular ICU
- 1 block Neurosciences ICU
- 1 block Grey Nuns Hospital ICU
9 blocks of flexible elective time to meet your educational and career goals. Common elective rotations include:
- Critical care ultrasound
- Echocardiography (level 1 certification)
- Transport medicine
- Anesthesiology
- Bronchoscopy
- Respirology
- Nephrology
- General and/or transplant infectious diseases
- Acute care surgery
- Trauma
- Coronary care unit (CCU)
- Toxicology
- Palliative care
- Community/regional ICU (e.g. Grande Prairie, Red Deer)
- Research/QI
- Out-of-province electives
- Trainees are given both time as well as education and mentorship to meet the RCPSC objectives in scholarly work.
- The Department of Critical Care Medicine is highly productive in clinical and basic science research in relation to faculty size. Research opportunities include investigator-initiated studies funded by CIHR, Canadian Critical Care Trials Group, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (PRIHS - Partnerships for Research and Innovation in the Health System) and the University Hospital Foundation Competition. The Department holds a large number of peer-reviewed grants. In addition, departmental members are involved in a variety of research methodologies (e.g. single-center and multicenter clinical trials, observational studies, meta-analyses, outcomes and health services research).
- Some areas of interest of our faculty mentors include: critical care nephrology, acute liver failure, traumatic brain injury, severe respiratory viral infections (including COVID-19),sepsis, antimicrobial stewardship, peri-operative cardiac management and risk reduction, critical care cardiology, vulnerable populations (such as the immune suppressed, frail, elderly), medical simulation, critical care ultrasound, quality improvement and patient safety, ICU capacity strain and other health services research, health informatics, as well as translational and basic science research.
- Weekly academic half-day every Wednesday afternoon
- 4-5 high fidelity simulation sessions per year including ventilation and renal replacement therapy simulation
- Department-wide Journal Club four times per year. Analysis of important trials with an embedded educational curriculum on research methodology and critical appraisal
- Quarterly Department-wide Quality Assurance rounds
- Weekly Critical Care Medicine Grand Rounds
- As per RCPSC requirements, trainees will complete ACLS and ATLS
- National ACES course at the beginning of training
- Encouraged to attend CCCF and ASICP meetings annually
- Flexibility and opportunity to attend many other meetings such as difficult airway courses, Canadian Critical Care Trials Group meetings, Critical Care Review Course, and many others.
Teaching Hospitals
We are a fully accredited program that follows the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
University of Alberta Hospital
The E. Garner King General Systems Intensive Care and Firefighters’ Burn Treatment Unit within the University of Alberta Hospitals, is a 43-bed unit staffed by 17 Royal College certified Intensivists with base training in Internal Medicine and its subspecialties (Nephrology, Infectious Diseases, Pulmonary Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Neurology), Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology and General/Trauma Surgery.
There are approximately 1800 admissions per year including general medical/surgical, multisystem trauma, burns, multi-organ failure and solid organ transplantation. The site's solid organ Transplant Program is recognized as a national leader in both transplant volumes and success rates, and a large proportion of these patients require critical care support, either pre- or post-transplantation. Consultative coverage is also provided for 4 contiguous high dependency Burns beds.
The GSICU also has special isolation capability for up to 3 patients with a suspected or confirmed infection with highly contagious infectious organisms (e.g. Ebola). An active Medical Emergency Team (MET), Code team, and ICU Outreach Service is also staffed by the Intensivist team with more than 1000 activations per year and greater than 30% of these patients requiring ICU admission. Clinical service is equally proportioned among the three clinical teams and the MET team with four Intensivists on service at a time providing a collegial and mutually supportive environment.
Royal Alexandra Hospital
The Royal Alexandra Hospital is a large, inner city, teaching hospital with a 29-bed ICU staffed by 10 Royal College certified intensivists with subspecialty training in Anesthesiology, Pulmonary, Nephrology, Hematology, General Internal Medicine, General Surgery/Trauma, Otolaryngology and Emergency Medicine.
The unit admits approximately 1350 patients per year and is structured with two clinical daytime teams and a night physician from Monday-Friday. The unit is also responsible for a Rapid Response team at this site. The case mix is varied – including medical and surgical patients (both elective and emergent) and includes all thoracic surgery patients in the region.
The Royal Alexandra Hospital is the regional Thoracic surgery centre and also provides obstetrical and surgical gynecology critical care support for the adjoining Lois Hole Hospital for Women. The unit provides high volume and intensity with graded clinical responsibility.
Grey Nuns Community Hospital
The GNH ICU is an active urban community ICU, with approximately eight beds and 500 medical/surgical admissions per year. The unit is staffed by eight Royal College certified intensivists with a variety of base specialties, including Anesthesiology, Nephrology, General Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, and Respirology – structured with two intensivists on service per week to provide seamless in-house daytime and nighttime coverage. Aside from trauma, neurosurgical, and cardiac surgical care, intensivists provide all tertiary support (including renal replacement therapy and plasmapheresis).
In addition, the Grey Nuns Hospital is the Northern Alberta referral site for all vascular surgery. The GNH ICU therefore provides perioperative support for emergency and high-risk abdominal and thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. The Grey Nuns Hospital also has an extremely busy labor and delivery service, with the requisite that intensivists also provide obstetrical critical care support.
Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute - Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
The Cardiovascular ICU at the University of Alberta Hospital/Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute is a very active specialized unit with 24 funded beds managed by seven cardiovascular intensivists with two clinical teams at all times. The unit admits an average of 1500 patients per year, the vast majority of which represent the full spectrum of post-operative cardiac surgery patients, including heart and lung transplantation. The unit is also the regional referral centre for patients requiring ECMO or Ventricular zAssist Devices.
Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit
The Peter B.R. Allen Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital is a 10-bed unit with an additional bed allocated for the support of potential organ donors. An additional four beds are managed by neurointensivists as High Intensity Unit (HIU) beds that support invasive hemodynamic monitoring, low dose vasoactive drug support, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, and external ventricular drains. Both units are staffed by seven Royal College certified intensivists, two of whom hold subspecialty designation in Neurocritical Care by the United Council of Neurological Subspecialties. Base specialties include General Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and General Surgery/Trauma.
The Neurosciences ICU/HIU admit approximately 900 admissions per year. The case mix is predominantly neurosurgical including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebrovascular disease and cerebral oncology, but also includes neurological patients such as those suffering from stroke and neuromuscular diseases.
In addition, 90% of regional organ donors (30-40 per year) are managed in the Neurosciences ICU. The neurointensivists have expertise and training in multimodality monitoring including routine and extended duration EEG monitoring, transcranial doppler, and invasive cerebral oximetry (LICOX). In addition, under the umbrella of the University of Alberta Neurosciences Program the neurointensivists share a collaborative model of care with members of the Stroke Neurology program.
Neurointensivists provide support and active consultative services for a 4-bed Stroke Unit which cares for acute stroke patients receiving thrombolytic therapy or catheter-directed thrombectomy. Our stroke program is integrated with the Alberta Health Services Edmonton Region stroke ambulance. Our neurocritical care faculty are actively involved as executive members of the Canadian Neurocritical Care Society and the Organs & Tissues Section of Canada Blood Services.
Misericordia Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit
The MCH ICU is an active urban community ICU, with a total of ten beds - 6 ICU and 4 high intensity. The unit is staffed by four Royal College certified intensivists with specialties in Anesthesiology and Respirology – structured with one intensivist on service per week. The unit has developed expertise in neuromuscular weakness and chronic mechanical ventilation, providing regional assistance for these patients and those who require an extended period of time to be liberated from mechanical ventilation.
Sturgeon Community Hospital Intensive Care Unit
The SCH ICU is an 8-bed urban community ICU staffed by 5 Royal College certified intensivists with base specialty training in General Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Cardiac Surgery.
Funding or Additional Info
As a valued member of our team we aim to provide you with the experience and tools needed to achieve your goals, whether to become a researcher at an academic institution or a leader in a community ICU. Educational activities are financially well-supported with up to $7,500 per resident per year during the training period. Covered costs include, but are not limited to: specific/selected conferences (including the Critical Care Canada Forum [CCCF] in Toronto, Alberta Society of Intensive Care Physicians [ASICP] Meeting in Lake Louise, Acute Critical Event Simulation [ACES] Conference, and national or international conferences where primary research is presented), courses (e.g. exam review, difficult airway), Up-to-Date subscription, critical care medicine textbooks, and research costs if not covered by the primary research supervisor.
Program Supports
- $7500/year to support your educational pursuits.
- Flexible elective schedules to suit your learning and career needs.
- Committed Academic Advisor for each resident to help navigate all aspects of training.
- Strong attending support when on call—we are all a team.
- Residency Well-being Subcommittee to help ensure your well-being.
- Flattened hierarchy with approachable staff and fun social gatherings (when not hindered by a global pandemic…)
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m happy to say that there isn’t one specific answer to this question. Our past residents have gone on to have careers that cover the entire spectrum—from community to academic critical care, basic science to clinical research, expertise in QI to medical informatics, and medical education to high-level administration. Most of our intensivists also continue to practice in their base specialties.
We love living here! From the vast amount of green space to non-stop festivals to an amazing food and theater scene it is a wonderful place to live. The city doesn't stop in the winter when there’s as much to do inside and out as there is in the summer thanks to the number of sunny days. And of course, the Rocky Mountains are just a few hours away and are a world-class way to get away from it all. For more information on Edmonton please visit https://exploreedmonton.com/.
Resident Testimonials
We asked our residents what they like about Edmonton, their highlights of the program, and one piece of advice for applicants about the interview process. Here is what a few of them had to say.
What do you like about Edmonton: Green spaces (and fantastic use of public space), affordability, and easy access to the complement of amenities that come with being a provincial capital. Obviously being within range of the mountains is also fabulous and it helps that the summers here are potentially the best in the country (perfect temperatures, sunny, with daylight stretching from 5am to 11pm). I also love winter, but they say beware too much of a good thing.
What are the highlights of the program for you: The scope is fantastic including a huge catchment area with a variety of patient presentations, the ability to care for transplant, ECMO/VAD, burns, and prescribe dialysis. Yet even with all that, what's really outstanding is the people. Adam Romanovsky is a tireless program director, and all the intensivists who you'll work with are great clinicians and educators who want to raise you up to the fullest extent. I don't know of any other place where the people will go to such lengths for their trainees.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process: You'll click with the programs that you're meant to during the interviews - embrace that and allow yourself to be genuine and let that guide where you'll go. Ask lots of questions to see what it's like to be at that program, what the people are like, what is important to them. It's better to be around your kind of people, it's what really allows you to flourish.
Michal Chwalek (2022-2024)
What do you like about Edmonton: I am biased, as Edmonton is my home town. The festivals and outdoor opportunities are endless, and year-round. Our river valley park system is massive and truly gets you “out of the city” while still being steps away from home. I have raised my two young daughters here, and could not ask for better for them.
What are the highlights of the program for you: The U of A CCM program fosters collegiality and learning in a very welcoming environment. Fellows are treated as peers with staff, and the breadth of learning opportunities ensures a solid foundation across the spectrum of critical care topics and challenges. First year of Fellowship was challenging and rewarding and I look forward to continuing to build the foundation for critical practice into my second year. This is a great place to train!
Shaun Cowan (2022-2024)
What do you like about Edmonton: Edmonton is a multicultural city with amazing food and expansive green spaces that make you forget that you’re living in a city of a million people. You can bike, run and kayak in the river valley in the middle of the city and are only a few hours away from the mountains at Banff or Jasper. It’s easy to develop an identity within the Edmonton community because of all the opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities, whether that be trivia nights or sports leagues. It is also very easy to become an Oilers bandwagoner, so be careful! Overall, I’d say Edmonton has it all.
What are the highlights of the program for you: My favorite aspect of the program is the people. Everyone is excited to share their knowledge and passion for critical care with you. They will support you as you take steps forward in your fellowship, as well as in your career, to ensure that your learning needs are met. The program also has flexibility to allow you to choose rotations in areas of critical care that you want further exposure to such as transport medicine or POCUS. You will see a wide variety of patients that you help you feel confident with anything the job could throw at you, from transplant complications to unstable trauma patients. The ultimate goal of the program is to help you thrive in critical care and in life and you will feel that encouragement throughout the entirety of your fellowship. 12/10 would recommend.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process: Just be yourself! At this stage in your training, you’ve had a lot of experiences that have shaped you into the doctor you are today and the programs you’re applying to want to hear about them. You have worked so hard to get to the interview process, this is now your opportunity to find the program and group of people that are the best fit for you.
Andrea Davenport (2022-2024)
What do you like about Edmonton: Being born and raised in Edmonton, I admit I’m biased, but I’m 100% confident there’s something for everyone in Edmonton. If you enjoy sports (especially hockey), check out the Ice District downtown. The atmosphere during Oilers cup runs is unmatched! If you’re into the music scene, you should get tickets to our annual Folk Fest where they bring artists of a variety of different genre’s from around the world. Come for the music, stay for the vibes. And of course, everybody needs a little outdoors and nature in their life. You’ll never have to use the same trail twice with our 160km of river valley trails. And if that doesn’t do it for you, you can always make a weekend trip out to the Rocky Mountains to take in the views.
What are the highlights of the program for you: I think one of our greatest strengths is the strong academic, clinical, and personal mentorship we receive from our exceptional group of attending physicians who are truly invested in seeing us succeed. This is the result of a welcoming culture of collegiality from our staff intensivists that’s extended to our fellows. No matter where you train, you’re going to work hard. But after a night of call, it really makes a difference when your attendings are thankful for your hard work and supportive of your decisions. Our staff take care of us and want the best for us, and I truly feel lucky to have had the opportunity to complete my fellowship at the University of Alberta.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process: Take a deep breath, you’ve done this before. Be your authentic self and know your priorities. The interview process is a 2-way street, and while programs are looking at you, you’ll want to ask meaningful questions that help you decide where you will feel most supported to fulfill your own potential as a future Intensivist!
Josh Butcher (2023-2025)
What do you like about Edmonton: I’m new to Edmonton and it’s a lot of fun spending time in a new city and getting to know everything it has to offer. Edmonton is a beautiful and relatively affordable city. It’s easy to get around and I walk to work most days. There’s lots to do during time off. I have a toddler, so we like to enjoy the river valley trails and parks, spray parks, Fort Edmonton, the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and the World of Science to name a few options. The food is amazing and I’m looking forward to getting out to a festival or two.
What are the highlights of the program for you: How welcoming and supportive everyone is. The people involved in the program take our education, career development, and wellness seriously. They check in with us frequently and are responsive to feedback. We also hang out outside of work regularly (celebrations, conferences, Department events). The work can be challenging at times but it’s rewarding and I’m very thankful to be training here.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process: I don’t have specific advice, but I would be happy to share more details about the program/city and experiences with past interviews.
Jay Gorman (2023-2025)
What do you like about Edmonton: I have been in Edmonton for several years to train in Internal Medicine and Nephrology prior to joining the program of Critical Care. While Edmonton is a smaller city, it has a lot of charm. The River Valley System is an excellent place to engage in nature and outdoor activities. the city has a growing food scene with international cuisine and good eats. The summer is a wonderful time to be outside, join in live music shows and festivals and enjoy the city.
The winter required some adjustment on my behalf as person who is born and raised in Kuwait! But once you buy skates or embrace winter fun times, you are in for a treat!
The Mountains are very beautiful all year round and definitely worth more than one visit.
What are the highlights of the program for you: The faculty group is friendly and supportive to fellows learning. The fellows are empowered to use a graduated responsibility approach during their training to aim for complete independent practice. There is exposure to multiple specialities including complex post transplant cases, ECMO/VAD and Neuro intensive care. Teaching of skill sets like RRT and POCUS are organically embedded in routine patient care.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process: Be yourself. Think about questions you need to ask about the program. Ultimately, choose the place that works for you the best! I know I did :)
Zahraa Habeeb (2023-2025)