Application Information

Interested applicants should read the fellowship descriptions and contact the fellowships directly using the links and emails found in the Fellowship Listing page. Applicants who wish to undertake a fellowship at the University of  Alberta should apply directly to the program according to the program’s specific guidelines and timelines.

Applicants from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the Istanbul Medical Centre must be officially sponsored by their bureau from their country of origin and must apply using the our standardized guidelines and timelines for Sponsored International Trainees. If you have put your application through the sponsored route and have not heard back from your program of interest, please feel free to reach out to the Fellowship Program Administrator and pgspon@ualberta.ca to alert them to your application.

Applicants must include all required documentation and must be submitted no later than the application deadline provided to you by the program, as late applications may not be considered. Any initial offers made to candidates by the program are subject to final approval by the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) office and may be rescinded should a candidate not meet CPSA licensing requirements, including proof of successful completion of one of the CPSA-accepted English Language Proficiency tests (if required).

Fellowship At-A-Glance

Our programs have clearly defined educational goals/objectives and include formal performance evaluations. Upon confirmation of successful completion by the fellowship director, fellows receive a certificate of completion of training.

Post-MD trainees that hold fellow status include:

  • Any trainee who has completed Canadian specialty training requirements and is pursuing clinical or research training within their specialty field beyond the requirements for specialty or subspecialty certification.
  • Any trainee who is registered for the purpose of obtaining specific experience in a specialty or subspecialty which is not currently recognized by the RCPSC, or for which there is no accredited program at the University of Alberta.

At the University of Alberta, fellows are subcategorized as follows:

  • AFC Diploma Fellow: Primary duties as defined by RCPSC for the AFC Diploma program
  • Clinical Fellow: Primary duties relate to supervised clinical care but may have a minor  element of scholarly project or research within
  • Clinical Research Fellow: Primary duties relate to defined clinical research that has a minor element of patient contact
  • Research Fellow: All duties relate to research and does not involve any patient contact

Area of Focused Competence (AFC) Diploma Programs

AFC Diploma programs offer advanced training in areas of focused competence. These programs are only open to those who have previously completed training in a core specialty and/or subspecialty as required by the specific AFC. These programs are intended for those who want to enhance their skills and knowledge in a specialized and focused area of expertise. AFC Diploma programs are fully accredited by the RCPSC and are held to the accreditation standards (general and discipline-specific) and follow the institution’s accreditation cycle. While accredited by the RCPSC, they do not lead to primary specialty certification.

AFC programs usually last from 1-2 years with fully competency-based training and certification through the RCPSC by means of central review of a summative portfolio, but cannot be credited toward national specialty or subspecialty certification requirements.

The University of Alberta currently has five accredited AFC programs:

Non-AFC Programs

A fellowship cannot be credited toward national certification requirements and do not lead to any type of Canadian certification. Our non-AFC clinical and research fellowships are intended for those who want to expand their knowledge in a particular area of expertise.