Neonatal-Perinatal (NICU) Residency Program

• Example situational question: Imagine that you are on your morning rounds when a colleague describes a difficult case that you and another trainee worked on earlier in the week and compliments your handling of the difficult situation. In doing so, she gives you sole credit and fails to mention that your colleague played a major role. What would you do?
• Example behavioral question: Please describe a time when you observed a member of the medical team that you were working with behave in a manner that was inconsistent with an established protocol. Explain what the situation was, what actions you took, and the outcome.

Moving to Edmonton to pursue my Neonatal Perinatal Medicine fellowship at the University of Alberta was a leap of faith for me. Having grown up in Ontario I never expected to move to the prairies but even during my interview process I truly felt a sense of warmth, welcoming and genuine excitement towards neonatology that inspired me. Every time I come to work I am still able to experience this from the people I get to work with. The NICU program is filled with people who are supportive of your training and root for you to become the best neonatologist you can be. You have the opportunity to learn from a large group of neonatologists with very diverse interests, neonatal NPs with unmatched procedural skills and many RN and RTs who help you through the busiest shifts. Between the multiple level 3 and level 2 sites, the high volume of high acuity patients allows trainees to always feel challenged with new and unique cases while building confidence in managing more “bread and butter” NICU patients. Unique to the Edmonton program, trainees have exposure to babies with complex cardiac pathologies in addition to other surgical diagnoses.

The fellowship program is always supportive of trainees based on their individual interests and career goals. I feel very comfortable reaching out to the program director and administrative team with questions and have always been met with understanding and an eagerness to listen and help. During the busy and stressful parts of fellowship, I am very thankful to have had the people in my program in my corner. Training in Edmonton has not only allowed me to develop the skills and knowledge to become a neonatologist, but also given me lots of wonderful memories of times spent with co-workers, who I now call friends.

The Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine program at the University of Alberta provides comprehensive, in-depth and supportive training in Neonatology. Edmonton’s wide catchment area and range of services allows for exposure to a large volume of high-acuity patients, experience with cardiac pathology, and plenty of opportunity for procedural skills. This depth and breadth of clinical exposure is provided by rotations through two separate large Level 3 Units, one a high-risk perinatal centre, and the other a surgical NICU that also serves as the referral cardiac centre for Western Canada. Trainees are well supported by the staff on service and on call, and have the opportunity to work with and learn from an excellent multidisciplinary team of neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, dieticians, pharmacists and social workers.

Despite our busy schedule, the trainee group in Edmonton is incredibly close-knit and the support and friendship we provide each other is crucial during the sometimes stressful times of fellowship. As a group of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine trainees, we consider ourselves lucky to be training in Edmonton and are honoured to be part of this program

I had the benefit of completing my Pediatric Residency at the UofA and as a result, became well aware of the incredible NICU program in Edmonton. What drew me to NICU initially were the people, members of the multidisciplinary team respect and help one another.  I am pursuing my Masters of Pediatrics through the Clinical Investigators Program. The NICU program quickly adapted my clinical schedule so that my academic work could be completed. The CIP program has offered an added layer of mentorship for my academic and career goals. I would recommend this program to anyone keen to develop and foster clinical research skills.

I cannot say enough about Dr. Sylvie Cormier, our program director. She is always prompt to reply to emails, has the fellows' best interests in mind with all decisions and recently, has helped me navigate exceedingly difficult life circumstances . The absolute cherry on top is the neonatal medicine we are exposed to. Our surgical NICU has moved into a stunningly gorgeous new space and continues to challenge me with the patient complexity that exists there. I feel honoured to work alongside friends and mentors in this program.

Choosing University of Alberta, among many others to continue my education in neonatal hemodynamics & targeted neonatal echocardiography (TnEcho) was the best choice I could make to pursue my goals and aspirations. The curriculum created during the training was challenging yet rewarding. The skills and knowledge I have gained helped me immensely to develop a comprehensive understanding of neonatal cardiovascular physiology and hemodynamics, and to apply TnEcho methodology in the setting of clinical decision-making in NICU.

My involvement in research was also one of the most valuable elements of the training. This great learning experience was achieved with the great support of program supervisors and mentors. Through constructive feedback and constant counseling, the team helped me to develop goals, explore different learning opportunities, individualize my training and build a professional network. I do feel confident that the knowledge and practical skills I gained will positively influence my future and make me a better neonatologist.