Pediatric Respirology Residency Program
Welcome to the Pediatric Respirology Residency Program at the University of Alberta.
Busy clinical service
and is a referral centre for all complex cardiac surgeries, which often includes complex respiratory physiology.
Large referral centre
from Northern Alberta, Northern BC, Northwest Territories, and North Saskatchewan.
Stollery Children’s Hospital
is one of the two main pediatric-focused lung transplant centres in Canada.
Interview/CaRMS Specific Information
The files are reviewed by members of the selection committee. Invitations to an interview are made based on this review.
Details regarding interview dates: Interviews will be done virtually. Interview will be with the Program Director, Division Director and Division faculty
Notification/Invitation: Program Administrator will notify all applicants.
Details regarding the interview process: Short listed candidates will be contacted by email to arrange interviews.
A complete application includes:
- A letter of intent
- Application for Residency form
- A current CV
- Three letters of Reference
- Copies of your current evaluations (6 month evaluations would be acceptable)
- Medical School Transcripts
- Foreign Trainees must also provide Proof of English Proficiency (for more information click on link below)
- Information for International Medical Graduates
Contact Us
Pediatric Respirology Residency Program
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Respirology,
University of Alberta
Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
11405-87 Avenue, 3rd Floor
Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9
Email: pedsresp@ualberta.ca
Dr. Tamizan Kherani
Program Director, Pediatric Respirology
Dalila Mathus
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Email: pedsresp@ualberta.ca
Dr. Tamizan Kherani
Program Director
Dalila Mathus
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Welcome to Our Program
Since 2000, the department and the Stollery Children's Hospital have had dedicated staff and facilities to care for children with complex breathing disorders.. These children often require a multidisciplinary approach involving many healthcare team members.
To care for these children, there is a comprehensive quaternary pediatric respiratory service with our team of five pediatric respirologists along with dedicated nurse specialists, a nurse practitioner and clinic coordinators collaborating with respiratory therapists, scientists and researchers.
The Pediatric Asthma Clinic offers a complete service in diagnosing and managing complex pediatric asthma and wheezing disorders, as well as promoting asthma education and research.
The Northern Alberta Pediatrics Sleep Laboratory (NAPS) and Pediatric Sleep Medicine Program manages children with both respiratory and non-respiratory sleep problems. Dr. Joanna MacLean is establishing an infant sleep laboratory.
There are many children in the community and in hospitals requiring long-term ventilatory support. Our pediatric respirologists oversee a program providing ventilation for children with various forms of respiratory disease. As part of the multidisciplinary team, we coordinate a tracheostomy clinic and work closely with our otolaryngology colleagues and respiratory therapists.
There are over 120 children with Cystic Fibrosis, who are cared for by a team of pediatric respirologists, clinical nurse specialists, a nutritionist, a physiotherapist and a social worker.
We also provide comprehensive services for children with more rare chronic pulmonary disorders (i.e. interstitial lung diseases or systemic diseases associated with pulmonary complications). For children with end stage lung disease that is not curable or treatable, we offer the hope of new lungs through lung transplantation, which receives referrals from across Canada.
There are many children with neuromuscular conditions, who are seen through a joint clinic with pediatricians at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
All children with a breathing concern are seen in our general pulmonary clinics or as inpatients within the Stollery Children's Hospital. We offer spirometry in clinics and have easy access to a comprehensive lung function laboratory. All of our pediatric respirologists perform bronchoscopic examination of the airway using dedicated time within the Endoscopy Suite at the Stollery Children's Hospital. We often collaborate with other services to provide joint investigations during this time. For example, our gastroenterology colleagues join us on mutual patients to help diagnose conditions like eosinophilic esophagitis.
Our Program
Pediatric respirology is a pediatric subspecialty which deals with the study of the respiratory system from newborns to adolescence in health and disease. Learners will acquire clinical, procedural and professional skills in the management of all pediatric respiratory conditions to perform at a consultant level.
Program Highlights
Exposure to Cystic Fibrosis, General Respirology, Sleep Medicine including both Invasive and Non-invasive Ventilation, and Lung Transplantation.
Canada's only Pediatric Environmental Health Clinic.
Fellow prioritization for weekly pediatric bronchoscopy with a dedicated high volume adult bronchoscopy rotation that provides experience with interventional bronchoscopy including exposure to transbronchial biopsies, tissue biopsies and EBUS.
Dedicated Academic Half Day.
Strong research support with multiple clinician-researchers who have well established research programs and interdisciplinary projects as well as support from our research institute (WCHRI).
Respiratory Physiology Course through the University of Alberta in the Fall semester of the first year in fellowship.
Strong collaborations with other subspecialty groups leading to a number of multidisciplinary clinics including tracheostomy clinic (ENT+Respiratory+Home Care), aerodigestive clinic (ENT, GI, Resp, SLP), CF clinic (Respiratory, GI, ID, Physio, Dietician), Bone Marrow Transplant clinic (Endocrinology, Respirology, Oncology, Immunology), Craniofacial Clinic (ENT, Plastic Surgery, Sleep Medicine), Sickle Cell clinic (Respirology + Hematology), NicoTeen (Respirology and Adolescent Medicine), Non-CF Bronchiectasis clinic (Immunology, Respirology).
Residency at a Glance
Our fully accredited program is developed in accordance with Competence by Design standards of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). We offer subspecialty residency training to Canadian and non-Canadian trainees. Training is expected to take two years, containing 13 blocks per year. We are a Competence by Design (CBD) Program, implementing an outcomes based approach to learning and assessment. Below is an example of the program requirements for trainees to better understand the learning path.
Block 1 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 2 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 3 = Sleep Medicine
Block 4 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 5 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 6 = Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
Block 7 = Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)
Block 8 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 9 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 10 = Elective
Block 11 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 12 = Sleep Medicine
Block 13 = Elective
Block 1 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 2 = Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Block 3 = Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)
Block 4 = Scholar (Royal College CanMEDS requirement)
Block 5 = Elective
Block 6 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 7 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 8 = Elective
Block 9 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 10 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Block 11 = Elective
Block 12 = Inpatient Clinic (IP)
Block 13 = Outpatient Clinic (OP)
Resident Testimonials
We asked our residents what their highlights of the program are, and one piece of advice about the interview process for applicants. Here is what a few of them had to say:
What are the highlights of the program for you?
- The program is very powerful from case varieties and exposure perspective.
The presence of expert General pulmonologist, CF specialists, Sleep specialists, lung transplant and NIV/Tracheostomy specialists make the program very unique in comparison to all programs in the country. - The pediatric respirology team including ( Staff, Nurses, Rts, Admin ) are lovely, very interested in teaching and very respectful to all team members regardless of level junior or senior and very open to ideas and discussions in all aspects.
- Researchers within the group are expert and very open to include new people and help them find their way and get the experience in the research field.
- The environment is motivating for learners' clinical thinking and enhancing the expression of their own ideas in a very safe and respectful environment as the discussion is very mature between team members even when the opinions are totally opposite.
- The hospital has all subspecialties and all types of Intensive care units, which increases the exposure to all kinds of cases. (complex ENT, Cardiac, GI, Immunodeficiency, Oncology cases)
- Bronchoscopy experience is unique at the U of A, as the hospital is mixed adult & pediatric hospital, the experience about diagnostic, therapeutic and interventional Bronchoscopies will definitely satisfy you as a trainee, N.B as A fellow I did 100 Bronchoscopies not counting the ones I attended for observation.
What is one piece of advice that you want to share with applicants about the interview process?
- Be yourself, talk about your goals and future planning.
- Look professional, don't be over or under.
- Regular questions are the same everywhere, and for sure you will be asked why this speciality? Why us?
- Lastly, you are here because you deserve to be here, trust yourself.