Division of Cardiac Surgery

Resident Program

The cardiac surgery residency training program at Dalhousie University is based at the QEII Halifax Infirmary. Our division currently includes 10 cardiac surgeons, 5 cardiac intensivists, 1 aortic surgery fellow, and 5 residents. Nurse practitioners and clinical associates complete our team. Our centralized program maximizes resident experience by offering plenty of technical learning opportunities in the operating room and the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU), and by allowing for longitudinal, uninterrupted mentorship. Residents training at Dalhousie University are exposed to the full scope of cardiac surgery including transplantation, mechanical support, minimally invasive surgery, TAVI, complex aortic procedures, arrhythmia surgery and pediatric and adult congenital surgery.

Cardiac surgery is a 6-year residency program accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). We transitioned to a Competency by Design (CBD) training model in 2019. The Dalhousie Cardiac Surgery Program is regarded as a national leader in CBD implementation, following exemplary practice.

Year	Rotation Description
One and Two	The first two years of training are designed to teach residents the foundations of surgical practice: how to complete thorough preoperative evaluations, examine patients and manage them perioperatively. This phase includes various cardiology rotations (coronary care, echocardiography and electrophysiology blocks), as well as general surgery, CVICU and vascular rotations. Our training schedule has been optimized to ensure that residents complete all Transition to Discipline (TTD) and Foundations of Discipline (FOD) Entrusted Professional Activities (EPAs) by the end of the second year.
Three	The third year of training is a salary-funded academic or clinical enrichment year. Core of Discipline EPAs include the completion of at least 1 research project with a manuscript during this period. Many residents choose to extend their academic enrichment to obtain a Master’s or Doctorate degree. This is supported by our program and leads to enrollment in the Dalhousie University RCPSC-accredited Clinical Investigator Program (CIP).
Four and Five Six	The fourth and fifth years constitute Core of Discipline (COD). Residents spend most of their time on adult and pediatric cardiac surgery rotations. The focus is on gaining proficiency in the operating room, performing routine and progressively more complex cases. Residents also take on more responsibility within the division, leading the team providing postoperative care to patients. The RCPSC written exam is completed in the spring of the fifth year of training. The sixth year constitutes Transition to Practice (TTP). During that time, residents are enhancing their skills by taking on complex cases and learning how to run a full independent practice. TTP EPAs include doing a quality review of their cases, a critical step prior to entering the workforce or continuing with fellowship training. The RCPSC oral exam is completed in the fall of the sixth year of training.

Year

Rotation Description

One and Two

The first two years of training are designed to teach residents the foundations of surgical practice: how to complete thorough preoperative evaluations, examine patients and manage them perioperatively. This phase includes various cardiology rotations (coronary care, echocardiography and electrophysiology blocks), as well as general surgery, CVICU and vascular rotations. Our training schedule has been optimized to ensure that residents complete all Transition to Discipline (TTD) and Foundations of Discipline (FOD) Entrusted Professional Activities (EPAs) by the end of the second year.

Three

The third year of training is a salary-funded academic or clinical enrichment year. Core of Discipline EPAs include the completion of at least 1 research project with a manuscript during this period. Many residents choose to extend their academic enrichment to obtain a Master’s or Doctorate degree. This is supported by our program and leads to enrollment in the Dalhousie University RCPSC-accredited Clinical Investigator Program (CIP).

Four and Five

Six

The fourth and fifth years constitute Core of Discipline (COD). Residents spend most of their time on adult and pediatric cardiac surgery rotations. The focus is on gaining proficiency in the operating room, performing routine and progressively more complex cases. Residents also take on more responsibility within the division, leading the team providing postoperative care to patients. The RCPSC written exam is completed in the spring of the fifth year of training.

The sixth year constitutes Transition to Practice (TTP). During that time, residents are enhancing their skills by taking on complex cases and learning how to run a full independent practice. TTP EPAs include doing a quality review of their cases, a critical step prior to entering the workforce or continuing with fellowship training. The RCPSC oral exam is completed in the fall of the sixth year of training.

In our program, residents have required protected academic half days, during which they attend seminars, lectures, guest speaker presentations, skills lab sessions and complete block exams. Learning is also supported by regular participation in morbidity and mortality rounds, journal clubs and by financially supported attendance to conferences. Dalhousie University also emphasizes leadership and communication training. Cardiac surgery residents are involved in the training of medical students, clerks and their resident colleagues. Effective collaboration with all members of the interprofessional heart team is also fostered.

Our program accepts one resident annually, usually alternating between Canadian and visa-sponsored trainees. For more information on the Canadian Resident Match Service, consult the CaRMS Portal. For more information on the selection of sponsored trainees, reach out to our Post-Graduate Medical Office.