Curriculum

Balancing theory and practice

Gain plenty of clinical and operative experience, while benefitting from excellent academic teaching and research opportunities with a general surgery residency at Dalhousie University.

During your first two years, you’ll develop your core skills by participating in the Surgical Foundations Program and completing four-week and eight-week rotations. In your final three years, you’ll focus on mastering general surgical knowledge and skills.

To round it all out, you will also present at least two abstracts at the General Surgery Resident Research Day during your five-year program.

Please note: To practise in Canada, you’ll need to pass Part 1 and Part 2 of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE). This is best achieved in the PGY1 and PGY2 training years.

The details

PGY1

• general surgery (28 weeks, including eight weeks in Moncton, NB)
• infectious diseases
• surgical subspecialties
• emergency medicine
• anesthesia

PGY2

• general surgery
• ICU
• transplant surgery
• thoracic surgery
• vascular surgery
• GI endoscopy (eight weeks in Fredericton, NB)

PGY3 & 4

• 12-18 months of general surgery rotations
• up to six months of electives (three months spent in Saint John, NB) including:
  • research
  • community surgery
  • critical care
    
  • thoracic surgery
    
  • vascular surgery
    

PGY5

• senior residency year in general surgery in Halifax, NS