Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship Program

The University of Calgary Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship provides the training and experience required for sub-specialization and excellence in neuromuscular neurology and electromyography (EMG).

Dr. Gordon Jewett

Neuromuscular & EMG Fellowship Director

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Margaret Dohnal

Neuromuscular & EMG Fellowship Administrator

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Streams

There are two separate training streams available to fellows:

Clinical Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship
This is a 1-year Fellowship with emphasis on clinical excellence in Neuromuscular Medicine and EMG.

Clinical Research Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship
This a 2-3 year Fellowship with emphasis on neuromuscular research, clinical trials, and academic development. A focus on innovation and commercialization is also available. The experience of the core 1-year clinical fellowship is distributed over 2-3 years so Clinical Research Fellows complete equivalent clinical training.

Package

Email complete applications to Margaret Dohnal, including:

Personal Statement / Letter of interest (max 2-pages)
- We suggest including your reasons for interest in neuromuscular/EMG and the Calgary Fellowship program, as well as details of your background that you feel may help us formulate a complete impression of you as a candidate.
- If requesting a start date other than July 1 of the following year, clearly state this.
Curriculum vitae (max 5-pages)
Two letters of support/ recommendation (Letters MUST be sent directly to Margaret Dohnal by the referee)
- We suggest one letter from a residency program director
- Those applying for clinical research fellowships may provide a third letter of support specifically addressing research experience and excellence.

Out of Cycle Starts

Applications for out of cycle start dates (i.e. after July of the following year) may be accepted at any time with specific permission. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact us for details. International applicants must be accepted and funding confirmed a minimum of 10-months prior to anticipated start date to allow for sufficient administrative time.

Training is supervised by a dynamic group of sub-specialists in neuromuscular neurology, neuromuscular genetics, neurorehabilitation and EMG. The training environment consists of tertiary neuromuscular clinics and electromyography labs at 4 hospital sites and one community clinic within the city of Calgary.

Clinical exposure includes general neuromuscular clinic, ALS clinic, neuromuscular genetics clinic, neuromuscular rehabilitation clinic, peripheral nerve injury clinic, general and complex EMG clinics, urgent EMG intake clinic, and inpatient neuromuscular consultation. Technical exposure includes all aspects of electromyography, including augmented neuromuscular ultrasound training. Fellows will run longitudinal clinics where they follow their own patients throughout the duration of their training.

Fellows with specialty training in neurology or physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) are accepted. The program trains 2-3 fellows per year. Individual clinical focuses are tailored to meet specific trainee needs as they gain expertise in the diagnosis and management of common and rare neuromuscular diseases. For example, physiatry trained fellows are allocated enhanced exposure to neuromuscular rehabilitation clinic.

Fellows will participate in weekly case rounds, muscle and nerve biopsy multidisciplinary rounds, EMG rounds, journal clubs, and provincial neuromuscular rounds. The curriculum includes protected time for a weekly academic half day consisting of clinical neurosciences grand rounds, national neuromuscular education rounds, core neuromuscular teaching to residents, and EMG waveform rounds. Regular hands on EMG teaching prepares fellows well for the CSCN EMG exam. We offer a collegial, friendly learning environment with a careful balance of clinical exposure and education.

All fellows are encouraged to complete a research project during their fellowship. An enhanced research focus can be offered in 1 or 2 year fellowships. Those completing a 2-year fellowship can focus a significant portion of their time on research or alternative focuses, such as innovation and commercialization. Fellows interested in running clinical trials have the opportunity to participate as sub-investigators on industry and investigator initiated studies within our Neuromuscular Clinical Trials group. We offer clinical trials across a spectrum of neuromuscular diseases including ALS, myasthenia gravis, spinal muscular atrophy, hereditary myopathies, and inclusion body myositis.

Internal salary funding is not available, however several external options exist to fund fellowship salaries, and successful candidates will be well supported in obtaining funding. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact us to explore funding sources. If external funding is not obtained, in extenuating circumstances the option exists for fellows to fund their fellowship through locums performed during 20% protected time.

Calgary is a large, culturally diverse city with a catchment of approximately 2 million people. The cost of living is reasonable compared to other large Canadian cities. Calgary has a vibrant and growing food and culture scene, and the recreational opportunities offered by the Rocky Mountains beckon less than a 1-hour drive from the doors of the hospital.