Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship Program

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.