Evaluations

...evaluations and feedback occur at the end of each rotation through the respective departments. The Neurology Residency Program Committee receives copies of the evaluations and closely follows the progress of the resident.  For all other rotations, formal Web-eval evaluations of resident performance are made regularly. The preceptor reviews the evaluations with the resident. Preceptors are encouraged to give frequent informal feedback and the resident is encouraged to ask for informal feedback.

In addition to rotation evaluations, there are regular formal examinations.  Twice a year, residents are given a written exam based on academic half-day. In PGY-1 and PGY-2, residents are given two practice multi-station OSCE exams by the senior neurology residents to acquaint them with the Royal College examination format. In PGY-3 through PGY-5. a multi-station OSCE exam is held twice yearly, using similar formats to those used by the Royal College. Starting with PGY-2, the resident also takes the yearly In-training Examination given by the American Academy of Neurology.

The program director meets formally with each resident twice a year to discuss the resident's experience on recent rotations, evaluations, upcoming rotations, career plans and resident well-being.

Subspecialty Clinics

Participation in the Subspecialty Clinics provides a unique opportunity for neurology residents to gain in-depth experience dealing with patients with particular groups of diseases. Subspecialty Clinics are available in each of the following areas:

General Neurology          

Urgent Neurology

Movement Disorders

Cognitive Disorders

Pain/Palliative Care

Neuromuscular Diseases

Epilepsy (Adult)

Neuro-oncology (Adult)       

Neuro-ophthalmology

Epilepsy (Pediatric)

Multiple Sclerosis

Neuro-inflammatory Disorders

Headache

Neuro-psychiatry

Neuro-vestibular Disorders

Participation in Meetings

Residents are allowed 7 working days each year to attend neurology meetings. The Department of Clinical Neurosciences contributes toward resident travel to meetings each year. In addition, the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine (through the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Medical Education) provides financial assistance to residents for travel costs to a meeting when the resident is the first author of a presentation. Other funds also may be available for resident travel assistance.

Resident Scientist Program and Clinician Investigator Program

Neurology residents have the option to enter a MSc or PhD program funded by the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) Resident Scientist Program or the Clinician Investigator Residency Program. The leave is normally taken at the end of the PGY3 or PGY4 year. Salary is pegged at the PGY level of the resident. Details can be found at http://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/our-education/prospective-trainees and http://cumming.ucalgary.ca/cip/

Research

Resident research is a mandatory part of the University of Calgary Neurology Training Program. The goal is to promote the development of knowledge, skills, and interest in the field of clinical or basic neuroscience research. The completion of a well-designed research project, whether clinical or basic, also will facilitate future career development. Every effort will be made to tailor the type and scope of the research project to the resident's interests and needs. Most residents will spend three to six months in research during the PGY-4 year.  The resident research sub-committee of the Residency Program Committee meets with the resident annually to help develop the research project.

In addition, the U of C Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) offers salary support for residents who wish to carry out an MSc or PhD program with a clinical or basic science member of the HBI. The salary is pegged at the PGY level of the resident. Details can be found at http://www.hbi.ucalgary.ca/our-education/prospective-trainees.  

The U of C also has a Clinician Investigator Program (http://cumming.ucalgary.ca/cip/) which is a Royal College certified program that provides the opportunity to pursue an MSc or PhD as part of the residency.

Research Interests

All the subspecialty clinics do clinical research ranging from epidemiological assessments, clinical trials, to translational research. Most departmental members are part of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, a collective of researchers who investigate basic, population health, and clinical sciences. Opportunities to be involved in research abound for residents throughout their training tract.

Further information about specific areas of research activity in the neurosciences may be found on the HBI website:  https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/research