Office of Surgical Fellowship | FAQ

Clinical Fellows are surgeons who have attained specialist status from their country of origin. Clinical Fellow refers to medical doctors who have completed a residency training program in Canada or elsewhere and who are pursuing short term specialized fellowship training beyond the requirements of residency certification.

The University of Calgary provides temporary periods of mentored, advanced training to enhance the skills of medical doctors who have completed residency training.  Clinical Fellows train under the general supervision of a clinical supervisor at a recognized Alberta Health Services (AHS) hospital or affiliated setting in the Province of Alberta.

To be eligible for a clinical fellowship, applicants must:

• Have been awarded a medical degree.
• Have recently completed a Residency Training Program in Canada or elsewhere.
• Be pursuing specialized training beyond the requirements of residency certification.
• Meet all College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) requirements.

Conditions

Clinical Fellows train under the general supervision of a Clinical Supervisor at a recognized Alberta Health Services (AHS) hospital or affiliated setting in the Province of Alberta.

Clinical Fellowship training periods are temporary.  An extension of the training period must be approved by the Department or Division Head.  For Clinical Fellows who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, an extension of the training period is subject to approval by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

All Clinical Fellows must be registered through the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and must pay all required administrative fees.  Tuition fees are assessed by the University of Calgary.

Clinical Fellows must be assured of financial support, other than personal means, for the duration of their temporary training period.  Self-funding is not allowed.

Unless exempt, candidates must provide evidence of English Language Proficiency and are required to have completed the IELTS within 24 months of their application to the CPSA and achieve a minimum of 7.0 in each of the components of the academic version.

Exemptions:

A candidate is exempt from the English Language Proficiency Testing Standards if:

• The candidate’s undergraduate medical education was in a Canadian university faculty of medicine where English is the language of instruction (excludes Universitè de Montreal, Universitè de Sherbrooke, Universitè Laval, and the University of Ottawa French programme), or
• The candidate’s undergraduate medical education was in a country other than Canada where English is a first and native language (listed below)

Countries where English is a first and native language: Australia, Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (Quebec and New Brunswick may be exceptions), Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, and US Virgin Islands. Caribbean Islands: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Grenadines, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Postgraduate Medical Education Office (PGME) will initiate your registration with our provincial professional college, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).  Once complete, you will be emailed a copy of your temporary practice permit. Registration is mandatory.

As a postgraduate trainee, you will be required to carry professional liability coverage (code 13) through the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA).

Under the Alberta Protection for Persons in Care Act and Alberta Health Services (AHS) policy, you are required to provide an original police information check (criminal record check) and vulnerable sector search obtained from your local police service prior to commencing training.  This check must not be older than 90 days from the commencement of your training, so do not apply for it too early.

If you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you will be required to satisfy Canada’s immigration laws and obtain a Work Permit.

For applicants trained outside of Canada, identity and credential verification must be completed through physiciansapply.ca. Failure to complete the credential verification process will automatically cancel the fellowship.

All Clinical Fellows must be registered through the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and must pay all required administrative fees.  Tuition fees are assessed by the University of Calgary.

All startup expenses are the responsibility of the fellow and include, but are not limited to:

• UofC Tuition
• PGME Administration Fee
• CPSA licensing and registration fees
• CMPA fee
• Work Permit fees
• Police/Security clearance fees
• Health Insurance
• All other living expenses

There are no health coverage benefits provided to the trainees. This is the responsibility of the trainee to obtain.  Alberta Health Care Insurance is available to trainees through https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-apply.aspx

Registration for all fellows is coordinated through the Office of Surgical Fellowship.

Office of Surgical Fellowship

Department of Surgery
Foothills Medical Centre
Rm. 727, North Tower
1403 - 29th Street NW
Calgary, Alberta  T2N 2T9

Telephone: (403) 944-5466
Fax: (403) 944-4301

surgical.fellowship@ahs.ca