The Division is committed to providing well-rounded and thorough training for residents, and is dedicated to continuously enhance and strengthen our educational experiences. Our graduates are well prepared for independent practice or fellowship training, and receive comprehensive training in all areas of neurology.
Program Director: Dr. Samuel Yip
Associate Program Director: Dr. Tychicus Chen
Program Coordinator: Emily Tsai
Program Administrator: Madgen Liao
Chief Residents: Drs. Aseel Alsalem, Jeffrey Kenzie, Lia Mesbah-Oskui
Program Strengths and Highlights
- Collegial, supportive environment with residents and staff
- Broad range of subspecialty and ambulatory clinics
- Exposure and hands-on learning for a large volume and wide breadth of inpatient cases
- Focus on enhancing competencies in graduated responsibilities
Major Resident Social Events
- Welcome Dinner
- Ugly Sweater Christmas party
- Neurology retreat at Whistler
- Resident Research Day Dinner
Current Event
We are hosting a UBC Neurology CaRMs information session.
Please sign up here: TBA
Resident Life
At Work
First and second year residents spend a majority of their time off-service, covering such services as CTU , ICU, Cardiology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry and several others. However, it is important to gain some early exposure to Neurology, and so in the first two years, our residents spend a total of 6 months on Neurology ward & consults at VGH and on the consult service at SPH . The final 3 years of the program are the core Neurology years, and consist of rotations on General Neurology, EMG, epilepsy/EEG, Peds Neuro, Neurobehavioural, Neuropathology, and several outpatient clinics (MS, Movement Disorders, Dementia).
The Division is committed to providing a well-rounded educational experience for residents.
Academic Half-Day: Every Thursday from 13:00 – 17:00 . This is protected academic time, regardless of which rotation residents are on. Our half-day is considered by our residents to be one of the best at the University. We usually begin with an interesting case presentation, followed by didactic teaching and Professor’s Rounds.
Neurosciences Grand Rounds: Every Wednesday from 08:00 – 10:00 . These are run in collaboration with our Neurosurgery colleagues. The first hour is usually a lecture by a staff physician, followed by a resident case presentation.
Other Rounds: We also have monthly Epilepsy Rounds, as well as Neuroradiology Rounds, and EMG Rounds.
Journal Club: Once a month, we meet in the evening to review journal articles of interest. These informal presentations are typically done by one junior resident and one senior resident, and are facilitated by a staff person with expertise in the topic under discussion.
At Play
Life as a resident, although rewarding, can be extremely challenging. We are very fortunate to have a great group of residents who look out for each other and foster an atmosphere of collegiality.
One of the added benefits of the UBC Neurology program is the location. Vancouver is one of North America ’s most beautiful and picturesque cities. Perched on the shores of the Pacific Ocean , it offers an endless number of activities, from cycling the sea-wall, to hiking up Grouse Mountain , to ocean kayaking on English Bay . And of course, the world famous Whistler ski resort is only a short drive away. To learn more about the city of Vancouver , please visit www.city.vancouver.bc.ca or www.discovervancouver.com
As residents, we try to take advantage of our surroundings as much as possible. We often meet up for golfing, dinners, or evenings on the town. And not to be forgotten is our annual Neurology/Neurosurgery Ski weekend at Whistler. It’s a lot of fun (regardless of skiing expertise), and usually makes for some good stories!
Resident Research
Research is an important component of medical care in Canada, providing new knowledge and treatments for neurological diseases. Research is optional in the UBC Neurology Royal College Training Program. Participation in research projects during residency will provide a valuable learning experience and mentorship opportunities for Neurology Residents. In general, this is a self directed learning program with collaboration from a staff supervisor. Residents are encouraged to do a variety of projects in different subspecialty areas. However, they may elect to do one main project throughout the 5 year program.
Objectives of the Research Program
- To provide research opportunities for residents.
- To encourage mentorship.
- To provide training on the ethical conduct of research.
Residents will have up to 6 months of elective time available for research during the 5 year Royal College Program. Given the limited amount of time, some projects will allow the resident to play a major role (chart reviews, case studies, possibly pilot studies), whereas basic science projects will primarily provide exposure to the complexities of setting up assays and conducting research.
Supervisor’s Obligations
- Discuss residents role on a project
- Discuss authorship on future publications
- Be available to meet regularly
- Provide resources required for completion of project.
Resident’s Obligations
- Identify potential supervisor
- Determine research objective(s) of project (hypothesis to be tested)
- Determine learning objective(s) of project (example: learn how to do an ethics submission).
- Register project with Research Committee
- Send annual update or final report on project to Research Committee
For additional information on the UBC Adult Neurology Postgraduate Training Program, please visit the CaRMS website.