The Post Graduate Residency Training in Neurology is fully accredited with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. It currently has 37 residents at various levels of training from PGY1 to PGY5. In the first two years of the program, the residents rotate through various subspecialties in Internal Medicine, ICU, Emergency, as well as doing their first Neurology rotations. The PGY3-5 years are core Neurology training years. Residents do their inpatient training at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital. Many outpatient subspecialty clinics are done at UBC Hospital. During their training, the residents in Neurology are actively involved in various research projects.
Curriculum
As of July 2020, our program has transitioned to the Competence By Design (CBD) curriculum in accordance with the Royal College standards. The CBD curriculum is divided into four sections (Transition to Discipline, Foundations, Core and Transition to Practice).
Residents begin their PGY1 year with Transition to Discipline, which includes one block each of inpatient neurology and CTU.
This is followed by Foundations, during which residents will develop clinical knowledge in a variety of specialties, including CTU and Internal Medicine subspecialties (e.g. hematology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, cardiology, geriatrics etc.), Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, ICU, and Neurosurgery. In Foundations, resident education is largely built around inpatient rotations and developing clinical skills relevant to neurological practice.
The next 35 blocks are the Core during which residents will solidify knowledge and expertise in general and subspecialty areas of Neurology. Rotations are arranged in inpatient neurology, ambulatory clinics (MS/Neuroinflammatory, Movement Disorders, Dementia, Neurogenetics, Rapid Access Neurology Clinic), Neuromuscular and EMG, Epilepsy and EEG, Pediatric Neurology, etc. The Royal College written examination will be scheduled for the end of Core (corresponding to the end of PGY4).
In the final PGY5 year, residents complete Transition to Practice. Emphasis is placed on their role as a junior attending on inpatient rotations, and customizing their rotation schedule according to individual career goals. The Royal College OSCE examination will be scheduled for the end of Transition to Practice.
Longitudinal clinic experience begins in PGY3 for all residents and continues until the end of PGY5.
Residents have opportunities to be involved in various research projects throughout the course of their training.
More information on Competence By Design can be found on the Royal College website: http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/cbd/competence-by-design-cbd-e
For more information on the Postgraduate Training Program, please visit the CaRMS website.
Training Locations
Trainees will complete most inpatient neurology rotations at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital.
Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) is the largest tertiary care center in British Columbia for acute care, teaching and research. VGH is home to a dedicated Neurosciences Unit which provides highly specialized inpatient neurological care, and includes Neuro ICU (NICU) and Seizure Investigation Unit (SIU) beds. VGH is a main provincial site providing 24/7 acute ischemic stroke treatments. The VGH Neurology and Stroke services provide expert neurological care for patients in the Lower Mainland as well as transfers throughout BC/Yukon.
St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) is a major tertiary care centre located in downtown Vancouver. SPH is a teaching and research hospital, renowned for various subspecialties, and has a unique role in providing caring for vulnerable, socially complex patients. The SPH Neurology consultation service provides excellent care and teaching, overseeing care for a broad range of inpatient neurological conditions.
The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is a large integrated centre which brings together neurology clinical care with exciting neuroscience research. Residents will work in outpatient clinics located in the Brain Health Centre, including Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders, Movements Disorders, MS/NMO Clinic and Huntington’s Clinic.
Further training is offered in various ambulatory clinics located throughout VGH, SPH, UBC Hospital and the BC Cancer Agency. These include Epilepsy Clinic, Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Neurogenetics, Neuroophthalmology Clinics, Neuropsychiatry, Rapid Access Neurology Clinic, Neuro-oncology Clinic, Sleep Disorders Clinic, and ALS Clinic.
Community rotations are available throughout the Greater Vancouver area including: the Royal Columbian Hospital, Mount St Joseph Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Richmond General Hospital, Burnaby Hospital. Additional community rotation options are available in Victoria, Kelowna and Kamloops.
For additional information on the UBC Adult Neurology Postgraduate Training Program, please visit the CaRMS website.