Oncology Residency Training Program

2023 Medicine Subspecialty Match

Overview of Subspecialty Medical Oncology Residency Training Program

The subspecialty training program in Medical Oncology at Memorial University is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Training usually lasts two years leading to a Certificate of Special Competence from the Royal College. The program accepts candidates who have completed at least three core years of training in Internal Medicine (acceptable to the Royal College)

The program consists primarily of outpatient site-based rotations supervised by enthusiastic Medical Oncologists. Core training is also provided in Radiation Oncology, Hematology and Palliative Care, and there are inpatient rotations where trainees have the opportunity to function as junior staff. There is a longitudinal clinic where trainees follow and treat their own patients under the supervision of a staff Medical Oncologist. 
Trainees will have plenty of opportunities for research and can also enroll in a Master’s of Science program in Clinical Epidemiology. They will have the advantages of a small program with extensive bedside teaching, exposure too many interesting and unusual cases, and great mentorship. As a small program, we are flexible and the curriculum can be tailored to accommodate individual needs and interests. 
There is also the opportunity to live in a beautiful province with access to running trails, ski resorts and plenty of outdoor activities year round.

How to apply

Application to the program is through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). To qualify, you must be in your final year or have successfully completed an Internal Medicine Residency core program approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
If you have questions or are interested in applying to Memorial University’s Medical Oncology subspecialty training program, please contact Dr. Erin Powell, Program Director, at erin.powell@easternhealth.ca.

Curriculum

Generally, the Residency Training program is for two years. Trainees are primarily based at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre in St. John’s. This Centre is closely affiliated with Memorial University Medical School and the Health Sciences Centre, a tertiary care hospital providing a wide range of services to the province.
Trainees work with staff Medical Oncologists, and progressive responsibility is assigned correlating with their level of training. Trainees rotate through breast, GI, GU, lung, mixed malignancy rotations and ward rotations, as well as Palliative Medicine, Hematology, and Radiation Oncology. Elective opportunities are also available in various areas; sequence and content of training can be individualized to the needs of individual trainees.
Teaching occurs at the bedside during weekly inpatient handover rounds, as well at journal club and academic half-days where attendance is mandatory. There are well established tumour boards meetings for breast, GI, GU, lung and neuro oncology. There are also monthly Oncology Grand Rounds and Morbidity and Mortality rounds in which trainees participate.
Trainees are encouraged and supported in research endeavours in the Discipline of Oncology which includes basic science and researchers. Trainees are encouraged to become involved in the ongoing research of the discipline.
In July 2018, Medical Oncology introduced competency based medical education in an initiative called Competence by Design (CBD). This initiative aims to enhance patient care by aligning medical education and lifelong learning with evolving patients’ needs and empowering learners to be more fully engaged in their education process. CBD will use time as a frame work rather than the basis for progression.  Residency programs will be broken down into stages with each involving a series of milestones based on acquired competency.  These milestones will create more targeted learning outcomes and will involve more frequent formative assessments within the clinic work place to ensure that residents are developing and receiving feedback on the skills they need.