Residents beginning training in July 2022 will be assessed using the Royal College Competence by Design Framework.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax serves as the tertiary referral center for the entire province of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In some cases, the center serves as the quaternary referral center for the entire Atlantic region. There are over 250 Department of Medicine beds, approximately 200 faculty (full/PT, joint, adjunct) and 90+ residents in internal medicine and in subspecialty programs.

Resident Evaluations

Residents are assessed using a standardized, on-line evaluation system. Residents receive formative feedback from the attendings supervising the rotations and meet regularly with the program director to discuss their performance. In addition, residents have the opportunity to further gauge their academic progress by having the opportunity to write the American Board of Internal Medicine exam and a faculty-developed OSCE exam.

Additional Learning Opportunities

The Department of Medicine has sponsored every resident in the current academic year to have individual subscribed access to Up-To-Date. Further, residents can choose to participate in an out-of-province or out-of-country elective rotation provided at an accredited teaching hospital.

— General —

What are the strongest aspects of your program?

The clinical training in the Dalhousie University Internal Medicine Program is considered one of its strongest points. Specifically, the clinical training provides residents an opportunity to work one-on-one with numerous faculty members in a very collegial environment. Halifax serves as the tertiary and quaternary care centre for most of the Atlantic Provinces, and therefore, the exposure to various internal medicine issues is wide.

What is the general level of satisfaction amongst your residents?

The current residents are very satisfied with our program. We are a close and supportive group, and we have excellent relationships with our attending staff. There is a strong commitment on the part of our Program Director and our Education Office staff to be a source of support to our residents.

— Education —

How much time is devoted to formal teaching?

• Academic Half Day — every Tuesday afternoon for
• PGY1s (distributed to both teaching sites)
• Department of Medicine Grand Rounds — every Tuesday morning
• Biweekly IM Resident Journal Club
• Biweekly Interesting Case Rounds — resident driven
• MTU Lunch Teaching
• MTU Sign-in Rounds — daily
• In addition, most subspecialty divisions have their own weekly teaching rounds

Are you satisfied with the education and the academic format of the program?

The program is strong academically. The CanMeds2015 and the Royal College Guidelines are used to direct the curriculum within the program. As part of the academic program each year, residents write the In-Training American Board Exam, which is an excellent preparation for the Royal College written exam and the ABIM exam. Further, residents are given a written case-based exam and a formal OSCE exam each year.

— Clinical Exposure —

Do you feel that you get adequate exposure to various illnesses and conditions in your training?

The QEII Health Sciences Centre is the tertiary and quaternary referral center for the Maritime Provinces, which includes Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. This provides a broad base of patients who present with a range of illnesses, making for an excellent ambulatory care experience.

Are you satisfied with the clinical exposure to internal medicine subspecialties?

The QEII Health Sciences Centre is well represented in all subspecialties, including cardiology, respirology, GI, hematology, medical oncology, nephrology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, and endocrinology.

— Call —

What is the frequency of call and what are the call duties during the three core years?

In first year, residents should expect to be on-call one in four for most months and will usually be providing in-house ward coverage. This provides excellent clinical exposure and excellent learning opportunities early on in the resdient’s training. In second year, residents generally do four to six calls a month. In third year, call drops to between two and five calls per month. This significant reduction in call duties in the senior years of residency has been favourable because it provides residents time for exam preparation and additional learning opportunites.

— Resident Happiness & Social Life —

Overall, are residents happy in your Program? Do the residents get along with each other?

The current residents are very satisfied with our Program. We are a close and supportive group, and we have excellent relationships with our attending staff. We share many social activities; one highlight is the Annual Resident Retreat which is a team building/eduational weekend at one of Nova Scotia’s most beautiful resorts.