Education

• Medical students are welcome to apply for electives and electives via the University of Ottawa website.
• Rotations are available at The Ottawa Hospital and at The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
• Their rotations are coordinated by Dr. Sarah Shiga (Undergraduate Director, Plastic Surgery) and the Office of Education.
• See undergraduate website for more detail.
• Please contact: Undergraduate Electives Coordinator and website.

Pediatric Plastic Surgery

• We have undergraduate medical students and electives students who rotate through our division
• Residents from plastic surgery rotate through, as well as dermatology and pediatrics residents who do ambulatory care clinic electives.
• We have pediatric emergency fellows who rotate through as well, but do not have a fellowship program.

• The University of Ottawa Plastic Surgery Residency Program accepts two trainees per year.
• Residents are selected on the basis of their academic records, electives, letters of reference and CV.
• They must have demonstrated an interest in plastic surgery and have at least one reference from a plastic surgeon.
• Preference is given to students who have rotated on the service.

The program is based on two foundation years followed by three Plastic Surgery years.

In the foundations years, rotations are selected from plastic surgery, pediatric and adult general surgery, vascular, neurosurgery, pediatric and adult orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, emergency medicine, anaesthesia, ICU, internal medicine, dermatology, rheumatology and infectious diseases.

The Surgical Foundations course (PGY1 and 2) is coordinated through the Office of Surgical Education. Its goal is to prepare residents for the Surgical Foundations exam, which is achieved via a series of lectures and labs utilizing the new Surgical Skills Simulation Lab.

The final three Plastic Surgery years include a burn rotation at Sunnybrook in Toronto, community rotations at Queensway Carleton Hospital, exposure to oculoplastic and oral surgery, as well as a two-month elective block. There are also opportunities to participate in overseas work in the PGY 4 year.

The predominant teaching hospitals are The Ottawa Hospital (Civic, General and Riverside campuses), the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the Queensway Carleton Hospital, and in community hospitals and clinics. There are 22 core teaching faculty.

There are weekly seminars/journal clubs and teaching rounds in plastic surgery. As well there are weekly Hand Rounds on Tuesday afternoons in conjunction with orthopaedics. There is a new Microsurgery Lab in the Surgical Skills lab, which runs monthly sessions to teach and maintain skills. Anatomy dissections and fracture workshops are run in conjunction with orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, oral surgery and otolaryngology, speaking to the interdisciplinary collaboration that is one of the strengths of this city.

Research is supported and encouraged. Residents are expected to submit annually to Collins Day and/or Paediatric Research Day. As well, they are encouraged to present at the national meeting and to submit work for publication. Dr. Claudia Malic is the Research Coordinator.

We also have an active and unique National Capital Society of Plastic Surgeons with monthly dinner meetings, including community and academic surgeons from Ottawa, Kingston and Hull-Gatineau (Outaouais). This body has warmly welcomed the residents.

The Division of Plastic Surgery coordinates the Chief Residents' Review course which has been active since 2009. This has gone on to be a valued annual Ottawa based event, allowing faculty and residents to experience winter in the Nation's Capital, while at the same time preparing for the upcoming exams.