The pediatric surgery training program is based at the Montreal Children's Hospital [MCH] of the 好色TV Health Centre. It is a two-year residency training program provided to candidates who have completed their training in general surgery at a Royal College of Surgeons of Canada or ACGME-accredited program. All academic faculty involved in the training program are board-certified pediatric surgeons passionate about surgical education.
The scope of training involves a comprehensive program with exposure to pediatric general and non-cardiac, thoracic surgery (with a particular focus on neonatal and congenital malformation surgery), as well as head and neck, gynecological/genitourinary surgery, trauma, oncologic and colorectal surgery. Patients' ages range from the premature to the older adolescent (<18 years). Successful completion of training allows the candidate to sit for the pediatric surgery examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons and the American Board of Surgery. The training objectives can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada website. As per Royal College's requirement, the program transitioned to a competency-based model of surgical education using 鈥渆ntrustable professional acts鈥� (EPAs). The first year of training consists of 10 months of pediatric general and thoracic surgery and mandatory rotations in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU), which are one month each. The second year of training consists of 12 months of clinical pediatric general and thoracic surgery at the chief resident level. Elective rotations in Pediatric Urology (1 month) or Pediatric Surgery at H么pital Ste-Justine (1 month) can be organized during the second year.
Overview/History of Institution:
The Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital (MCH) was founded in 1903 by Dr. Alexander Mackenzie Forbes as a 10-bed unit primarily treating children with orthopedic issues. The establishment of 好色TV affiliation in 1920 led to the vision of training surgeons specialized in the care of children. The hospital moved to Tupper Street in 1956 under the leadership of Dr. David Murphy (1953-1974), its first Surgeon-in-Chief, where it remained for nearly 60 years. Dr. Harvey Beardmore (program director 1974-1981) spearheaded efforts to recognize pediatric surgery as a distinct specialty of the American Board of Surgery. Thus, the MCH became one of the 鈥渙riginal 5鈥� pediatric surgery training programs in North America under the directorship of Dr. Herbert Owen (1974-1981). Dr. Frank Guttman (1981-1996) took over both the Division and Program Directorships and was succeeded in this role by Dr. Jean-Martin Laberge in 1996. In 2008, after 14 years of unprecedented growth, the Division and Program Directorships were split into two distinct entities under Dr. Sherif Emil and Dr. Pramod Puligandla, respectively.
On May 24, 2015, the MCH underwent its most significant transformation as it moved from a free-standing children鈥檚 hospital to a 鈥渉ospital within a super-hospital鈥� at the 好色TV Health Centre Glen Site on Decarie Boulevard. The Division currently consists of 8 board-certified pediatric surgeons with varying interests and expertise, including pediatric critical care. The Division has many interdisciplinary clinics (e.g. EATEF, CDH, chest wall anomalies) and will launch a colorectal center of excellence (COCOE) in September 2024. In addition, Division members dedicate significant personal and academic time to global surgery and indigenous health. The program also has a close working relationship with the Shriner鈥檚 Hospital for
Children, located immediately adjacent to the MCH, the only Shriner鈥檚 hospital outside of the USA. As of 2024, the MCH has trained 61 surgeons from North America and worldwide.
Institution Information
Montreal Children鈥檚 Hospital Montreal, QC Canada
Number of beds: 156, with 52 NICU and 18 PICU beds
Percentage of time at this location: 100%
Training site type: Free-standing children's hospital
Faculty Information
Program Director: Kenneth Shaw, MD
Program manager: Jennifer Polisca
jennifer.polisca [at] muhc.mcgill.ca
Call Schedule
1st Year - home call Q2
Fellows are not called for appendicitis or abdominal pain consults, as these are managed by the staff on call with the junior resident. Fellows will receive calls from the PICU/NICU or significant trauma activations.
2nd Year - home call Q2
Fellows are not called for appendicitis or abdominal pain consults, as these are managed by the staff on call with the junior resident. Fellows will receive calls from the PICU/NICU or significant trauma activations.
Conference Schedule
Tuesday
o NICU-Surgery Rounds 鈥� weekly
- Journal Club
o GI/Surgery Rounds 鈥� weekly
- Case conference/review of common patients
Wednesday 鈥� Academic Half Day
o Senior Teaching 鈥� SCORE (07h00-08h00, 12h00-13h30)
o Surgery-Radiology-Pathology (SRP) 鈥� 08h00-09h00
o Resident鈥檚 clinic (09h00-12h00)
o PICU Teaching (PM) 鈥� open invitation (ECLS wet labs, special topics, inter-disciplinary rounds)
Thursday
o Departmental M+M grand rounds 鈥� every other month
o听Trauma rounds 鈥� 3rdweek of block
o听Pediatric Surgical Grand Rounds 鈥� 1stweek
o听Tumor Board 鈥� weekly
Friday
o Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy Group (every week)
听
Special Conferences:
o Northeastern Rounds
- Three times a year with CHEO, HSJ, Quebec, Kingston, +/-London, +/- Toronto
- Guttman Day 鈥� June every year
o Bass Rounds
- Eight times a year with Canadian Pediatric Surgery training programs
Program Information
RRC accreditation status: Continued Accreditation
Meeting/Training Course policy: Fellows' travel and lodging are covered for a selection of post-graduate courses amongst the following:
- Transition to Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Course
- MIS course
- Jude Oncology Course
- AAP Resident Retreat
- Colorectal Course
Average total number of cases performed by graduating fellows over the past five years: 900
Board passage rate (3 years): 100%