The University of British Columbia

The General Pediatric training program has been redesigned in recent years to provide a broad educational base, both inpatient and ambulatory. Greater use is being made of community resources to equip the modern day general pediatrician with all the skills necessary for practice in this specialty. At the same time, sufficient training is retained within the tertiary care experience to equip the pediatric graduate with the confidence and skills to treat children with significant and possibly life-threatening problems.

The first year of the Program provides a closely supervised introduction to general pediatrics. The second year allows for greater autonomy and incorporates some subspecialty exposure. The supervisory third and fourth years have mandatory general and intensive care rotations, but allow a full year of elective choices such that the Program can be tailored to meet the career goals of the individual resident.

The general pediatric ward experience utilizes the Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) format with the supervisory resident assuming the leadership of a resident-intern team which is personally responsible for all patients on the CTU. The ambulatory general pediatric experience progresses from a closely supervised Emergency and Rehabilitation and Development experience to the virtual autonomy of a pediatric rotation in a community hospital. All subspecialty electives are predominantly ambulatory and consultative. Research is strongly encouraged in the Program and much effort is expended in supporting this, including education in research methodology. This well-balanced Program fulfills the objectives of the Royal College and thereby produces excellent pediatric consultants.

The Facilities

BC Children's Hospital (BCCH) provides primary and secondary care service to the city of Vancouver and is the tertiary referral centre for British Columbia. Virtually all medical and surgical subspecialties are represented at this centre. There are 200 beds at BCCH, a 20-bed Critical Care Unit, with 14 acute care and 6 Special Needs Unit beds. A busy 24-hour Emergency Room, specially equipped for children, serves in excess of 31,000 patients per year.

BC Children's Hospital, and BC Women's Hospital offer observation nursery experience, while the Sunny Hill Health Care Centre for Children sees pediatric patients for developmental rehabilitation services.

The University

Through its affiliation with the University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital serves as the prime source of pediatric training in the province.

The Department of Pediatrics, part of the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, has played a vital role in developing undergraduate and clinical training programs since 1952. The strength of the Department lies in three areas: teaching, research, and exemplary patient care. The hospital's affiliation with UBC designates Children's as a major teaching hospital for pediatricians.

The Department of Pediatrics is responsible for the pediatric education of the 150 medical students in each year of the undergraduate program, family practice residents, and external elective students annually. In addition, many of the subspecialties offer training programs for pediatric graduates. Subspecialty fellows total about 30 per year, while the resident body is 40 per year.

Students of many other disciplines are present in the hospital, including nursing, dentistry, surgical subspecialties, family medicine, psychiatry, medical genetics, etc. Advanced level trainees should feel a special obligation to teach junior colleagues, both on the wards and in didactic presentations. There is no better way to learn than to teach a subject.

Research is a high priority of all the divisions within the Department of Pediatrics. Most departmental members are active investigators. All trainees are encouraged to consider research projects; some divisions make this a requirement. Advice in statistics and methodology is available as a service to staff and trainees of BCCH through the office of Research Support Services, located in the Research Institute adjacent to the hospital. The eighteen divisions within the Department are responsible for 65 percent of all research performed at BCCH. New research developments enhance the outstanding care given to children and youth in British Columbia.

The Department shares the philosophy of family-centered care with BC Children's Hospital. As the tertiary care centre for the province, BCCH provides care to children with simple and complex disorders.

The Region

Vancouver is home to the B.C. Lions (CFL football team), the Vancouver Canucks (NHL hockey team), and the Vancouver Grizzlies (basketball team). All games take place in the heart of Vancouver (B.C. Place Stadium and the new G.M. Centre). As well, there is thoroughbred horse racing in Vancouver from April to October and harness racing in Cloverdale, a few kilometres away, from October to April.

Vancouver reflects the culture of many ethnic groups such as British, French, Chinese, Native Indian, German, Greek, Japanese, Vietnamese, East Indian, etc. These groups have greatly enriched Vancouver's cultural life with their festivals, customs, and restaurants.