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Faculty of Health Sciences

Department of Pediatrics

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Residency Program

Message from Program Director, Mary Zachos

The Pediatric Gastroenterology Residency Program at McMaster University offers a breadth of exposure to gastroenterology, hepatology, transplant, motility, and nutrition. Our program offers an excellent balance, with inpatient and outpatient care. Residents also have ample opportunity to gain competence in endoscopy, including level 1 and level 2 type procedures. A continuity clinic is set up in the second year, allowing residents to see consultations and follow-ups with arm’s-length supervision by staff. Residents are welcome to become more involved in the pediatric resident education rounds, especially in the second year. The focus of the program is on graded responsibility and learning to balance ward, outpatient, endoscopy, teaching, and research responsibilities in order to be ready for practice as an academic or community pediatric gastroenterologist.

Pediatric Gastroenterology Overview

Overview

The gastroenterology team at McMaster is transdisciplinary. Residents have an opportunity to learn integrated teamwork skills and work with an enthusiastic group of people dedicated to providing quality health care to infants, children, and adolescents.

Our team consists of physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians, occupational therapists, child life specialists, social workers, and administrative staff.

This fellowship program is accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

We are seeking candidates who have a keen interest in pediatric gastroenterology and who have demonstrated a strong work ethic.

Applications are processed through CaRMS. Please visit the CaRMS website for application deadline information.

McMaster Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) provides an environment where learners can develop the skills to become expert physicians and leaders in health care.

 

Pediatric Gastroenterology Education

Education

The length of training is two years.

This program features a dedicated pediatric gastroenterology teaching curriculum with weekly sessions, along with an annual spring pediatric subspecialty resident teaching curriculum that covers non-medical expert CanMEDS roles and allows networking with other subspecialty residents. These sessions are protected time for residents, who may also attend the adult gastroenterology academic half-day, which occurs on site, if their schedule permits.

The Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Pediatrics provides financial support for attendance at national and international gastroenterology conferences, and encourages residents to take advantage of sponsored courses offered to residents by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

Graduate training is available in clinical epidemiology, a variety of basic science areas, and business administration.

Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinical

Clinical

Residents learn to run clinics efficiently, which is one of the reasons the division is consistently able to log 4,000 patient visits annually, including 1,000 new consultations.

The rotation schedule is flexible and arranged with the program director, though there is an interest in completing a majority of ward rotations in the first year and a majority of research months in the second year. In the event of lengthening training to complete a graduate degree, all ward and clinic rotations must be completed in the first 18 months, with all other rotations completed within the first three years, though the continuity clinic and endoscopy can be continued. Residents on research are expected to attend at least one half-day clinic per week, not including the half-day continuity clinic.

Rotations include:

  • Ward & consult services (six months)
  • Outpatient clinics (three months)
  • Hepatology/transplant (two months)
  • Adult GI (one month)
  • Nutrition (one month)
  • Radiology/pathology (one month)
  • Motility (one month)
  • Junior attending (one month)
  • Electives (two months)
  • Research/electives (six months)
  • Endoscopy (half-day, horizontal)
  • Continuity clinic (half-day, horizontal, second year and beyond)

Most rotations take place at McMaster Children’s Hospital, located at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. The adult gastroenterology rotation is at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

The hepatology/transplant rotation is completed at the Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, a one-hour drive from McMaster Children’s Hospital. The program is committed to ensuring adequate accommodation in London during the hepatology/transplant rotation if residents do not wish to commute.

Pediatric Gastro Research

Research

Residents have the option of extending training in order to complete research beyond the six months provided in the program. A wide breadth of research opportunities exist within the division and through the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, a world-class facility that includes clinical researchers, with expertise in meta-analysis, and basic science researchers, including a self-sufficient gnotobiotic facility.

Pediatric Gastro Contact Us

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Contact Us

We invite you to learn more about the Pediatric Gastroenterology Residency Program and the opportunities that are available at McMaster University. Please feel free to contact us with any questions by emailing pedgied@mcmaster.ca.

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Mary Zachos

Associate Professor

Faculty

zachosm@mcmaster.ca McMaster Experts Profile

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Laya Baby

Divisional Assistant

babyl@mcmaster.ca