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Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology Residency Program

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On behalf of all our faculties and residents, welcome to the University of Ottawa Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology Residency Program website. Here you will find all the information you need about our program.

Message from the Program Director

Our mission is to cultivate future diagnostic and molecular pathologists with in-depth, centralized training in scholarship, leadership and clinical practice in Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology. From your first days in our program, our diagnostic and molecular pathology residents experience hands-on, active learning. We are committed to our residency program and our residents. As such, mentorship along with individualized, flexible training schedules helps our residents achieve their career goals while promoting resident well being. Throughout the course of their residency, our residents actively participate in a variety of research opportunities.

We are part of a large hospital network, EORLA (Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association), that provides lab medicine and diagnostic and molecular pathology service to 16 member hospitals in the Champlain LHIN. As a result, we have a large and dedicated teaching faculty providing centralized diagnostic and molecular pathology services at The Ottawa Hospital. In addition, there are additional teaching faculty at community hospitals in Ottawa (Montfort Hospital and Queensway Carleton Hospital) and Cornwall, Ontario.

I invite you to explore our website to learn more about our program. Feel free to reach out to myself or any of our residents should you have any additional questions.

I am truly fortunate to be the program director of one of the strongest diagnostic and molecular pathology residency programs in the country.

Bibianna Purgina, MD, FRCPC

Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, uOttawa
Program Director, Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology, uOttawa

Bibianna Purgina

Program Description

The University of Ottawa provides a 5-year comprehensive training in Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology (DMP), leading to eligibility to write the Royal College specialty examinations and to practice as a competent pathologist. According to the newly adapted Royal College Competency-By-Design (CBD) pathway, the 5-year training is divided into 4 Stages, namely, Transition to Discipline (TTD), Foundation (F), Core (C) and Transition to Practice (TTP) of the CBD pathway (please, click for details). Throughout the 5 years, there is a weekly academic day (whole day Monday) dedicated to formal lectures, seminars, and research: this is protected time for residents, i.e. no service duties. The department annually sponsors an active visiting professor program attracting world-class pathologists and scientists. A journal club is held monthly. The program emphasizes heavily on the CanMEDS roles in keeping with the newly implemented CBD-model with close monitoring of work-based practice assessments/evaluations of residents' clinical and other academic performances with annual Multi-Source Feedback mechanism for all residents using electronic platforms.

The Department offers Pathology Laboratory Medicine Rounds (PALM), held every other week for both faculty and residents. Senior residents are also expected to actively take part in these rounds. Residents attend a number of conferences throughout the year and are encouraged to make presentations at national and international meetings. Residents are required to play Champions of CanMEDS Roles and give a presentation at a Lunch and Learn session. The Curriculum Map offers dedicated research time, electives and in-depth exposure to subspecialties ensuring adequate exposure to achieve the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) of all the Stages of training. The program is based on a 13-block lunar calendar, the majority of the rotations being 1-3 blocks (each block is 4 weeks) in duration. The residents’ progress is closely monitored by the Clinical Competence Committee (CCC) during the various rotations with graded responsibilities and teaching sessions, and by a formal practice written & oral examination, once a year in addition to end of rotation practice tests. Residents are required to write the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Resident-In-Service-Exam (RISE) each year.