The program helps prepare Fellows to write examinations with the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM). Fellows successfully completing these examinations are eligible to apply for certification with The Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM).
OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY FELLOWSHIP TRAINING SITES APPLY
OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY
New physician trainees are accepted into the program each year. Fellows typically have backgrounds in psychiatry, internal medicine, or family medicine, but applicants may come from any medical background. The program runs from July 2 to June 30 (one year). There may be some flexibility for residents concurrently enrolled in other programs.
We're pleased to offer Fellowship opportunities with focused clinical rotations in the Interior, Vancouver Island (primarily in Victoria), Fraser Health, and the lower mainland of Vancouver. Applicants should indicate their preferred location in their letter of intent, along with a brief summary of why they would be a good fit.
Fellowship Overview
The Fellowship is composed of 12 four-week rotations, including core blocks and elective time. The following are rotation requirements of all Fellows:
- 3 x 4-week blocks in-patient medicine
- 1 x 4-week block at outpatient addiction clinic
- 1 x 4-week block detox
- 1 x 4-week block concurrent disorders
- 1 x 4-week block residential treatment
- Other strongly recommended opportunities include: 1 x perinatal addiction care, 1 x youth addiction care, 1 x chronic pain and addiction care
Elective blocks are to be decided on with the Program Director.
- A longitudinal component of the Fellowship includes a year-long half day experience in community-based practice, tailored to the learning needs of each Fellow.
- For physician Fellows, very little in-hospital overnight call is required, but there are several rotations where call from home may be expected. This is never more frequent than one in four nights. Weekend call obligations will be approximately one day per month.
- Didactic experiences include a 2-week academic block at the beginning of the year, monthly academic half-days, 4 days of motivational interviewing training, monthly journal clubs with interdisciplinary clinical and research Fellows, and conference attendance.
- Fellows are expected to each present one talk during the year on the latest research/information on a novel, evidence-based addiction medicine topic, as part of the What’s New in Addiction Medicine series. Fellows are also expected to each present once at a journal club during the year.
- Fellows are required to complete a scholarly project and present their work at the annual BC Substance Use Conference at the end of the academic year.
- St. Paul’s Hospital is a rich research environment and home to many addiction-related research projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the US National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Fellows will have abundant opportunities to conduct and publish peer-reviewed research and participate in the development of funding proposals. Senior researchers affiliated with the Fellowship have considerable experience mentoring Fellows making the transition to Clinician Researcher.
Eligibility
Applications are accepted from individuals who have graduated from or will graduate from a Canadian or American institution, and are licensed to practice in Canada. Eligible disciplines include family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry, emergency medicine, public health, and other medical specialty training programmes. Applicants can be either in practice currently or in their last two years of any specialty residency training program, as long as their current Program Director agrees.
Family medicine applicants can access the program via positions with the BC Centre on Substance Use, or through the CaRMS R3 match. As the applications for family medicine are harmonized, all family medicine applicants are asked to apply through the R3 CaRMS stream and will be considered for all available positions. Family medicine applicants should visit theUBC Enhanced Skills website for the application process and deadlines.
Core Rotation Sites for Vancouver-based Fellows
At least one of:
The SMH rotation will involve assessment and management of patients with substance use disorders in the acute inpatient setting and outpatient settings, with an emphasis on co-occurring disorders.
Fellows will provide withdrawal management and follow up of patients at Creekside detox centre. Fellows will also be part of the Substance Use Disorder Consult Liaison Team at Surrey Memorial Hospital throughout the week. They will attend the introduction to addiction services and basic skills group at Quibble Creek, learning how patients are introduced to the services in the area with provision of psycho-education regarding substance use disorders.
At least one of:
At least one of:
Vancouver Island-based Fellowship
There is an opportunity for addiction medicine Fellows interested in completing a Vancouver Island-based (primarily in Victoria) satellite Fellowship. In addition to a few key rotations in Vancouver, this satellite Fellowship will include:
- Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospital Addiction Medicine Consult Service
- Victoria Rapid Access Addiction Clinic
- Royal Jubilee Withdrawal Management Services and Clearview Detox
- Cedars and Edgewood Residential Treatment Centres
Interested applicants should indicate their preference for this satellite Fellowship in their letter of intent, along with a brief summary of why they would be a good fit.
Fraser Health-based Fellowship
There is an opportunity for addiction medicine Fellows interested in completing a satellite Fellowship with Fraser Health. In addition to a few key rotations in Vancouver, this satellite Fellowship will include:
- Creekside Withdrawal Management Centre
- Surrey Intensive Case Management Team
- Surrey Memorial Hospital Addiction Medicine Consult Team
- Royal Columbian Hospital Addiction Medicine Consult Team
- Fraser South Rapid Access Addiction Clinic
- Fraser North Rapid Access Addiction Clinic
- Quibble Creek Opioid Agonist Therapy Clinic
UBC Category 1 Enhanced Skills in Addiction Medicine
UBC offers a one-year training opportunity through the Category 1 Addiction Medicine program for family practice graduates, which is largely based off of the BCCSU Addiction Medicine Fellowship. The application process for this training is harmonized with the BCCSU Fellowship, and thus all family medicine applicants are asked to apply through the R3 CaRMS stream and will be considered for all available positions. There are positions reserved for family medicine applicants with the BCCSU, separate from the R3 CaRMS stream. Please visit the UBC Enhanced Skills website for the application process and deadlines.
APPLY
Timeline for Applications for the 2025-2026 Fellowship:
- August 6, 2024: Application process opens
- October 3, 2024: Application deadline
- October 3 to October 18, 2024: File review
- October 28 to November 15, 2024: Interview period
- December 12, 2024: Acceptance notification
- January 10, 2025: Deadline for acceptance offer by applicant
- July 2, 2025: Fellowship begins
Please note: While the Fellowship is envisioned to begin July 2, 2025, there may be some flexibility with the start date, particularly for applicants who bring their own funding.
Application Details
All family medicine based Addiction Medicine Fellowship applicants please apply through the CARMS process and see here for application details. All other Addiction Medicine Fellowship applicants go through the application process described below.
Interested candidates must submit an electronic copy of the following documentation:
- A 700-word letter of intent describing:
- The applicant’s background,
- The applicant’s preparation for the Fellowship,
- Why the applicant is interested in a career in addiction medicine, and
- The ways the applicant imagines their experience as a Fellow will allow them to have impact within the system of addictions treatment and care.
- Two letters of reference
- Please note: If you will be a Resident at the time of the Fellowship start date, please also include a letter of agreement from your current Residency Director with your application
- A curriculum vitae
Please send an electronic copy of all application materials to the Fellowship Program Assistant, Raman Jawanda: [email protected]
Interviews
Interviews may be conducted with top candidates from each discipline shortly after the application deadline. Interviews may be in person, on the phone, or via Skype.
General Inquiries
For further information about this fellowship program, please contact us at [email protected].
PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
- Dr. Paxton Bach, Director, BCCSU Clinical Addiction Medicine Fellowship
- Dr. Sukhpreet Klaire, Associate Director, BCCSU Clinical Addiction Medicine Fellowship
- Dr. Ramm Hering, Director, Vancouver Island Addiction Medicine Fellowship
- Dr. Sharon Vipler, Director, Fraser Health Addiction Medicine Fellowship
2023-24
- DR. JONATHAN ATHAYDE
- DR. ELISE JACKSON
- DR. CONNOR HOWELL
- DR. ZACNICTE MAY
- DR. ELLISON RICHMOND
2022-23
- DR. BRITTANY DENNIS
- DR. CLARA LU
- DR. COLE SUGDEN
- DR. DAVID DENG
- DR. DAVID READING
- DR. JAMES WANG
- DR. KATHLEEN BIRD
- DR. KEVIN NGUYEN
- DR. MEARA TUBMAN-BROEREN
- DR. MICHELLE NG
- DR. ZOE POLSKY
2021-22
- DR. ALEXANDRA ANGHEL
- DR. ALLISON HUDSON
- DR. DALJEET MAHAL
- DR. CHERYL GASCOYNE
- DR. IAN RUIZ
- DR. TONY ZHAO
- DR. WILLIAM MAK
- DR. GENEVIÈVE KERKERIAN
- DR. JULIA ZAZOULINA
- DR. VICTORIA TIAN
2020-21
- DR. BRITT BAILEY
- DR. CAROLYN MARCHAND
- DR. CHARLES BOISSONEAULT
- DR. CHRISTINE MACCAULEY
- DR. ETHAN REINER
- DR. JELISIA KAMEL
- DR. JENNIFER NG
- DR. JUSTIN KOH
- DR. TOSH MIZZAU
- DR. TYLER WILSON
- DR. VICTORIA WEAVER
- DR. ANDREA RATZLAFF
- DR. MEGAN WOOLNER
- DR. NATHAN STEFANI
2019-20
- DR. ABHINAV JOSHI
- DR. ALLISON MARMEL
- DR. ASHLEY SMITH
- DR. JITENDER GILL
- DR. KELSEY RODEN
- DR. KIM LAN ST-PIERRE
- DR. LINGSA JIA
- DR. MISHA BAWA
- DR. PATRICK MCDONALD
- DR. PATRICIA CADDY
- DR. VALERIE NICHOLLS
2018-19
- DR. REBECCA COISH
- DR. KATE COLIZZA
- DR. MARLON DANILEWITZ
- DR. CATHERINE GRAY
- DR. BASIA HAMATA
- DR. JESSICA HANN
- DR. RENEE JANSSEN
- DR. SUKHPREET KLAIRE
- DR. DANNY LEE
- DR. ELIZABETH PLANT
- DR. ANNE SUTHERLAND
- DR. JAY WANG
- DR. SAMANTHA YOUNG
2017-18
- DR. PAXTON BACH
- DR. BRYAN CHOW
- DR. KATE COLIZZA
- DR. SARAH ICKOWICZ
- DR. THEO JANKOWSKI
- DR. DANIA NOTTA
- DR. ROTIMI ORISATOKI
- DR. GEOFFREY WALTON
2016-17
- DR. BEN TREPANIER
- DR. ROBERT FOX
- DR. TARA ANDRUSIAK
- DR. VALERIE GIANG
- DR. NAOMI DOVE
- DR. PRABH LAIL
- DR. ISABELLE MILES
- DR. VERENA STREHLAU
- DR. NICHOLAS MISRI
2015-16
- DR. NIKKI BOZINOFF
- DR. JULIUS ELEFANTE
- DR. NADIA FAIRBAIRN
- DR. CHRISTOPHER FAIRGRIEVE
- DR. JOHN HARDING
- DR. ERIN KNIGHT
2014-15
- DR. ATAA AZARBAR
- DR. ALEXANDER CAUDARELLA
- DR. RITA LUNG
- DR. MOHIT SINGH
2013-14
- DR. POUYA AZAR
- DR. JOHN KOEHN
- DR. SEONAID NOLAN
- DR. NITASHA PURI
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
St. Paul’s Hospital at Providence Health Care is an acute care, academic, and research hospital located in downtown Vancouver. With over 500 acute care beds in use and home to many world-leading medical and surgical programs, the hospital serves both the local community and patients from across BC. Its downtown location brings many of Vancouver’s tourists and visitors to its doors. St. Paul’s also has a longstanding history of providing care to disadvantaged populations. For more information about St. Paul’s Hospital, please click here.
From its inception in 2007, members of the Division of AIDS at the University of British Columbia have been involved in various areas of research in the area of HIV treatment and prevention. The Division places considerable emphasis on treating and preventing HIV infection among intravenous drug users.
The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked resource with a mandate to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. The BCCSU focuses on three strategic areas: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance. With the support of the province of British Columbia, the BCCSU hosts the largest interdisciplinary addiction medicine training program in North America, building capacity in the healthcare system in BC to improve access to evidence-based care. Although physically located in Vancouver, the BCCSU is a provincially networked resource for researchers, educators, and care providers, as well as people who use substances, family advocates, support groups, and the recovery community. For more information about the BCCSU, please click here.
The University of British Columbia (UBC), established in 1908, is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranked among the top 40 in the world. The university attracts 54,000 students from across Canada and 140 countries around the world to two major campuses. For more information about UBC, please click here.
St. Paul’s Foundation raises funds to support compassionate world-class care, research, and teaching at St. Paul’s Hospital. The BCCSU Addiction Medicine Fellowship is a partnership between St. Paul’s Foundation, St. Paul’s Hospital, the BC Centre on Substance Use, and the UBC Division of AIDS. The program was launched with a $3 million landmark donation to St. Paul’s Foundation, gifted by Goldcorp, Inc. The Foundation continues to secure additional funding to support the program. For more information or to donate, please click here.
Vancouver Coastal Health is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care; home and community care; mental health services; population and preventive health; and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area. For more information, please click here.