Residents gain experience in the diagnosis and treatment of general and malignant hematology patients in a tertiary care setting at the University of Alberta Hospital. Clinical skills are taught with prudent investigation, diagnosis, treatment, and management of a wide variety of clinical hematologic problems with an emphasis on acute leukemia and its complications. Additionally patients with sickle cell disease, MAHA/TTP, AIHA, ITP, and new pancytopenia will be admitted to the hematology service. Pharmacology principles are taught, and exposure to clinical trials will occur. Emergency management of acutely ill patients is refined on this rotation. Hematology subspecialty residents will supervise 2-3 junior learners on rotation. 

The consult service exposes the trainee to a wide variety of common hematological problems encountered in the inpatient setting on non-hematologic services. This includes exposure of a variety of complications experienced by surgical and general medicine patients. Hematologic involvement with difficult solid organ transplant patients and critical care patients would occur primarily on this rotation. Patients seen include acute thrombocytopenia, HIT, DIC, anaemia, neutropenia, pancytopenia, myeloproliferative neoplasms, new multiple myeloma, lymphoma, thrombosis, lymphadenopathy/splenomegaly, hemoglobinopathy and other general hematology cases  The consult resident is often called to assess patients in the emergency room, directing initial management. They also assist in the management of complications of the patients on the medical outpatient unit. At the UAH site the hematology subspecialty residents will supervise 2-3 junior learners on rotation. 

This rotation is at a busy tertiary care community hospital, and is done in Core of Discipline or Transition to Practice. Typically there are 12-15 consultations per week. Patients seen include acute thrombocytopenia (including HIT and DIC), anaemia, neutropenia, pancytopenia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), myeloproliferative disorders, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, thrombosis, lymphadenopathy/splenomegaly, hemoglobinopathy and other general hematology cases. The resident will report to the staff hematologist.

Residents participate in 1 clinic per week, year-round under the mentorship of a Hematologist for the full two-year program, providing the trainee with a wide experience with initial and ongoing management of all aspects of outpatient hematologic care.

The rotation is 3 blocks, split with 2 blocks in PGY4, and 1 block in PGY5  and takes place at the Cross Cancer Institute. The rotation is largely comprised of outpatient malignant hematology clinics. These clinics include patients with the following diagnoses: nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, CLL, multiple myeloma and post-allogeneic bone marrow transplant follow up patients. The resident will also spend 2 weeks on the inpatient CCI hematology service to gain experience in autologous bone marrow transplant and CAR-T cell therapy. 

The resident will rotate through outpatient clinics, including general hematology, hemophilia, hemoglobinopathies, myelodysplastic syndrome, and hematologic issues in pregnancy. When the resident is in Core of Discipline or Transition to Practice, one weekout of each block will be assigned to triage the new referrals to the division with the supervision of the Triage attending.

This rotation includes outpatient thrombosis clinics and dedicated teaching session. Residents are expected to comprehensively manage DVT, PE, cancer associated thrombosis, anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, anticoagulation complications. 

This rotation consists of basic laboratory hematology, including transfusion medicine, peripheral blood and bone marrow morphology, specialized hematology lab testing including coagulation, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular pathology.  Residents will be proficient in morphology and hematology lab interpretation by the end of the hematopathology rotations. 

Residents will have exposure to patient selection for allo-transplant, common conditioning regimens, management of acute and late transplant complications. The allogeneic bone marrow transplant program is completed at the Arthur Child Cancer Center in Calgary, as Edmonton does not have an allogeneic stem cell program. Exposure to auto stem cell transplant and CAR-T will occur as well on the Malignant Hematology Rotations at the Cross Cancer Institute.  Resident Physicians are reimbursed by AHS for accommodation and travel expenses for costs associated with this rotation as it is outside of Edmonton as per the PARA agreement Article 34.01.

A minimum of 1 month devoted to the development and completion of a research or scholarly project on a topic relevant to hematology. Basic research or clinical projects could be pursued with members of the Hematology Division or alternatively from cooperating, yet related faculties in Edmonton. We would also encourage our trainees to consider additional training toward a Master's or PhD if their aspirations are for an academic basic research career. 

Electives are tailored to the trainee’s expectations and needs. It will be reasonably flexible, and a variety of options would be acceptable.  Clinical hematology electives locally or at other Canadian centres could be pursued. Local clinical hematology electives options include leukemia consult service, rare blood disorder (bleeding and hemoglobinopathy) clinics, apheresis service, malignant hematology, or  thrombosis clinics. Further options include laboratory experience could be arranged in any of the specialty laboratory areas, including cell markers, transfusion medicine or lymph node pathology. Additional transplant experience in either the autologous or allogeneic setting could also be arranged. A community Hematology elective in a smaller centre, such as Red Deer or Lethbridge, under the supervision of a community hematologist, may be pursued.  Other related options, such as palliative care or radiation oncology, may be pursued.

Residents are required to complete a scholarly project (ie: research, QI, educational innovation) during their 2 years the program. Elective time can be used for additional scholarly project time. 

Residents are encouraged to attend hematology related conference(s) such as the American Society of Hematology annual meeting with financial support.

Held weekly in conjunction with the Hematopathology Residency Program. Approximately 50% of the sessions are joint with Hematopathology, and 50% are hematology resident only sessions. Topics include basic hematology lectures, laboratory case studies, and multi-disciplinary topics such as ethical and legal issues, laboratory structure and organization, research, and clinical trials.

Hematology Grand Rounds – Held weekly with presentations by Hematology residents, Hematopathology residents, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology residents, and Core Internal Medicine residents. Clinicopathology Rounds are also incorporated. A variety of Hematology focus topics are presented. Residents are expected to present at Hematology Grand Rounds twice per year, with one of their presentations being Journal Club. 

Leukemia Rounds – Held every 2 weeks with discussion of management of active acute leukemia patients and presentation of leukemia related topics.

Lymphoma Rounds - weekly. Residents are encouraged to attend when on malignant hematology rotations. 

Hemoglobinopathy/Transfusion Medicine Rounds - monthly round to review complex hemoglobinopathy transfusion cases, held jointly with transfusion medicine staff

Complex Case rounds - every 1-2 months - opportunities to discuss complex cases with the division. Faculty and residents are encouraged to present and discuss any diagnostic or therapeutically challenging cases. 

Journal Club – This is held monthly, with topical hematology articles presented by staff hematologists and hematology residents. Residents are expected to present at Journal Club once per year.

M&M Rounds – held approximately every 4-6 months.