Cardiology

During this rotation, residents should develop an approach to the following clinical presentations and conditions: 

• Chest pain syndromes

• Heart failure (systolic and diastolic) - pathophysiology, etiology and epidemiology

• Heart failure - investigation

• Decompensated Heart failure - goal directed therapy and management (acute management)

• Heart failure - goal directed therapy and management (long term management)

• Angina and acute coronary syndrome

• Syncope

• Knowledge of indications and contraindications of an exercise stress test

• Approach to EKG interpretation - see EKG objectives

• Approach to bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias

• Valvular heart disease

• Risk stratification post MI

• Dilated cardiomyopathy

• Atrial fibrillation

• Hyperlipidemia

• Angiotensin receptor blockers

Updated August 2025

During this rotation, residents should develop an understanding of the following diagnostic tests and therapies:

• Electrocardiograms

• Thrombolytic therapy

• Antiplatelets and anticoagulants

• Arterial lines, central lines, and Swan-ganz catheters

• Inotropic agents

• Mechanical ventilation

• Continuous renal replacement therapy

• Point of care ultrasound and echocardiography

• Temporary and permanent pacemakers

• Mechanical circulatory support

• Heart transplant

Residents scheduled for the UAH CCU rotation may have the opportunity to visit the Cardiac Catheterization Lab (CCL, Maz Level 2) on select Friday afternoons. If a resident is interested in this opportunity, this learning experience can be coordinated directly with the Cardiology senior resident on CCU. Please note that patient care needs on a resident's regularly assigned service must be adequately addressed before a request to visit the Cath Lab may be approved.

By the end of this rotation, residents will be graded as “progressing as expected” in each of the following and in the Global Rating.  The expected level of performance in the PGY1 year is Interpreter level,  PGY2 is Manager Level, PGY3 is Educator Level (See Program Information - Overall Goals and Objectives).

1. Medical Expert

• Data Collection and Clinical Reasoning: The resident appropriately collects and synthesizes clinical information to formulate a primary diagnosis and appropriate differential.

• Clinical Decision Making - Stable Patients: The resident is able to make appropriate and cost-effective investigation and management decisions for common, acutely unwell but stable patients based on the context of the case and best available evidence.

• Clinical Decision Making - Unstable Patients: The resident is able assess and manage acutely unstable patients.

2. Communicator

• Patient and Family Communication: The resident communicates with and about patients and family in a patient-centered manner.

• Documentation and Verbal Presentation: The resident appropriately documents and presents cases for new consults, progress notes, and handover of care (succinctly organized, prioritized, summarized).

3. Collaborator

• Interdisciplinary Team: The resident works well in a team, shares work, and interacts with emergency physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers effectively.

4. Leader

• Efficiency: The resident prioritizes tasks and manages time effectively.

5. Scholar

• Personal and Team-based Learning:  The resident demonstrates an effective personal learning strategy (reading around cases, appropriate use of resources) and shares knowledge with other team members.

6. Professional

• Scope of Practice:  The resident is trustworthy and responsible, knows limitations (asks for help appropriately), and responds well to feedback.

Assessment

We use the following In-Training Evaluation Report (ITER): 

• Cardiology CCU

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)

Cardiology Wards, Consults, and CCU may be done during Transition to Discipline or Foundations. If done during Transition to Discipline (July and August of R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• TD1: Performing histories and physical exams, documenting and presenting findings, across clinical settings for initial and subsequent care

• TD2: Identifying and assessing unstable patients, providing initial management, and obtaining help

• TD3: Performing the basic procedures of internal medicine

If done during Foundations (September and onward during R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• FD1: Assessing, diagnosing, and initiating management for patients with common acute medical presentations in acute care settings

• FD2: Managing patients admitted to acute care settings with common medical problems and advancing their care plans

• FD3: Consulting specialists and other health professionals, synthesizing recommendations, and integrating these into the care plan

• FD4: Formulating, communicating, and implementing discharge plans for patients with common medical conditions from acute care settings

• FD5: Assessing and providing targeted treatment for unstable patients and consulting as needed

• FD6: Discussing and establishing patients’ goals of care

• FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs 

In addition to the above, residents can also be observed performing a variety of procedures with assessment and logging part of:

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Arterial lines, Central lines while in CCU

Cardiology Senior is done during Core of Discipline or Transition to Practice and this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• CD1: Assessing, diagnosing and managing patients with complex or atypical acute medical presentations

• CD2: Assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients with complex chronic diseases

• CD4: Assessing, resuscitating, and managing unstable and critically ill patients

  • Form 1: Direct or Indirect Observation of approach to condition

  • Form 2: Multisource Feedback regarding Interprofessional care

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Central Lines

• CD6: Assessing capacity for medical decision-making

• CD7: Discussing serious and/or complex aspects of care with patients, families, and caregivers

  • Breaking bad news; discharge related discussion

• CD11: Teaching and assessing junior learners through supervised delivery of clinical care

• TP1: Managing an inpatient medical service

• TP4: Providing consultations to off-site health care providers

• TP5: Initiating and facilitating transfers of care through the health care system

• TP6: Working with other physicians and healthcare professionals to develop collaborative patient care plans

  • Continued use of FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs which will be assessed with TP7

UAH Rotation Supervisor 

Dr. Deirder O'Neill

doneill@ualberta.ca

RAH Rotation Supervisor

Dr. Bradley Brochu 

bradley.brochu@ualberta.ca 

Medical Education Program Coordinator

medncard@ualberta.ca

During this rotation, residents should develop an approach to the following conditions:

• Chest pain

• Heart failure

• Syncope

• Management of hypokalemia & hyperkalemia 

• EKG interpretation - see EKG objectives

• Systolic heart failure

• Valvular heart disease

• Risk stratification post MI

• Dilated cardiomyopathy

• Atrial fibriliation

By the end of this rotation, residents will be graded as “progressing as expected” in each of the following and in the Global Rating.  The expected level of performance in the PGY1 year is Interpreter level,  PGY2 is Manager Level, PGY3 is Educator Level (See Program Information - Overall Goals and Objectives).

1. Medical Expert

• Data Collection and Clinical Reasoning: The resident appropriately collects and synthesizes clinical information to formulate a primary diagnosis and appropriate differential diagnosis.

• Clinical Decision Making: The resident is able to make appropriate and cost-effective investigation and management decisions based on the context of the case and best available evidence.

2. Communicator

• Patient and Family Communication: The resident communicates with and about patients and family in a patient-centered manner.

• Documentation and Verbal Presentation: The resident appropriately documents and verbally presents cases for new admissions, progress notes, handover of care, and discharge summaries (succinctly organized, prioritized, summarized).

3. Collaborator

• Interdisciplinary Team: The resident works well in a team, shares work, and interacts with allied healthcare providers and other consultants effectively.

4. Leader

• Efficiency: The resident prioritizes tasks and manages time effectively.

5. Health Advocate

• Patient Advocacy: The resident advocates for patients by obtaining/expediting investigations, consults, or access to other resources during inpatient care or during transition to the outpatient setting.

6. Scholar

• Personal and Team-based Learning:  The resident demonstrates an effective personal learning strategy (reading around cases, appropriate use of resources) and shares knowledge with other team members.

7. Professional

• Scope of Practice:  The resident is trustworthy and responsible, knows limitations (asks for help appropriately), and responds well to feedback.

Assessment

We use the following In-Training Evaluation Report (ITER): 

• Cardiology Jr

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)

Cardiology Wards, Consults, and CCU may be done during Transition to Discipline or Foundations. If done during Transition to Discipline (July and August of R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• TD1: Performing histories and physical exams, documenting and presenting findings, across clinical settings for initial and subsequent care

• TD2: Identifying and assessing unstable patients, providing initial management, and obtaining help

• TD3: Performing the basic procedures of internal medicine

If done during Foundations (September and onward during R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• FD1: Assessing, diagnosing, and initiating management for patients with common acute medical presentations in acute care settings

• FD2: Managing patients admitted to acute care settings with common medical problems and advancing their care plans

• FD3: Consulting specialists and other health professionals, synthesizing recommendations, and integrating these into the care plan

• FD4: Formulating, communicating, and implementing discharge plans for patients with common medical conditions from acute care settings

• FD5: Assessing and providing targeted treatment for unstable patients and consulting as needed

• FD6: Discussing and establishing patients’ goals of care

• FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs 

In addition to the above, residents can also be observed performing a variety of procedures with assessment and logging part of:

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Arterial lines, Central lines while in CCU

Cardiology Senior is done during Core of Discipline or Transition to Practice and this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• CD1: Assessing, diagnosing and managing patients with complex or atypical acute medical presentations

• CD2: Assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients with complex chronic diseases

• CD4: Assessing, resuscitating, and managing unstable and critically ill patients

  • Form 1: Direct or Indirect Observation of approach to condition

  • Form 2: Multisource Feedback regarding Interprofessional care

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Central Lines

• CD6: Assessing capacity for medical decision-making

• CD7: Discussing serious and/or complex aspects of care with patients, families, and caregivers

  • Breaking bad news; discharge related discussion

• CD11: Teaching and assessing junior learners through supervised delivery of clinical care

• TP1: Managing an inpatient medical service

• TP4: Providing consultations to off-site health care providers

• TP5: Initiating and facilitating transfers of care through the health care system

• TP6: Working with other physicians and healthcare professionals to develop collaborative patient care plans

• Continued use of FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs which will be assessed with TP7

Rotation Supervisor 

Dr. Deirder O'Neill

doneill@ualberta.ca

Medical Education Program Coordinator

medncard@ualberta.ca

During this rotation, residents should develop an approach to the following:

• Management of outpatient coronary artery disease

• Management of outpatient congestive heart failure

• Primary and secondary prevention

• ECG interpretation

• Indications for cardiovascular investigation

• Interpretation of exercise stress tests

• Preliminary interpretation of transthoracic echocardiography

• Management of hyperlipidemia

By the end of this rotation, residents will be graded as “progressing as expected” in each of the following and in the Global Rating.  The expected level of performance in the PGY1 year is Interpreter level,  PGY2 is Manager Level, PGY3 is Educator Level (See Program Information - Overall Goals and Objectives).

1. Medical Expert

• Clinical Decision Making:  The resident is able to make appropriate and cost-effective investigation and management decisions based on the context of the case and best available evidence.

2. Communicator

• Patient and Family Communication:  The resident communicates with and about patients and family in a patient-centred manner.

• Documentation and Verbal Presentation:  The resident appropriately documents and presents cases for progress notes, handover of care, and discharge summaries.

3. Collaborator

• Interdisciplinary Team:  The resident works well in a team, interacts with allied healthcare providers and other consultants effectively.

4. Leader

• Managing Team:  The resident manages the team efficiently, delegates and prioritizes tasks, and manages time effectively.

• Teaching and Supervising Learners:  The resident teaches, gives feedback to, and assesses junior trainees effectively.

5. Health Advocate

• Patient Advocacy:  The resident advocates for patients by obtaining/expediting investigations, consults, or access to other resources during inpatient care or during transition to the outpatient setting.

6. Scholar

• Personal and Team-based Learning:  The resident demonstrates an effective personal learning strategy (reading around cases, appropriate use of resources) and shares knowledge with other team members.

7. Professional

• Scope of Practice:  The resident is trustworthy and responsible, knows limitations (asks for help appropriately), and responds well to feedback.

Assessment

We use the following In-Training Evaluation Report (ITER): 

• Cardiology Senior 

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)

Cardiology Wards, Consults, and CCU may be done during Transition to Discipline or Foundations. If done during Transition to Discipline (July and August of R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• TD1: Performing histories and physical exams, documenting and presenting findings, across clinical settings for initial and subsequent care

• TD2: Identifying and assessing unstable patients, providing initial management, and obtaining help

• TD3: Performing the basic procedures of internal medicine

If done during Foundations (September and onward during R1) this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• FD1: Assessing, diagnosing, and initiating management for patients with common acute medical presentations in acute care settings

• FD2: Managing patients admitted to acute care settings with common medical problems and advancing their care plans

• FD3: Consulting specialists and other health professionals, synthesizing recommendations, and integrating these into the care plan

• FD4: Formulating, communicating, and implementing discharge plans for patients with common medical conditions from acute care settings

• FD5: Assessing and providing targeted treatment for unstable patients and consulting as needed

• FD6: Discussing and establishing patients’ goals of care

• FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs 

In addition to the above, residents can also be observed performing a variety of procedures with assessment and logging part of:

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Arterial lines, Central lines while in CCU

Cardiology Senior is done during Core of Discipline or Transition to Practice and this is an ideal learning environment for the following EPAs:

• CD1: Assessing, diagnosing and managing patients with complex or atypical acute medical presentations

• CD2: Assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients with complex chronic diseases

• CD4: Assessing, resuscitating, and managing unstable and critically ill patients

  • Form 1: Direct or Indirect Observation of approach to condition

  • Form 2: Multisource Feedback regarding Interprofessional care

• CD5: Performing the procedures of Internal Medicine

  • E.g. Central Lines

• CD6: Assessing capacity for medical decision-making

• CD7: Discussing serious and/or complex aspects of care with patients, families, and caregivers

  • Breaking bad news; discharge related discussion

• CD11: Teaching and assessing junior learners through supervised delivery of clinical care

• TP1: Managing an inpatient medical service

• TP4: Providing consultations to off-site health care providers

• TP5: Initiating and facilitating transfers of care through the health care system

• TP6: Working with other physicians and healthcare professionals to develop collaborative patient care plans

  • Continued use of FD7: Identifying personal learning needs while caring for patients and addressing those needs which will be assessed with TP7

Rotation Supervisor 

Dr. Deirder O'Neill

doneill@ualberta.ca

Medical Education Program Coordinator

medncard@ualberta.ca