Edmonton - Orthopedic Surgery
University of AlbertaEdmonton, Alberta
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 41
- Length
- 5
- Applications per year
- 51–200
- Offered interviews
- 51–75%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
IMG stream · open to international medical graduates
Interviews
Not stated on the CMG stream’s CaRMS page
1 date, 3 Feb 2027
Edmonton, 8 teaching sites · 8 rural weeks
What stands out about this program
Required eight-week rural orthopedic rotation, with Yellowknife, NWT as one of the site options.
From “Training sites” on the CaRMS page
Residents are expected to complete both a clinical and a basic science research project.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
A Vertimed simulator in the resident room gives residents 24/7 access to simulator training.
From “Program curriculum” on the CaRMS page
- This is a five-year orthopedic surgery residency in Edmonton, based at two trauma sites: the University of Alberta Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
- Residents complete an eight-week rural orthopedic rotation in Red Deer or Yellowknife.
- In years two through four, residents are expected to complete one clinical and one basic science research project, and call is no more than one in four.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Urban community
- Regional community
- Rural exposure
- Required rural rotation (8 weeks)
- Focus areas
- Rural / remote
- Early independence
- Small program
- Research
- Required · research project
By year
- PGY-1
- General Orthopedic + Spine Surgery24 Weeks
- Orthopedic Pediatrics4 Weeks
- General Surgery4 Weeks
- Internal Medicine4 Weeks
- Emergency Medicine4 Weeks
- Vascular Surgery4 Weeks
- Coronary Care4 Weeks
- PGY-2
- Jr. Arthroplasty Surgery8 Weeks
- Jr. Orthopedic Trauma Surgery8 Weeks
- Orthopedic Rural/Community Practice8 Weeks
- Jr. Sports8 Weeks
- Jr. Spine8 Weeks
- ICU8 Weeks
- Plastic Surgery4 Weeks
- PGY-3
- Upper Extremity12 Weeks
- Pediatrics12 Weeks
- Tumor12 Weeks
- Foot & Ankle12 Weeks
- Electives4 Weeks
- PGY-4
- Arthroplasty12 Weeks
- Sports12 Weeks
- Trauma12 Weeks
- Spine8 Weeks
- Electives8 Weeks
- PGY-5
- Pediatrics12 Weeks
- Trauma12 Weeks
- Upper Extremity8 Weeks
- Transition to Practice8 Weeks
- Foot & Ankle4 Weeks
- Consolidation4 Weeks
- Electives4 Weeks
Where you train
Edmonton, Alberta: 8 teaching sites; 8 rural weeks.
- University of Alberta Hospital
- Royal Alexandra Hospital
- Stollery Children's Hospital
- Misericordia Community Hospital
- Grey Nuns Community Hospital
- Sturgeon Community Hospital
- Red Deer (Red Deer · rural or distributed site)
- Yellowknife, NWT (Yellowknife · rural or distributed site)
Record systems at the listed sites: Epic at 6 of 8; no published record for 2.
Hospital facts
What official sources say for hospitals named above, each with its source and the date we read it. They describe the hospital, not the program. We match names to the sources by name, so check each source before you rely on it.
- Clinical record
- Epic (Connect Care), fully electronic record since Nov 2024
Hospital size and activity: Alberta doesn't publish this as open data.
About Edmonton
People
1,010,899residents, 2021 Census
Housing
3.8%rental vacancy rate
Winter and summer
−10.3 °CJanuary mean18.1 °CJuly mean
Job outlook
Very goodfor the specialty here, 2025–2027
How they choose
- Application file components
- CV
- Electives
- Examinations
- Extra-curricular
- Leadership skills
- MSPRs
- Personal letters
- Reference documents
- Research/Publications
- Transcripts
- Other file component(s)
- Return of service, CMG stream
- Not required · all residents
- Return of service, IMG stream
- Not required · all residents
- IMG requirements, IMG stream
- Assessment by a provincial clinical assessment program
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match), CMG stream
- Not stated on the CMG stream’s CaRMS page
- Interview dates (2027 match), IMG stream
- 3 Feb 2027
- Format, CMG stream
- Virtual
- Panel
- Format, IMG stream
- Panel
Info sessions
None listed on the program’s CaRMS page (opens in a new tab) (read 20 Oct 2026) or on CANPREPP’s events calendar (read 24 Oct 2026). Programs add sessions through the fall.
5 Orthopedic Surgery info sessions at other programsAll info sessions
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $67,440 / year |
| PGY-2 | $74,153 / year |
| PGY-3 | $80,058 / year |
| PGY-4 | $86,281 / year |
| PGY-5 | $92,698 / year |
Call
- Call (as the program states it)
- frequency “no more than one in four”
- Call (provincial max)
- 1 in 4 in-house
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- No new responsibilities after the 24th hour of duty, apart from handover
- Max continuous duty (provincial)
- 24 consecutive hours, plus 2 hours for handover
Benefits
- Annual vacation
- 4 weeks/yr
- Call Stipends
- weekday in-house – $118.02weekend in-house / holiday – $178.72weekday home call – $59.01weekend home call / holiday – $89.35
- CMPA dues paid
- $1,500
- Dental plan
- 75% premium paid
- Educational leave
- 14 days paid leave
- Extended health insurance
- 75% premium paid$1000 per year Flexible Spending Account*
- Life insurance
- 100% towards $150,000 coverage
- Life Support Course Costs (Program Approved
- 100% paid
- Long-term disability insurance
- 100% paid for 75% gross income
- Maternity Leave
- 18 weeks total (17 weeks paid to match 90% of salary when combined with EI)
- Parental Leave
- 2 weeks leave with full pay and benefits;52 weeks (inclusive of Maternity/Paternity/Adoption Leaves) – unpaid leave
- Practice Stipend
- $1,500
- Provincial dues (% of salary)
- .95%
- Sick leave
- Up to 3 months or to end contract paid leave, whichever occurs first
- Statutory holidays
- Paid days. Additional days off are given if resident works the day before and part of a named holiday.
Past matches
No repeated vacancies in CaRMS’s lists of open positions, 2019–2026.
What this means
- A position can go unfilled because of where the site is, because it is open to IMGs only or to another restricted stream, or because the quota changed late.
- It says nothing about the quality of the training or how heavy the workload is.
- A site’s numbers are shown when it had positions open after round 1 in at least 2 of 8 years or at least 3 in one year.
Year by year
2027 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 4 | 5 years | Nothing noted | |
| IMG stream | 1 | 5 years | 1 date, 3 Feb 2027 |
|
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 4 | 5 years | Interviews not stated |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The University of Alberta Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program is a comprehensive 5-year training program designed to develop well-rounded orthopedic surgeons.
- The program offers extensive clinical and surgical experiences across multiple subspecialties, with a strong emphasis on research and academic development.
- Research
- Residents complete literature reviews, clinical and basic science research projects, with support from research directors and opportunities for graduate degrees through the Clinician Investigator Program.
- Training setting
- Residents train across multiple urban hospitals in Edmonton, including trauma sites, community hospitals, and specialized children's hospitals, with opportunities for rural rotations in Red Deer and Yellowknife.
- Teaching approach
- Competency-based medical education following CanMEDS roles, emphasizing progressive independence, hands-on surgical experience, and comprehensive skill development across multiple orthopedic subspecialties.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- Medical Student Performance Record
- Reference Letters
- CASPer Test
- Personal Letter
- CV/Research Experience
- Interview Performance
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Mark Sommerfeldt
- Program office
Program Administrator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.
Orthopedic Surgery elsewhere
Nearest to Edmonton
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