Ottawa - Neurosurgery
University of OttawaOttawa, Ontario
At a glance
- Approx. quota
- 1
- Length
- 6
- Applications per year
- 0–50
- Offered interviews
- 76–100%
CMG stream · open to Canadian medical graduates
IMG stream · open to international medical graduates
Interviews
1 date, 21 Jan 2027
Ottawa, 3 teaching sites
What stands out about this program
Residents are offered attendance at the R.U.N.N. basic neuroscience review course in Woods Hole, MA.
From “Additional information” on the CaRMS page
- The University of Ottawa neurosurgery residency is a six-year program, with optional additional research years after PGY-2.
- Training takes place at The Ottawa Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, which perform about 1800 neurosurgical operations a year.
- Interviews use a multiple mini interview format with 4 stations.
What training looks like
- Setting
- Academic / tertiary hospital
- Rural exposure
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- Research
- Offered · research project · protected time
By year
Not stated on CaRMS page
Other rotations
- Surgical Foundations curriculum
- Emergency Medicine
- General Surgery- Trauma
- Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Neuroradiology
- Neuropathology
- ICU
- Interventional Radiology
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
- Orthopedic Surgery (emphasis on spine service)
- Thoracic Surgery
- Internal Medicine
- Research
- Extensive training in Neurosurgery
Where you train
Ottawa, Ontario: 3 teaching sites.
- The Ottawa Hospital (TOH)
- Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Record systems at the listed sites: Epic at 3 of 3.
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 (Atlas Alliance shared system), system named (how far it goes is not stated)
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
- Clinical record
- Epic, system named (how far it goes is not stated)
Hospital size and activity: Ontario doesn't publish this as open data.
About Ottawa
People
1,017,449residents, 2021 Census
Housing
2.9%rental vacancy rate
Winter and summer
−9.6 °CJanuary mean21.3 °CJuly mean
Job outlook
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 stated on CaRMS page. Check the provincial return-of-service rules.
- Return of service, IMG stream
- Required · IMGs only
- IMG requirements, IMG stream
- Assessment by a provincial clinical assessment program
Interviews and info sessions
- Interview dates (2027 match)
- 21 Jan 2027
- Format
- MMI or rotating station
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.
4 Neurosurgery info sessions at other programsAll info sessions
Pay and call
| Level | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $73,367 / year |
| PGY-2 | $79,670 / year |
| PGY-3 | $85,564 / year |
| PGY-4 | $92,701 / year |
| PGY-5 | $98,567 / year |
| PGY-6 | $104,167 / year |
Call
- Call (provincial max)
- 7 nights in 28 in-house
- Post-call rule (provincial)
- No new patient responsibilities after 24 hours in-hospital, except what clinical handover needs
- Max continuous duty (provincial)
- 24 hours in-hospital, then relieved after handover (up to 2 hours)
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 | 1 | 6 years | 1 date, 21 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
| IMG stream | 1 | 6 years | 1 date, 21 Jan 2027 | Nothing noted |
2026 match
| Stream | Positions | Length | Interviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMG stream | 1 | 6 years | 1 date, 5 Feb 2026 |
| IMG stream | 1 | 6 years | Interviews not stated |
The 2026 page of the CMG stream: our summary of its CaRMS description
- The University of Ottawa Neurosurgery Residency Program is a fully-accredited 6-year training program that provides comprehensive neurosurgical education across multiple clinical settings.
- The program emphasizes research opportunities, resident development, and exposure to a wide range of neurosurgical subspecialties.
- Research
- Residents are encouraged to pursue additional training in basic sciences and clinical outcomes research, with support from the Royal College Clinician-Investigation Program.
- Training setting
- Training occurs at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), providing comprehensive neurosurgical care for Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
- Teaching approach
- The program uses a Competence-By-Design model focusing on progressive skill development, with protected academic half-days and extensive academic rounds to support resident learning.
- Enhanced skills
- Not stated on CaRMS page
- What the program looked at
- Academic record
- Reference letters
- Personal letter
- CV/Research activities
- Interview performance
- MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) evaluation
Contacts and links
- Program director
Dr. Brian DrakeResidency Program Director, Division of Neurosurgery
CaRMS lists no email for the director.
- Program office
Program Administrator
Per CaRMS. Staff change during the cycle, so check the CaRMS program page(opens in a new tab) before emailing.
Videos and podcasts
From the program
Public podcast episodes and videos where the program presents itself. The short descriptions are ours; each link goes to the original.
Neurosurgery elsewhere
Nearest to Ottawa
- Bilingual
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