Cardiology Residency Program

Philosophy

In any training, individuals learn two sets of broad skills: first, those related to specific knowledge and procedures in a subspecialty and second, the general skills needed to continue to learn throughout one’s life. While both are important it is the second set of skills that enable an individual to meet the changing needs and new information that will emerge over the next several decades, with the skills for life long self-learning. The aim of the cardiology training program at McMaster University is to train clinician scientist cardiologists. Graduates of this program will be ideally suited to pursue careers in either academic or clinical medicine.

The goal of the program is to enable the cardiology trainee to become:

1. a skilled compassionate clinical cardiologist
2. an enthusiastic teacher
3. a critical and competent researcher or an individual able to critically appraise and integrate information

Training

Cardiology training at McMaster is a structured program that combines clinical work and research over three years. Integrating clinical and research activities from the beginning of cardiology training allows each activity to enhance the other. Critical appraisal skills developed during research training add significantly to thoughtful clinical care, and conversely, appreciation of clinical problems and unanswered questions on the hospital wards provide the necessary intensity of questioning that makes research a vital and rewarding activity.