SLS Fellowship in Advanced Minimally Invasive & Endoscopic Techniques in General & Colorectal Surgery - Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons

SLS Fellowship in Advanced Minimally Invasive & Endoscopic Techniques in General & Colorectal Surgery

SLS Fellowship in Advanced Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Techniques in General and Colorectal Surgery

Location: Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals, Greater Vancouver Area, British Columbia, Canada
University affiliation: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Program Director: Dr. Jiri (George) Melich, MD, FRCS(C)

Application process opens: July 1st of year prior to start of fellowship
Application process closes: November 1st
Fellowship start date: July 1st

Depending on trainee’s needs, the Division of General Surgery at Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge Hospitals is offering a one- or two-year SLS Fellowship in Advanced Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Techniques in General and Colorectal Surgery under the leadership of Dr. Jiri (George) Melich and Dr. Elena Vikis.

This fellowship was initially established in 2016. This fellowship consists of one year postgraduate training in many aspects of General Surgery with a focus on minimally invasive surgical and endoscopic Colorectal Surgery. The fellowship features most standard general surgery laparoscopic techniques, as well as Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS), including Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (TaTME).

There is a structured didactic learning plan. The fellow is also expected to be involved in research and scientific writing with the goal to present at the MIS Week/SLS Annual Meeting. Ongoing clinical research most commonly involves collecting and analyzing data from various databases, but any relevant research or educational activity will be supported.

Basic Program Information

Interaction with Residents: Yes
Is there a General Surgery Residency at the Primary Institution?: Yes
Is there a General Surgery Residency at the Secondary Institution?: Yes
Is there a curriculum in place for fellowship?: Yes
Are there teaching conferences available for the fellow?: Yes
Is there an evaluation tool for fellow by faculty in place?: Yes
Is there an evaluation tool for faculty by fellow in place?: Yes

Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) is British Columbia’s first and leading critical care hospital, performing the highest proportion of emergency surgeries in the province. It is a clinical site for the University of British Columbia (UBC) School of Medicine General Surgery Residency Program and serves as the main site for this fellowship program.

Basic Eligibility

1) The program accepts graduates of Canadian or U.S. Medical Schools and foreign graduates with a medical degree from a medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, https://www.wdoms.org/.
2) The fellow must have completed a certified general surgery residency program and must be able to obtain either an independent medical license or an educational license to practice in British Columbia, Canada, https://www.cpsbc.ca/for-physicians/registration-licensing/applying/postgraduate/fellows.

Examinations and Certifications (one of the following three options)

1) Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada (RCPS(C)) certified http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/home-e OR
2) American Board of Surgery Eligible or Certified OR
3) Applicants who hold a General Surgery specialty certificate from a Board or College outside of Canada or U.S. at the beginning of the fellowship
• Applicants trained outside of Canada in a non-English speaking region must have passed the IELTS exam, https://ieltscanadatest.com/

Citizenship and Visa Requirements (one of the three following options)

1) Canadian Citizens OR
2) Canadian Permanent Residents OR
3) Non-Canadian Citizens must obtain a temporary work permit and a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN), http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty-relations/immigration/immigration-process-for-foreign-clinical-fellows/, in a timely fashion

Additional documents

CV and letter of reference.

Fellowship timeline

  • Application cycle for academic year 2023-2024 has been completed. We congratulate our latest successful applicant on their achievement
  •  Application cycle for academic year 2024-2025 starts officially on July 1, 2023. However, applicants can fill out and submit their applications earlier.
  •  Nov 1, 2023 – Fellowship application deadline.
  •  Nov 1 – Dec 15, 2023 – Interviews arranged on rolling basis.
  • Dec 15, 2023 – Successful applicant notified.
  • January 1, 2024 – All required documents must be filed, including those required by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC), https://www.cpsbc.ca/for-physicians/registration-licensing/applying/postgraduate/fellows. Application to the postgraduate dean’s office at the University of British Columbia (UBC), https://postgrad.med.ubc.ca/ must also be initiated. All international medical graduates (IMGs) must submit their documents to Physicians Apply, physicianapply.ca, for source verification.
  •  July 1, 2024 – Orientation and fellowship start date
  •  October 4-7, 2023 – MISWeek 2023 / SLS Annual Meeting in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA 

Director Contact Information

Dr. Jiri (George) Melich, MD, FRCS(C)
+1 (604) 524 2454
george.melich@ubc.ca

To apply, please visit: http://sls.org/sls-fellowship-programs/sls-fellowship-application/

Forms: