Urogynecology/ FPMRS Fellowship Program

The Section of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Calgary is pleased to offer a two-year clinical fellowship program in Urogynecology / FPMRS.

As part of the academic Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, our group provides an 8-week core Resident Rotation for PGY-4 trainees. Occasionally, as schedule permits, visiting electives of 4-8 weeks duration are available for Canadian residents interested in a FPMRS fellowship. Electives are arranged through the Program Administrator for the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology Residency Program at the U of C.

Our current and past fellows are working across the country and internationally. Please scroll down if you’d like more information about our trainees.

Entrance is open to successful graduates of Canadian Obstetrics & Gynecology residency programs who meet requirements for independent practice in the province of Alberta. Non-Canadian trained applicants must meet the requirements for a provisional licence. Please check the College of Physicians of Alberta website for eligibility. We offer one to two positions annually, with a flexible start date.

Our fellowship involves working in a multidisciplinary setting. The program includes a very busy clinical load with large surgical volume. Six Urogynecologists work out of the pelvic floor clinic. In addition, we work with two external teaching OBGYN faculty physicians, members at large from the PMRS section (Drs. Katherine Lo and Eider Ruiz Mirazo), and one Urology faculty (Dr. Kevin Carlson). The fellowship curriculum is flexible to meet your needs, but we ensure experience can be gained in all aspects of advanced vaginal and laparoscopic approaches to pelvic floor repair, including use of prosthetics and biographs, ureteric stenting, uterine preserving techniques and sacral neuromodulation. Advanced laparoscopic techniques are generally introduced in the second year, depending on the fellow’s baseline surgical skills.

Interpretation of multichannel urodynamics and dynamic cystoscopy is taught. The fellow will have direct contact and interaction with nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, and pessary clinic. Electives with gastroenterology, urology and MIS teams are possible, as are electives with other institutions. 

The opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary pain clinic is available and recommended.

While our program is primarily clinically focused, a research project is expected – with completion by the second year of fellowship. Financial support is available for presentation of research.

If there is interest in pursuing a master’s, or other graduate degree, concurrently with fellowship, this may be considered in collaboration with the program director. 

Call requirements are 1:2 to 1:3 home call/weekend rounding. Fellows are expected to participate in formal and informal education of medical students and OB/GYN residents.

Due to the nature of our funding model, Canadian applicants must obtain a full unrestricted license (non-trainee) from the College of Physicians of Alberta.