Resident Research

Research in the Division of General Surgery

The research portfolio within the Division of General Surgery at the Ottawa Hospital/University of Ottawa is led by several high publishing attending surgeons. These individuals hold appointments as Scientists or Investigators at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, in addition to cross appointments within the University of Ottawa’s various graduate schools (Epidemiology & Public Health, Education, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, etc.). Ottawa surgeons have been highly successful in securing national peer-reviewed funding for research from funding organizations such as CIHR, Canadian Blood Services, and the Canadian Cancer Society. Research supervision of fellows, residents and medical students is either informal or formal, the latter by way of enrolment in the Surgeon Scientist Program and a graduate program at the University.

Research in the General Surgery Program
Research is an integral component to the General Surgery Residency Training Program in Ottawa. The goal of the program is to provide trainees with the basic knowledge needed to interpret and evaluate scientific literature around any given topic. We do this through journal clubs, resident research rounds, and informal teaching. In addition, all residents are encouraged to directly participate in a research project with the expectation of completing two projects culminating in two research presentations and the submission of one paper to a peer-reviewed journal during their residency. For those interested in a more comprehensive research experience there are many opportunities. Each year there is one fully funded position in our Surgeon Scientist Program (SSP) which comes with a Clinical Investigator Program (CIP) certificate. This typically begins after the first 2 months of PGY 3, and can be done concurrently with a Master's degree. Residents who enroll in the SSP typically do so for two years, pausing their residency training to focus on research. SSP residents will usually continue to participate in call during those two years, but at a reduced frequency. Ottawa trainees have demonstrated an outstanding track record in research, having secured various grants including from CIHR, as well as having published several papers in high impact journals. 

Residents can also choose from a wide variety of research topics including clinical research, basic science, education, public health administration and quality improvement, planetary health. Productive research supervisors are available to work with in Hepatobiliary Surgery, Colorectal, Trauma/ACS, Bariatrics, Breast, and Surgical Oncology. Whether it is the SSP, basic research skills, or anything in between, our goal is to tailor the resident research experience to your needs and goals. 

General Surgery REsearch Day

A full day research conference showcasing our medical student, resident, and fellow research projects, with a number of awards and keynote speakers.