Program Overview

Introduction to the Clinician Investigator Program

The Clinician Investigator Program is a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada-accredited training program designed for surgical residents interested in pursuing a graduate degree during their training. This program aims to equip participants with the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist or clinical investigator.

Program Overview

Upon completion of the program, participants will receive:

• Royal College certification
• An "Attestation of Completion," signed by the CIP Director and the Associate Dean of Medicine
• A graduate degree

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:

• Be an MD enrolled in a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons specialty or subspecialty in the Dalhousie Postgraduate Medical Education Program
• Priority will be given to those enrolled in a Dalhousie-approved MSc or PhD program
• Commit to time away from training to pursue a graduate degree (2 years for MSc, up to 5 years for PhD)
• Identify a supervisor and consult with the CIP FOM Director
• Present a research proposal and objectives to the DOS Research Committee after the Letter of Intent is received
• Secure salary support for the graduate degree period, either through the DOS CIP Support award or other Dalhousie/National Granting Agencies

Application Process

The application process involves:

• Submitting a Letter of Intent to the Research Office
• Meeting with the Research Director, DOS, to discuss the application
• Arranging a meeting with the CIP Director to discuss the research proposal
• Completing a CIP application for Research Committee Review
• Presenting a 5-minute presentation to the Research Committee
• Receiving a letter detailing departmental salary support if successful for DOS Support

Current and Past Participants

The program has a list of current and past participants, including:

• Current participants:
  • Cameron Penny, General Surgery, MSc
  • Takliq Amir, Cardiac Surgery, MSc
  • Katherine Tourigny, Neurosurgery, PhD
  • Joel Bierer, Cardiac Surgery, PhD
• Past participants:
  • Rakesh Gudimella, Plastic Surgery, MSc, 2025
  • Shahriar Seddigh, Orthopaedics, MSc, 2024
  • Dominique de Waard, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2024
  • Ashley Robinson, General Surgery, MSc, 2024
  • Jae Ho Han, Neurosurgery, MSc, 2023
  • Erika Leck, Neurosurgery, MSc, 2022
  • Claudia Cote, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2022
  • Catherine Deshaies, Cardiac Surgery, PhD, 2021
  • Phillip Tremblay, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2021
  • Sam Jessula, General Surgery, MSc, 2019
  • Ashley Drohan, General Surgery, MSc, 2019
  • Aaron Robichaud, Neurosurgery, MSc, 2019
  • Amanda Murphy, Plastic Surgery, MSc, 2018
  • Scott Hurton, General Surgery, MSc, 2018
  • David Brandman, Neurosurgery, PhD, 2017
  • Gavin Tansley, General Surgery, MSc, 2016
  • Phil Magown, Neurosurgery, PhD, 2014
  • Christine Herman, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2012
  • Phil Davis, General Surgery, MSc, 2012
  • Jon Bailey, General Surgery, MSc, 2012
  • Scott Livingston, General Surgery, MSc, 2011
  • Matthew Smith, General Surgery, MSc, 2011
  • Lindsay MacDonald, General Surgery, MSc, 2011
  • Paul Yaffe, General Surgery, MSc, 2010
  • Devon Richardson, General Surgery, MSc, 2009
  • Jane Watson, General Surgery, MSc, 2008
  • Mike Bezuhly, Plastic Surgery, MSc, 2008
  • Lara Williams, General Surgery, MSc, 2007
  • Dimitri Kalvrousiotis, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2007
  • Ansar Hassan, General Surgery, PhD, 2007
  • Phil Barnsley, Plastic Surgery, MSc, 2003
  • Anton Skaro, General Surgery, PhD, 2002
  • James Ellsmere, General Surgery, MSc, 2002
  • Daniel Wong, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2002
  • Paul Johnson, General Surgery, MSc, 2001
  • Rakesh Arora, Cardiac Surgery, PhD, 2001
  • Jean-Francois Legare, Cardiac Surgery, MSc, 2000
  • Sean Christie, Neurosurgery, PhD, 2000
  • Wey Liang, General Surgery, MSc, 1998