A clinical fellowship is an opportunity for a physician to obtain advanced training and/or to acquire more specialized expertise not normally acquired during residency training. Clinical fellows must be recognized specialists or family physicians.

Clinical fellowship training typically lasts between one to three years in order to enhance experience for recognized specialists or family physicians. As a short-term educational experience, which does not lead to certification by the RCPSC or the CFPC, a clinical fellowship on its own is not a pathway to permanent practice as a specialist or family physician in Ontario.

Canadian Applicants

Queen’s University, Faculty of Health Sciences, offers Clinical Fellowships for Canadian applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. If you are a Canadian applicant interested in a clinical fellowship at Queen’s University, please follow the steps below:

1. Contact the Program Directly:

Contact the program you are interested in to confirm availability and program-specific application deadlines. Refer to the Programs and Contacts page for information on available fellowship programs at Queen’s. Please note that programs may not be accepting applications at all times.

2. Postgraduate Training Agreement

A training agreement may be required between Queen’s University and the sponsoring agency (if applicable) before approval by the Associate Dean of PGME.

3. Admissions Process

Applications must be submitted directly to the program for consideration. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that a complete application package is submitted. Please refer to the Complete Application Package section below for required documentation.

Programs are responsible for conducting their own application review and interview process. Successful applicants will receive an offer directly from the program. Once the offer is accepted, the program will submit a complete program package to the PGME Office in accordance with the applicable submission deadlines for the intended start date.

Once the PGME Office has received the program submission and approved it, they will work with the applicant directly to complete the registration process. The full registration process may take up to four months.

4. Funding Requirements

Eligible sources of funding include:

Foreign governments (contract required)
Foreign government agencies (contract required)
Health-related charitable organizations (contract required)
Departmental funding (applicants should confirm availability directly with the program, as not all departments offer funding)
Self-funded - may be considered in certain cases. Independent or Provisional CPSO license required.

Fellowship Start Dates – Applies to all Canadian Applicants

The following start dates apply to all Canadian trainees:

Start Date: July 1 (Block 1)
Alternative Start Date: October (Block 5)* or January (Block 8)*

*October and January start dates are subject to approval.

Unique start dates are not available.

Pre-Entry Assessment Period (PEAP)

Trainees who completed medical school outside of Canada must complete a Pre-Entry Assessment Period (PEAP) once their postgraduate medical training begins. The PGME Office will inform the CPSO that a PEAP is required. No special registration for this period is required by the applicant.

If the PEAP is successfully completed, the time spent in the PEAP will count towards the overall training period.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the PEAP policy before applying.

Program Submission Deadlines – Canadian Applicants

The program submission deadlines below apply to all Canadian trainees.

Programs must submit complete packages for processing to the PGME Office by the following dates:

Start Date	Due Date to PGME, on/before:
July 1, 2026	March 2, 2026
October 20, 2026	June 1, 2026
January 12, 2027	September 1, 2026
July 1, 2027	March 1, 2027
October 19, 2027	June 1, 2027
January 11, 2028	September 1, 2027
July 1, 2028	March 1, 2028

*Program Submissions received more than two months prior to the submission date are not accepted.

Processing applications may take up to four months after all required documentation is received, so it is essential to adhere strictly to the submission dates listed above. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Complete Application Package

A complete application package is required for all Canadian trainees. The package must include:

An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV), including:

Citizenship
Mailing address
Email address
Phone number
Current work and education experience

Personal Statement
Copy of valid passport
Proof of Canadian Permanent Residency - required if no Canadian passport
Copy of Medical Degree (with English translation)
Educational Transcripts
Copy of Final Specialist Certification*
Three Letters of Reference

Must be on official letterhead
Signed and dated within two years of the application date
Preferred - from a current or former Program Director who is known to the department and/or has North American medical experience

Proof of successful completion of the MCCQE exam (MCCQEE is no longer accepted)
Any other documents the applicant would like to include

* The following are not acceptable in place of a Specialist Certificate:

Letters, emails, or attestations
Documents containing phrases such as “will receive,” “pending”, “eligible to sit for the final examination,” or similar wording
Provisional or unofficial documents

Questions:

Need further assistance? Please contact: sponsored.applications@queensu.ca.

International Applicants

The information outlined for international applicants pertains to applicants who do not have citizenship or permanent residency status in Canada.

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Queen’s University, Faculty of Health Sciences, offers Clinical Fellowships for international applicants with and without a postgraduate training agreement. The following guidelines outline the requirements and processes for both categories.

Clinical Fellowship with a Postgraduate Training Agreement (Sponsored Applicants)

Postgraduate training agreements are currently in place between Queen’s University and sponsoring agencies from the following countries:

Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates

A complete list of sponsoring institutions can be found here.

If you are applying through one of these agreements, you must apply through the Sponsored Visa Trainee process outlined here, under Admissions.

Clinical Fellowship (Non-Sponsored Applicants)

For Trainees from Countries Without Agreements
If you are an applicant from a country not listed above and are interested in a clinical fellowship at Queen’s University, please review the information below:

1. Contact the Program Directly:

2. Postgraduate Training Agreement

A training agreement may be required between Queen’s University and the sponsoring agency (if applicable) before approval by the Associate Dean of PGME. If you are an applicant or a sponsor interested in establishing a postgraduate training agreement, please reach out to sponsored.applications@queensu.ca for further information

3. Admissions Process

For applicants who do not fall under a postgraduate training agreement, and where no such agreement will be established, applications must be submitted directly to the program for consideration. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that a complete application package is submitted. Please refer to the Complete Application Package section below for required documentation.

Once the PGME Office has received the program submission and approved it, they will work with the applicant directly to complete the registration process, including providing the necessary documentation from Queen’s University for the work permit application. The full registration process, including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) requirements, may take up to eight months

4. Funding Requirements

International trainees undertaking clinical training in Canada cannot self-fund.

Eligible sources of funding include:

Foreign governments (contract required)
Foreign government agencies (contract required)
Health-related charitable organizations (contract required)
Departmental funding (applicants should confirm availability directly with the program, as not all departments offer funding)

Ineligible sources include:

Private or personal funds
PGME Office – no funding available

Fellowship Start Dates for International Applicants

The following start dates apply to all international trainees, regardless of funding source:

Start Date: July 1 (Block 1)
Alternative Start Date: January (Block 8)* - subject to program approval

Unique start dates are not available.

Pre-Entry Assessment Period (PEAP)

If the PEAP is successfully completed, the time spent in the PEAP will count towards the overall training period.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the PEAP policy before applying.

Program Submission Deadlines for International Applicants

Program submission deadlines apply to all international trainees requiring a work permit, regardless of funding source.

Programs must submit complete packages for processing to the PGME Office by the following dates:

Start Date	Due Date to PGME, on/before:
July 1, 2026	November 3, 2025
January 12, 2027	March 31, 2026
July 1, 2027	November 2, 2026
January 11, 2028	March 31, 2027
July 1, 2028	November 1, 2027

*Program submissions received more than two months prior to the submission date are not accepted.

Processing applications may take up to eight months after all required documentation is received, so it is essential to adhere strictly to the submission dates listed above. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Complete Application Package

A complete application package is required for all international trainees. The package must include:

An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV), including:

Citizenship
Mailing address
Email address
Phone number
Current work and education experience

Personal Statement
Copy of valid passport - expiry must be at least one year beyond training start date
Proof of Permanent Residency Status - only required if a citizen of another country but holds PR status in Canada
Copy of Medical Degree (with English translation)
Educational Transcripts
Copy of Final Specialist Certification*
Three Letters of Reference

Must be on official letterhead
Signed and dated within two years of the application date
Preferred - from a current or former Program Director who is known to the department and/or has North American medical experience

Proof of English Proficiency ** - see IMG CaRMS guidelines
Proof of successful completion of the MCCQE exam (MCCQEE is no longer accepted) – if applicable

Required if final specialty certification is not available at the time of application

Any other documents the applicant would like to include

* The following are not acceptable in place of a Specialist Certificate:

Letters, emails, or attestations
Documents containing phrases such as “will receive,” “pending”, “eligible to sit for the final examination,” or similar wording
Provisional or unofficial documents

** English Proficiency Requirements:

Programs may assess proficiency through interviews or set their own requirements. Applicants should contact programs directly to ensure they meet the specific requirements of the program.

Questions:

Need further assistance? Please contact: sponsored.applications@queensu.ca.

Research Fellows

Research fellows are engaged solely in research and have no patient contact whatsoever. Because research fellows do not have patient contact, licensure by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is not required. The minimum qualification for research fellowship training is a medical degree; however, requirements for admission may vary from one research fellowship program to another.

Eligibility for Licensure

Eligibility for Licensure as a Clinical Fellow

The CPSO issues certificates of registration to physicians, allowing them to practise medicine or engage in postgraduate medical training in Ontario, as set out in the Ontario Regulation 865/93: Registration. Please visit the CPSO website for registration requirements.

Programs and Contacts

Fellowship Contacts

Program	Fellowship Program	Fellowship Director	Fellowship Administrator
Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine	General Clinical Anesthesia	Dr. Camila Arango-Ferreira	Aidan Thompson
Cardiology	Cardiology - Subspecialty	Dr. Samir Hazra	Miriam Bowen
	Echocardiology	Dr. Zardasht Jaff
	Electrophysiology	Dr. Sanoj Chacko
	Interventional Cardiology	Dr. Ian Britton
Cardiac Surgery	Cardiac Surgery	Dr. Darrin Payne	Mary Lee
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Subspecialty	Dr. Amer Sapru	Allie Singers
Critical Care	Critical Care Medicine - Subspecialty	Dr. Paul Heffernan (Kingston) Dr. Randy Wax (Oshawa)	Laura Garofalo
Diagnostic Radiology	Neuroradiology	Dr. Donatella Tampieri	Administrator
Emergency Medicine	Global Emergency Medicine	Dr. Susan Bartels	Aaron De Sousa
	Medical Education	Not currently offered
	POCUS: Point of Care Ultrasound	Dr. Joey Newbigging
	Resuscitation and Reanimation	Dr. Adam Szulewski
Endocrinology and Metabolism	Advanced Technologies in Diabetes	Dr. Bikrampal Sidhu	Gurvinder Singh Kamboj
Endocrinology and Metabolism	Endocrinology and Metabolism - Subspecialty	Dr. Joshua Lakoff	Gurvinder Singh Kamboj
Gastroenterology	Gastroenterology - Subspecialty	Dr. David Rodrigues	Rachel Lacelle
	Neurogastroenterology/GI Motility	Dr. David Reed/Dr. Michael Beyak
	Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy with Third Space Endoscopy	Dr. Robert Bechara / Dr. Lawrence Hookey
General Internation Medicine	General Internation Medicine - Subspecialty	Dr. Steven Montague	Melinda Harper
General Surgery	Bariatric Surgery	Apply through the Fellowship Council*	Mary Lee
General Surgery	Advanced Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery	Dr. Sunil Patel	Mary Lee
Geriatric Psychiatry	Geriatric Psychiatry - Subspecialty	Dr. Maria Hussain	Emily Moss
Hematology	Hematology	Dr. Janet Lui
Infectious Diseases	Infectious Diseases - Subspecialty	Dr. Gerald Evans	Dori Silver
Medical Oncology	Medical Oncology - Subspecialty	Dr. Francisco Vera Badillo	Academic Program Coordinator
Medical Oncology	Medical Oncology with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG)	Dr. Christopher Booth	Craig Leroux
Nephrology	Nephrology - Subspecialty	Dr. Hasitha Welihinda	Jes Newton
	Home Dialysis	Dr. Bogdan Momciu
	Glomerulonephritis	Dr. Jocelyn Garland
	Transplant Nephrology	Dr. Khaled Shamseddin
Neurology	EEG/Epilepsy Clinical Neurophysiology	Dr. Garima Shukla Dr. Lysa Boissé Lomax	Alejandra Ortega Montano
	Stroke/Cerebrovascular	Dr. Shirin Jalini
	Neuropsychiatry	Dr. Lysa Boissé Lomax
Neurosurgery	Neuro-Oncology and Skull Base	Dr. Shervin Taslimi	Mary Lee
Neurosurgery	Spine	Dr. Shervin Taslimi	Mary Lee
Obstetrics & Gynaecology	Contraceptive Advice, Research and Education (CARE)	Not currently offered
Ophthalmology	Medical Retina	Dr. Sanjay Sharma	Isabella Aung
	Medical Glaucoma	Dr. Delan Jinapriya
	Surgical Glaucoma	Dr. Delan Jinapriya
	Neuro-Ophthalmology	Dr. Suan Mollan
Orthopedic Surgery	Arthroplasty	Dr. Fernando Diaz Dilernia	Mary Lee
	Comprehensive Knee	Dr. Aaron Campbell
	Lower Extremity	Dr. Aaron Campbell
	Pediatric Surgery	Dr. Dan Borschneck Dr. Kristi Wood
	Sports Medicine	Dr. Davide Bardana
	Spine Surgery	Dr. Faizal Kassam
	Trauma Surgery	Dr. Jeff Yach
	Upper Extremity - Hand, Wrist, Elbow	Dr. Parham Daneshvar
	Upper Extremity - Shoulder and Elbow	Dr. Ryan Bicknell
Otolaryngology	Otolaryngology	Dr. Jason Beyea
Palliative Care Medicine	Palliative Care Medicine	Dr. Majid Iqbal	Ruili Fang
Pediatrics	Neonatology/Perinatal	Dr. Bassem Elattal
Pediatrics	Neonatology - POCUS Stream	Dr. Bassem Elattal
Plastic Surgery	Plastic Surgery	Dr. Doug McKay	Mary Lee
Psychiatry	Eating Disorders	Dr. Rafael Freire	Emily Moss
	Clinical Research in Psychiatry	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Community Psychiatry / Mental Health	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Consultation Liaison Psychiatry	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Developmental Disabilities/Dual Diagnoses	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Forensic Psychiatry	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Mood Disorders	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Neuropsychiatry	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Psychotic Disorders	Dr. Rafael Freire
	Women’s Mental Health	Dr. Rafael Freire
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation	Acute Pain Management	Dr. Greg Murphy
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation	Enhanced Ultrasound Intervention	Dr. Thomas Gregory
Public Health and Preventative Medicine	General	Dr. Hugh Guan Dr. Sam Buttermer (on leave)	Kathleen Thompson
Public Health and Preventative Medicine	Health Systems and Health Policy	Dr. Hugh Guan Dr. Sam Buttermer (on leave)	Kathleen Thompson
Radiation Oncology	Clinical/ Quality Initiatives	Not currently offered
Respirology	Respirology - Subspecialty	Dr. Christina Liak	Sarah Odell
	Sleep Medicine	Dr. Christina Liak
	Interstitial Lung Diseases	Dr. Onofre Moran-Mendoza
Rheumatology	Rheumatology - Subspecialty	Dr. Marie Clements-Baker	Holly Shea
Rheumatology	Vasculitis	Dr. Marie Clements-Baker	Holly Shea
Thoracic Surgery	Thoracic Surgery	Dr. Wiley Chung	Mary Lee

*Fellowship Council: Sponsored Trainees are required to be processed through their sponsoring agency when applying. Applications must be received by the sponsoring agency to PGME directly. Please contact sponsored.applications@queensu.ca for assistance

Clinical Fellowships at Queen's University