Vancouver Island

The Victoria hospitals are located on the traditional and unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) speaking peoples, who include the Esquimalt, Songhees, and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.

The home of UBC’s Royal College Emergency Medicine residency program on Vancouver Island is in beautiful Victoria, BC.

Program Highlights

• Two full-spectrum emergency departments that combined see 120,000 patients per year
• Recently renovated simulation centre with two high fidelity simulations per month
• Low staff-to-learner ratio on Emergency Medicine and off-service rotations – on most services residents work directly with the Attending physician, providing undiluted access to learning opportunities and procedures
• Support and access to training opportunities at the other UBC training sites – while you’re based in Victoria, you have the whole province available to support your training
• Dedicated POCUS block in R1 and radiology/ultrasound block in R3
• Trauma Team Leader call opportunities throughout your 5 years of training, not just while you’re on a Trauma rotation
• Local supper club, at which we discuss journal articles (sometimes referred to as “Journal Club”)
• Annual Island resident retreat: sailing in Tofino, camping on Rathtrevor beach, houseboating on Cowichan Lake, and staying at fancy “cottages” in Sooke or Parksville are just some of the things we have done!
• Monthly resident family dinners
• Cookies when you least expect them (with no ulterior motives 😉)
• Multiple teaching opportunities with other residents and medical students – this is your chance to be like that “cool” resident that inspired you
• Regular practice exams to help residents prepare for the Royal College exam. This includes graduated involvement in practice orals building to vigorous preparation for senior residents in the spring of their exam year

For more information, please refer to our program description on the CaRMS website 

Staff Physicians

As of 2025, the Victoria Emergency Physicians Society comprises ~65 staff physicians, with a near-equal mixture of FRCP and CCFP(EM) training. All physicians cover both primary hospital sites and all participate in the training of our residents. The group has a broad range of niche and subspecialty expertise including critical care, POCUS, pre-hospital and flight medicine, geriatrics, palliative care, addictions, sports medicine, and expedition/backcountry medicine, while others are engaged in medical administration, education, and research.

Training Hospitals

The Victoria EM program is based out of two main hospitals – Victoria General and Royal Jubilee. Just like their preceptors, residents work at both hospitals within each EM block, which maximizes the continuity of the training experiences even though some services or patient types are predominantly at one site or the other.

Victoria General Hospital

The Emergency department was rebuilt in 2009 with additional renovations in 2021 and sees ~60,000 patients annually.

Victoria General hospital specializes in Neurology/Stroke, Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics, and is also a Level 2 Trauma Centre. It is the trauma referral centre for Vancouver Island with a Trauma service that is run by physicians from the departments of EM, General Surgery, Anesthesia, and ICU. EM residents can do optional TTL call as soon as they have completed their Trauma block in PGY-1. More than 20% of the annual visits to VGH ED are pediatric. The hospital has the Island’s primary pediatric and neonatal ICU and a variety of other pediatric specialists (Anesthesia, Cardiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, General Surgery, Orthopedics). All pediatric resuscitations are led by the ER physician.

Royal Jubilee Hospital

This hospital near downtown Victoria has ~60,000 Emergency department visits annually. As the inner-city hospital, the patient population consists of a variety of groups including those affected by addictions, homelessness, and infectious disease. It is the interventional Cardiac, Vascular and Thoracic centre, and sees a wide variety of medical and surgical cases. This site is the primary home to Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery and Nephrology services. There is a separate Psychiatric ER attached to our main ER, and the BC Cancer Regional Care Centre for Vancouver Island is located at RJH.

Sample Schedule

Our residency program follows the Competence by Design (CBD) format set forth by the Royal College. The program is 5 years in duration and an example outline of the curriculum can be found below. Of the 65 total blocks, there are 7 that typically require the Victoria residents to leave Victoria. For these mandatory away blocks, travel and accommodation support is provided by the program.

Over 400,000 people call the Greater Victoria area home! We are lucky to enjoy a unique sub-Mediterranean climate and hours of sunshine throughout the year. Did you know that Victoria is the 6th sunniest city in Canada, and that it actually receives less annual precipitation than more than 80% of Canada’s largest urban areas (including a large nearby city in BC that shall remain nameless, but rhymes with Slamcouver)? Some would say it’s a nice place to live! BC’s capital city has historic buildings at every turn, enough restaurants/cafes/pubs to keep you busy for years, an extensive system of bike lanes and regional trails for riding or commuting, sandy beaches with mountainous landscapes for lounging, and dense greenery everywhere you look.

Recreation

Victoria is the main ‘jumping-off point’ for adventurers looking to experience Vancouver Island. The city itself boasts kilometres of bike lanes and dedicated regional trails, such as the Galloping Goose Trail, so that cycling to work earns you praise rather than road rage. If you’re a mountain biker, you can find adrenaline-pumping single track within Greater Victoria at Hartland/Mount Work Regional Park, Bear Mountain, or the newly built Jordie Lunn Bike Park  – all of which are only a short drive from downtown Victoria. Hiker or trail runner? This is your home. Surrounded by ocean on three sides and with multiple lakes in the vicinity, Victoria is a water sport mecca, and there is never a shortage of kite surfers, kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders, and sailors. Surfers are a short drive away from Jordan River, Sombrio and China Beaches, and only a few hours away from world-famous Tofino. Do you like golf? Well, Victoria arguably has some of the nicest golf courses in North America. Check out Victoria Golf Club or Bear Mountain Resort.  Unlike much of the rest of Canada, golf, mountain biking and surfing (and most other outdoor activities) are year-round activities here!

Food & Drink

Victoria has a multitude of fine dining options, and is home to more than a dozen craft breweries. If you like something more challenging than Coors or Labatt’s, then Victoria’s craft brewing scene is for you. With more breweries per capita than anywhere else in Canada, you can be sure to find your favourite new beverage. Food options range from fine Italian dining at Il Terrazzo to French delicacies at Restaurant Matisse, from seaside pub eats at Spinnakers Brewpub to delicious sushi at Sen Zushi! If you are in need of something quick, a food truck is never far away.

Vancouver Island is also home to more than 30 licensed wineries, many of which are in the immediate vicinity of Victoria. In addition, Victoria hosts many great coffee shops and several roasteries such as Fernwood Coffee and Caffe Fantastico. No matter what taste, preference, or style, it can be found in Victoria’s thriving foodie scene!

Arts & Culture

Known as the cultural hub of BC and possessing old-world charm, Victoria has been called the most British city in Canada, but is also home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown. Music lovers of all varieties can find almost any music style ranging from the Victoria Symphony to Rifflandia Music Festival. The Victoria Fringe Festival, Belfry Theater, and many other performing arts venues make for a great (and sometimes interactive!) night out. For those with a more discerning taste, a morning at Butchart Gardens chased with afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel gives a decidedly tranquil and recharging experience.

History

Prior to the arrival of European sailors and mappers in the 1700s, southern Vancouver Island was home to various Coast Salish peoples. The city itself was incorporated in 1862, and its long and rich history is readily apparent around every corner. The world-famous Royal Victoria Museum is located on the inner harbour and hosts a series of fixed and rotating exhibits. Directly opposite are the neo-baroque BC parliament buildings, first built in the 1890s and home to the BC Legislature. And then there’s the historic Empress Hotel, which was built in 1908 and is considered one of Canada’s grand railway hotels. Victoria’s Chinatown is the second-oldest in North America and it continues to be a vibrant cultural hub. Around the city are a variety of sculptures, statues, historic sites, and castles that provide for endless exploration.

Education

The University of Victoria is the primary degree-granting institution in Victoria, and was founded in 1903 as an affiliate of McGill University. It is now fully independent and consistently ranks in the top three Comprehensive universities across Canada. The metropolitan area of Victoria also hosts Camosun College and Royal Roads University, which is home to Hatley Castle and was previously a military college. The Greater Victoria and Saanich School Districts operate a variety of elementary, middle, and secondary schools, French immersion programs, private and charter schools, and specialised schools.

The comments below are from an anonymous survey of Victoria’s EM residents (current and past) and staff conducted in 2024

Is the experience you are having/had in Victoria what you expected?

“I was expecting a moderate sized program with a favorable resident to patient (and procedure) ratio which the program delivered. I had also heard wonders about the collegiality of the site how kind everyone was which also has been a highlight of training at Victoria. What surprised me was the volumes and the complexity of cases which I had not anticipated having never done an emerg rotation here before starting my residency.”

”Victoria is exactly what I was hoping for in a program but it also has definitely passed my expectations hugely. The first month, I kept going home and telling my partner “wow, the doctors here are so happy and really excited to get me involved and teach.” Do you know how great it is to work somewhere when you have that level of support and shifts are actually really fun? I especially love when you are walking through the department and a staff who you aren’t even working with grabs you to show you something cool they saw. I have always wanted a program that you are not anonymous in, somewhere where people not only know your name but your strengths and weaknesses and help you be better.”

“Exemplary medical experience and exposure in a supportive personalized environment.  There are few house staff in Victoria so learners work with full fledged staff physicians not someone who is a year ahead in residency.  Great case mixes and lots of acuity.  Great consultants.”

For which medical students applying to CaRMS for EM is Victoria an OPTIMAL place to train?

“Those that want hands on emergency medicine. Great environment that is not saturated with learners. During resuscitations it is often 1-2 ERPs, RNs and an RT.  Not an entire team of learners. This means you get lots of exposure that is not diluted out by large teams.”

“Those capable of maintaining a healthy work/life balance will benefit most from training here. They will be internally motivated learners rather than those waiting to be spoon fed or slotted into some big residency machine. They will be personable and outgoing, not cowed by dealing with staff and consultants directly. They will be keen to take the bull by the horns even when faced with unfamiliar or challenging situations.”

“They should be comfortable with the pros and cons of being in a smaller (by number of residents) program where everyone will know who you are within a year of starting your training. The level of support and attention you receive is on the high end which, depending on your learning style, can be a good fit or not. The fact that you tend to get priority on most procedures and management of sick/interesting cases is great, but you have to be comfortable with performing within a smaller circle of watchful eyes.”

For which medical students applying to CaRMS for EM would Victoria be a SUBOPTIMAL choice for training?

“It is always good to ask programs what they think are weaknesses and see if you think what is listed would impact you. For some people, going away for a few blocks a year can feel really daunting. For others, the ferry may feel like a huge barrier to getting off the Island. For those really invested in research, they may feel there are more opportunities on the mainland. I can definitely pretty easily flip the coin on the above and list how the program gives you options, flexibility and support in whatever you may feel as difficult.”

“Those who prefer to live in a larger city, don’t have friends/family nearby, or like to ski regularly.”

“Those looking for high-volume publications. Looking for peds critical care. Not the best trauma volume.”

Elaine Yi Ran Liu, Island Site

Growing up in Toronto, Elaine spent many gloomy winters indoors playing volleyball. After coming to terms with the fact that she would never become a professional volleyball player—mainly due to her 5’4” stature and loathing of plyometric training—she began seeking a more attainable career. She earned her BSc and MSc in Immunology at Western University […]

Jennifer Engler, Island Site

Jennifer hails from Red Deer, Alberta, but took a few scenic detours before landing in medicine. After years working aboard Disney Cruise Line on the entertainment team and lifeboat commander (yes, both), she returned to school, eventually graduating from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. While in Dublin, she survived endless rainy walks along […]

Jonah Hartel, Island Site

Jonah was born and raised in Prince George, where he also completed his undergrad at UNBC and medical school through the NMP—making his academic journey the educational version of never leaving his parents’ basement. He’s a firm believer in the mulligan, both on the golf course (where his scores flirt with triple digits) and in […]

Liz Carr, Island Site

Whether leading her team through a 24-hour adventure race in the North Dakota badlands or winning a solo bike race at –40°C, Liz thrives in high-pressure, high-stakes environments that involve moderate physical suffering, making EM a natural fit. After spending her childhood on the prairies where she became accustomed to sleep deprivation during ultra-endurance events […]

Erin McDonagh, Island Site

Hailing from the bustling seaside metropolis of Nanaimo, B.C., Erin has always been an Island gal and feels a sense of panic when she is not within 15 minutes of an ocean. She packed her bags after high-school and set out for the big city of Victoria for her BSc. with a special focus in […]

Katie Baas-Sylvester, Island Site

Meet Katie, the whirlwind from Nelson, BC, whose journey from nursing to medicine reads like an action-packed sitcom script. Starting out in medical and emergency nursing in the Kootenays, she decided to take the plunge and pursue an MD at the height of Covid. Despite having just finished building their dreamhouse, she uprooted the family, […]

Michael McCue, Island Site

Michael was born a ‘berta boy, but raised in Victoria. He’s not particularly artsy; however, you can nearly always find him working on one knitting project or another: most often warm wool sweaters in the middle of summer, because who doesn’t love a turtle neck on a hot day! Before medical school, Michael worked as […]

Jasmine Lam, Vancouver Island Site

Jasmine was born in Ontario but was raised in arguably the best arm of BC, Salmon Arm. She attended Queen’s University for both undergrad and medical school where she met her now fiancé, Rickey. Unfortunately, she never completed her bachelor’s degree but is thankful to have survived medical school (though there certainly were some close […]

Katie Zumwalt, Vancouver Island Site

Katie is joining us from Calgary, where she was born and raised. Growing up, Katie never stopped moving whether it was swimming in the pool, skiing in BC or just running around with friends and family. For her undergrad, Katie took a big move out east to St. FX in Nova Scotia where she studied […]

Riley Reel, Vancouver Island Site

Riley was born and raised in Cranbrook, BC, but upon moving to Victoria eight years ago, she decided she never wanted to leave. During her time in Victoria, she has developed an emotional attachment to the ocean, pushed the limits of her max heart rate on Mount Doug, and tried every London Fog in the […]

Breezy (Brianna-Lee) Beaudry, Vancouver Island Site

Breezy joins us from the NOSM Thunder Bay campus where she completed her medical school training. Her passion for the great outdoors is only matched by her excellent taste in EDM music. As a budding star in the realm of wilderness medicine, she spends her extracurricular time engaging in what she refers to as “hands-on […]

Eva Bruketa, Vancouver Island Site

Eva joins us with a bit of mileage under her belt as she was born in Germany, lived in California, and then moved to Toronto to complete a double major in neuroscience and psychology. From there, she moved yet again for her medical school training at Queen’s University and then looked across the country to […]

Sarah Douglas, Vancouver Island Site

Sarah completed a degree in biomedical engineering at UVIC and when she was starting to get a few too many looks for talking to the robots, she decided to switch into a field with a bit more of a “human touch”. She completed her medical degree at UBC with the IMP program and decided that […]

Hilary Drake, Vancouver Island Site

Hilary grew up on the North Shore but has since steeped in many different towns including Sackville NB where she completed her undergraduate degree at Mt. Allison, Nelson BC where her family calls home, and Whistler BC where she learned to shred ski slopes. She has since wandered throughout BC for her medical training as […]

Rod Vafaei, Vancouver Island Site

Rod Vafaei grew up on B.C.’s beautiful North Shore and acquired numerous nicknames from his rugby days including Hot Rod, the Persian Rifle, and… less savoury ones that only his therapist has heard about. After perfecting the delicate art of being the class clown and clamming up whenever his crush walked by in high school, […]

Associate Program Director – Vancouver Island Site
Dr. Jeff Eisen
jeff.eisen@ubc.ca

For general inquiries, please contact our program admin:

Anny Ruch, Site Program Administrator – Vancouver Island Site

emadmin@uvic.ca

+1 (250) 519-7700 Ext. 13424