Overview of the UBC Division of RHEUMATOLOGY

The UBC Division of Rheumatology currently consists of 26 active faculty members, as well as three associate members, one adjunct members, and four emeritus members. Rheumatology consultation services are offered at Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre, St. Paul’s Hospital, and G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre. Ambulatory care services are available at the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre, the Gordon and Leslie Diamond Centre, St. Paul’s Hospital, and in private practices throughout Metro Vancouver, Penticton and Victoria. The Arthritis Society (BC & Yukon Division) provides excellent patient education and resources available through the Learning Centre based at the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre.

Many divisional faculty are members of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, a multidisciplinary clinical research and clinical trials facility affiliated with both the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. The Arthritis Research Centre focuses on "Practical Research for Everyday Living" for people with arthritis.

The two-year Postgraduate Training Program in Rheumatology continues to be the second-largest clinical rheumatology training centre in Canada. The program typically receives funding from the Ministry of Health for two trainees every year. Also, one or two internationally-funded trainees are considered. Active in-patient, ambulatory care and research training is done at Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre, St. Paul’s Hospital, G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre, the Arthritis Research Centre, and in private practices throughout the Lower Mainland and elsewhere in the province.

Our program is designed to give you complete exposure to every aspect of rheumatology that you may encounter in private practice, hospital care, research, and your future academic responsibilities. Many of the UBC teaching faculty are leading experts in various rheumatologic disciplines. You will have opportunities to work extensively with them in both inpatient and outpatient settings, to meet with them in a variety of academic venues (i.e. conferences, committee meetings, rounds, etc.), and to participate with them in research. Valuable resources are available to aid you in deciding what direction your career in rheumatology should take (i.e. clinical practice, clinical research, basic science, etc.). Just a few of the advantages of training in the UBC Rheumatology Program are: numerous drug and disease monitoring clinics, excellent tertiary referral outpatient clinics, unique ambulatory care experience in community settings, rural consultation trips if desired (Interior and Northern British Columbia), and opportunities to do electives in many related specialities. The UBC Rheumatology program is innovative and fast-paced. It provides the broad base of clinical training, basic knowledge and practical experience necessary to embark on a fulfilling career in the many-faceted, rapidly expanding field of rheumatology.

Our program will give you an intensive experience in the clinical basics of rheumatology in your first year. This will allow you to focus on specialized electives and research in your second year.