Dr. Vivien Bramwell Division Head

Administrative Assistant Marlene Kupchanko

All located in Tom Baker Cancer Centre, affiliated with Alberta Health Services.

Medical Oncologists have a number of leadership roles within the Department of Oncology and Provincial cancer system.

Strategic Plan
Strategic planning retreats take place every one to two years. Division members and trainees develop academic strategies for research and teaching, and work with a broader group (administrators, nurses, pharmacists, support staff) from our Systemic Treatment Program to develop clinical strategies.

Academic goals:

• to increase our research productivity
• to increase the production of locally trained medical oncologists to address a current and projected shortage of medical oncologists in Alberta and nationally

Clinical goals:

• to improve availability and quality of program information
• to improve quality and safety of chemotherapy delivery
• to provide patient focused care
• to expand clinical capacity to keep pace with growth in volumes

Education
Medical Oncology is one of 8 Oncology Training Programs available through the Department of Oncology, University of Calgary. All are accredited by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada, the most recent survey being in February 2009. Applications to our Medical Oncology Training Program are welcome (contact Dr. Scot Dowden - scot.dowden@albertahealthservices.ca - telephone: 403-521-3166).

Short rotations in Medical Oncology are provided for a large number of medical students, Internal Medicine and Oncology subspecialty residents/fellows, from both the University of Calgary and other centres in Canada and abroad. Dr. Cindy Card (cynthia.card@albertahealthservices.ca - telephone: 403-521-3688) has developed a streamlined program design to meet the needs of trainees, and ensure the quality of the educational experience.

has developed a streamlined program design to meet the needs of trainees, and ensure the quality of the educational experience (http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/ccap/), International Medical Graduates are provided with supervised graduated clinical experience on Oncology inpatient floors, to enhance their integration into Canadian practice. All our clinical assistants (6 to date) have obtained residency training positions after 6-24 months experience.

Research
Drs. Peter Forsyth, Don Morris and Gwyn Bebb run successful Translational Research laboratories, working in the areas of brain, breast and lung cancer, as well as reovirus oncolysis and immunology/transplantation. These laboratories are funded by multiple active and new grants from several peer-review funding agencies (CIHR, NCIC, ACRI, CBCRA, PCRFC). Other medical oncologists (Drs. V. Bramwell, D. Hao, J. Easaw, D. Stewart, B. Eigl, S. Lupichuk, B. Walley, S. Paterson) have received external peer-review funding for clinical and translational research projects.

Medical oncologists are active in clinical research, recruiting approximately 7% of new patients seen onto prospective clinical trials sponsored by Cooperative Groups (NCIC CTG, NSABP, CIRG, RTOG) and Industry. Increasing the number of investigator-initiated studies, enhancing provincial collaboration, and development of a phase I investigational new drug program are ongoing high priorities for our group.

Other
Over the past 6 years, the Division has almost doubled in size, with recruitment of a new Division Head (2003) and 9 additional medical oncologists (4 replacement, 6 new positions). With a growing and aging population, and a projected 4% annual increase in cancers, there will be a need for further medical oncologists in Calgary and Southern Alberta. Enquiries from suitably qualified applicants (FRCPC Internal Medicine and certificate of special competence in Medical Oncology; or equivalent international training and qualifications) are welcome, and should be directed to Dr. Vivien Bramwell - vivien.bramwell@albertahealthservices.ca - telephone: 403-521-3707).