Alberta Precision Laboratories

Program Co-Director	Program Co-Director	Program Admin
Heather Paul, PhD, FCACB, DABCC (CC)	Jessica Gifford, PhD, FCACB	Shawna Pitman
Clinical Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine	Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine	Program Coordinator
Heather.Paul@albertaprecisionlabs.ca	Jessica.Gifford@albertaprecisionlabs.ca	Shawna.Pitman@albertaprecisionlabs.ca
(403) 770-3634	(403) 770-3779	(403) 770-3676

About the Program

This is a Full-time, 2 year Clinical Biochemistry Fellowship program consisting of Clinical and Analytical Biochemistry training objectives delivered through a combination of didactic, mentor-led, and self-directed learning meeting curriculum requirements for both Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and American Board of Clinical Chemistry specialty certification in Clinical Biochemistry.

Graduates of this fellowship program will have acquired the knowledge, skills and professional competence to assume immediate responsibility for the clinical chemistry laboratory in a hospital or to direct a laboratory subject to provincial accreditation requirements. The trainees will have specialized training in Clinical Biochemistry with basic training in biochemical genetics and molecular diagnostics. They will be consultants to clinicians regarding test selection and interpretation, instructors, and laboratory managers. Graduates will provide leadership in the clinical laboratory by implementing quality patient care and performing research and development.

Program Requirements

To be considered for the program, prospective fellows must have:

1. Educational qualifications in chemistry or the biological sciences (e.g., Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Physiology, Medical Sciences) equivalent to the requirements for the PhD degree from a university belonging to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, or from an equivalent institution in the USA.
2. Canadian Citizenship, Permanent Resident of Canada, or Landed Immigrant Status preferred
3. Strong background in leadership and scholarship (research, education)
4. Satisfactorily completed a minimum of 30 semester hours (or equivalent) in undergraduate and/or graduate level chemistry or biochemistry courses.
   • If you have a university degree from a university outside Canada or the USA, a course-by-course evaluation of those credentials must be submitted from the evaluation agency directly to the Fellowship Office and/or Program Administrator. Agencies such as World Education Service (WES), are reputable.

To Apply

Applications are accepted until November 1 for admission in July of the following year. The review process takes place from November to January. Offers will be extended no earlier than December, with a minimum two-week period provided for acceptance, negotiable if needed. The program commences on July 1 of the subsequent year.

Applications must be sent by email to the program administrator (Shawna Pitman). The deadline for application is Nov. 1 to apply for a fellowship position starting on Jul. 1 of the following year. One fellow is admitted each year to the program.

The application packet must include:

1. Completed Application Form
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Full copies of precisely three (3) peer reviewed publications where authorship has been indicated
4. Official university transcripts, or academic records, must be drawn up and sent from the registrar office of each institution directly to the office. Copies of any completed degrees of awards received may be included.
   • Note: When education was obtained at an institution outside Canada or the USA, a course-by-course evaluation of those credentials must be submitted from the evaluation agency directly to the office.
5. Three (3) letters of reference, as well as the attached reference form, submitted to the Office directly from the referee.
   • These letters must be current at the time the application is submitted and should attest to familiarity with the applicant’s professional expertise, the length of acquaintance, and the good character of the applicant.

Documents that may also be included:

• Post-Secondary Degrees (provide translation to English if needed)
• Official documentation of any degrees awarded

Documentation and Letters can be submitted via email OR mail to:

APL Clinical Biochemistry Fellowship Program
Attention: Shawna Pitman, Program Administrator
Alberta Precision Laboratories
Diagnostic and Scientific Centre, 4th floor Admin
9, 3535 Research Road NW Calgary, AB T2L 2K8
Email: apl.calchemistryfellowship@albertaprecisionlabs.ca

Training Level

Postdoctoral Training Level
Number of positions available per year: 1 every other year
Duration of program: 2 years
Approximate annual salary or stipend: Annual Salary: $58,934 CDN per annum; Practice Stipend: $1500
Source of funding: Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL)
Current number of trainees: 2
Number of past graduates: 9

Faculty

Yury Butorin, PhD, FCACB	General Clinical Chemistry
Jessica Gifford, PhD, FCACB	General Clinical Chemistry, Test Utilization, Reference Intervals, Test Interferences
Lawrence de Koning, PhD, DABCC, FADLM, FCACB	Pediatric Clinical Chemistry
Serguei Likhodi, PhD, DCC, FCACB, FADLM	Toxicology, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Samantha Logan, PhD	General Clinical Chemistry
Isolde Seiden Long, PhD, DCC, FCACB, DABCC	General Clinical Chemistry, Cardiac Markers
Dennis Orton, PhD, FCACB	Mass Spectrometry, Specialized Endocrine Testing, Test Utilization
Heather Paul, PhD, FCACB, DABCC (CC)	General Biochemistry, Point-of-Care Testing
Michael Reid, PhD	General Clinical Chemistry
Allison Venner, PhD, FCACB	Quality Assurance, General Clinical Chemistry, Point-of-Care Testing