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Crocker Lecture Series

Dr. Keith McLean Crocker was one of the earliest professors in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, after accomplishing his fellowship at McGill University and in Scotland.  Following several years of private practice in Saskatoon, Dr. Crocker joined the faculty at the University of Saskatchewan, and practiced  throughout the 1970s.  Dr. Crocker spent several years in northern Nigeria working in a major hospital and living with most of his family while on leave there. He also worked briefly in Afghanistan, and subsequent to leaving his university practice, in Tunisia and in several places in the United States including The Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Dr. Crocker was an enthusiastic physician, very well-liked by students and residents.  During his tenure, he initiated a number of innovations in the teaching program including pelvic teaching associates and the sexual medicine curriculum in our department. He was a world traveler in both his profession and his personal life, and eventually retired in British Columbia until he passed away in 2013.

Programs

Residency Training Program

Dr. Jennifer Duda  - Residency Program Director

Dr. Kristine Mytopher - Residency Program Assistant Director

Dr. Jackie Ferguson - Residency Program Assistant Director - Regina Site

General Information
The program is designed to give residents special education and expertise in obstetrics, gynecology and women's health. Housestaff supervision is by academic faculty representing specialty areas of clinical care and basic scientific research. Community specialists on the clinical faculty, who are committed teachers and preceptors, are involved in training in various aspects of obstetrics and gynecology. The patient population is drawn from the entire province of Saskatchewan, providing a wealth of clinical material and an excellent mix of cases. The program is affiliated with five major hospitals, with sophisticated obstetrical and surgical facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.

The first year involves basic clinical training with rotations in internal medicine, emergency room medicine, neonatology, rural and urban obstetrics and gynecology, and general surgery. The second year of residency training concentrates on core obstetrics and gynecology, while the third year of training introduces the subspecialties of reproductive endocrinology, and urogynecology. Formal weekly academic half-days and seminars cover a variety of subjects. Elective time is provided to encourage senior residents to explore fellowship and/or job opportunities.

Ambulatory obstetrics and gynecology and Resident Student Health Clinic at the University of Saskatchewan (for senior residents) provide all residents the opportunity to interact and treat patients during the length of their residency and simulate the private practice environment.

Research activities are emphasized throughout the program. Clinical or basic science projects are done with the support and assistance of faculty. First through fourth year residents are required to work on their research projects throughout the year and present the results of their research projects, in PGY 4, at the Annual Resident Research Day Symposium.

The curriculum is based on the specialty training requirements by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for Obstetrics and Gynecology. Successful completion of the residency leads to eligibility for certification (by examination) by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Selection of first year resident positions is done via the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). It is anticipated that residents entering the residency will remain with the program and progress through the five years of training.

Quick Facts 
  • The training program is based in Saskatoon, where the University of Saskatchewan, College of Medicine is located.
  • As of July 1, 2009, 4 residency positions are based as full time annually in Saskatoon and 2 residency positions are based full time annually in Regina; these positions must be applied for separately through CaRMS. For more information, see the Obstetrics & Gynecology - Saskatoon program description and/or Obstetrics & Gynecology - Regina program description.
  • Strong emphasis on distributed learning with rotations scheduled in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
  • Strong emphasis on early hands-on labour and delivery, operating room and ward experience in the core obstetrics and gynecology rotations.
  • Attending staff to resident ratio is 2:1; residents have direct 1:1 clinic experience with attending staff in the clinic, case room and operating theatre.
  • Exposure to advanced expertise in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, maternal fetal medicine, urogynecology and gynecologic oncology through rotations in both Saskatoon and Regina.
  • Community obstetrics and gynecology rotation in Prince Albert are a highlight of the curriculum.
  • International and interprovincial electives are supported and encouraged as part of elective time - arranged on an individual basis.
  • Structured and comprehensive academic program, including academic half-day, weekly subspecialty rounds, monthly grand rounds and journal club, most teaching sessions are videoconferenced.
  • Annual resident retreat with residents and faculty to discuss the direction of the program.
  • Web-based evaluation system (One45 WebEval).
  • Twice yearly practice OSCE exams for all residents in preparation for final year Royal College exams.

Distributive Learning at the University of Saskatchewan, The College of Medicine, while physically located in Saskatoon, is a provincial resource in attitude and in practice. Postgraduate medical education at the University of Saskatchewan takes seriously its role in supporting quality health care to all people of the province. This means training physicians to meet the needs of not only urban populations, but also those of rural and remote populations. In so doing, the College of Medicine has developed, and continues to develop, rotations in other communities. These rotations are designed to provide educational experiences to enhance the resident's knowledge and skills, and take maximum advantage of unique educational opportunities in diverse communities. All postgraduate programs are expected to develop and incorporate into their curriculum, rotations in communities other than Saskatoon. The manner in which each program does this is not strictly prescribed by the College of Medicine - but is determined by the Residency Program Committee, taking into consideration the needs of their residents, and the excellent opportunities available in other locations. These rotations continue to evolve as we seek to build stronger and better programs.

Extensive support is available for out of town rotations. The exact nature of this support varies with location and program. The communities involved, individual programs, the College of Medicine,and the Ministry of Health work collaboratively to ensure residents are not financially disadvantaged by the need to relocate.

For residents assigned to short term rotations in Regina and Prince Albert housing is provided. Where necessary, every effort will be made to provide family friendly accommodations.

If you have any questions, please contact: 

Residency Program Administrator - Saskatoon
Tel: (306) 844-1199

Residency Program Administrator - Regina
Tel: (306) 766-3709

Divisions

The Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine cares for patients with high risk pregnancies and offers a variety of diagnostic and treatment options, including:

  • biophysical evaluation
  • obstetric ultrasound
  • maternal medical conditioning monitoring
  • diabetes in pregnancy
  • hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • prenatal screening
  • prenatal testing
  • intrauterine fetal therapy

The Division has consultants located in both the Saskatoon and the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Regions. Appointments are by referral.

The Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery is a national leader in the field of urodynamic testing and urogynecology surgery. There are urogynecologists practicing in the Regina Qu’Appelle and Saskatoon Health Regions. Appointments are by referral. Assessment and treatment navigation is also available on both sites by referral to the local Pelvic Floor Pathway Clinic.
The department's core division offers an extensive array of inpatient and outpatient evaluative and therapeutic programs in all aspects of the specialty. The department is noted especially for being a center of excellence in gynecologic endoscopic surgery.

Since the Fall of 2019, Gynecologic Oncology has undergone a complete transformation.  We are building a new provincial clinical program in Gynecologic Oncology. The Faculty has expanded recently with three Gynecologic Oncologists at each site.  We offer a ‘full spectrum of care’ clinical service, including screening, diagnosis, treatment (surgery and chemotherapy) and palliation for women with gynecologic cancers.  We perform minimally invasive and open surgery procedures at both sites.  We incorporate sentinel node technology at both sites.  There will soon be a robotic surgery platform in Saskatchewan.   Our clinical trials program has launched and we are about to activate the first clinical trial (ever) for Gynecologic Oncology patients in Saskatchewan.  We have a multidisciplinary team structure at each site to support the program including a nurse navigator, clinical nursing support, pathology, radiation oncology, pharmacy and social work.

We are currently developing a new academic program.  We organize our teaching in Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical education as a provincial program, with shared participation from both sites.  Teaching for residents occurs twice per month and we organize this as a mentorship model with the resident working with a staff.  OSCEs are completed at each site, and a journal club is also structured at each site.  A Multidisciplinary Case Conference (MCC) occurs at each site where complex cancer cases are reviewed as well as the outcomes of all surgical procedures.  The Academic Half-Day program framework is provincial, with each staff providing teaching on pre-defined curricular elements. We have a provincial Journal Club and Morbidity and Mortality rounds schedule.  We provide teaching to residents in the operating room, on the ward and in clinic.  What makes our program distinct is an absence of Fellows, so there is no competition for cases and residents are first assist.  This also means the time spent working directly with Faculty is not diluted. 

The Gynecologic Oncology physician group has very recently received a grant in the amount of 1 million dollars for ovarian cancer research. Four clinical projects are going forward in conjunction with Ovarian Cancer Canada (as manager of funds) and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health.  These research projects are organized at both sites.  Additionally, Dr. Hopkins received a grant in September 2020 in the amount of 100 K to implement ERAS for Gynecologic Oncology patients.

There are presently four residents participating in research projects in Gynecologic Oncology.   These projects include the examination of relapse rates for endometrial cancer patients following either minimally invasive versus open laparotomy, ERAS, Reducing Surgical Site Infections following Cesarean Section and Venous Thromboembolism in ovarian cancer patients following surgery and during chemotherapy.

 

Faculty Descriptions

In Regina In Saskatoon
Allen Blair Cancer Centre
306-766-2213
Saskatoon Cancer Centre
306-655-2662

Saskatoon Site

  • Dr. Jennifer Brown-Broderick is a graduate of the University of Alberta medical school and completed both residency and Fellowship at the University of Ottawa.  She worked in Rochester, New York for her first four years of practice and is now in Saskatoon. Her main interests are Quality Improvement, clinical trials and medical education.  She is the Undergraduate Education representative for the Saskatoon site. 
  • Dr. Laura Hopkins is a graduate of the University of Toronto medical school, completed residency at McMaster University and Fellowship at the University of Toronto.  She has two Master of Science degrees, one in Anatomy and Histology from Queen’s University and the other in Epidemiology and Community Health from the University of Ottawa.  She practiced in Ottawa for 18 years and is now Provincial Lead for Gynecologic Oncology for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.  Her interests are Quality Improvement, clinical trials and medical education.  She has held leadership roles previously as Clerkship Director, Residency Program Director at the University of Ottawa and also Division Head; Gynecologic Oncology and Vice-Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa.
  • Dr. Vickie Martin is a graduate of Memorial University medical school and completed residency in Ob/Gyn at Queen’s University.  She completed Fellowship at the University of British Columbia.  She was in practice at St. John’s, NFLD initially for 2 years and then worked at Queen’s University for 5 years before moving to Saskatoon.  Her interests are medical education, clinical trials and physician wellness and survivorship.  Dr Martin is the Postgraduate Medical Education site representative and also is a member of the Residency Program Committee.

All three doctors in Saskatoon are new to Saskatchewan.  We have our offices in the Saskatoon Cancer Center and we operate at the Royal University Hospital.  All clinic activity is located at the Saskatoon Cancer Center.

 

Regina Site

  • Dr. Maryam Al Hayki completed medical school and residency at Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain.  She then completed her Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship at the University of Ottawa.  She has practiced in Regina for the last 16 years.  Her interests are clinical trials, novel therapeutics, precision medicine and ovarian cancer research.
  • Dr. Brent Jim is new to Regina, starting in February 2020.  He completed medical school at the University of British Columbia and then went on to complete residency and fellowship at the University of Calgary.  His main research interests are Indigenous Women’s Health and clinical trials.  Dr. Jim is the Undergraduate Medical Education site representative.
  • Dr. Shaina Lee is also new to Regina, starting in July 2019.  She completed undergraduate medical education at University of Calgary and did her residency and fellowship at University of British Columbia.  She is the Postgraduate Education site representative, and just recently completed her Master of Science degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.  Her research interests include qualitative research, clinical trials and oncology education for the general public as well as health care providers.

The offices of all Gynecologic Oncologists are located in the Alan Blair Cancer Center and surgery is performed at both Pasqua Hospital and Regina General Hospital.  Clinics are located at the Allan Blair Cancer Center and at the Women’s Health Center, Regina General Hospital.

Research

Events

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Contact

Address:

Room 4544
Royal University Hospital
103 Hospital Drive
Saskatoon, SK  S7N 0W8

Dr. Joanne Sivertson
Provincial Department Head
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Phone: 306-844-1059
Email
Executive Assistant to the Provincial Dept. Head
& Finance Assistant
Phone: 306-844-1059 

Harold Shiffman
 Manager
Phone: 306-844-1172

Dr. Jennifer Duda & Dr. Kristine Mytopher
Resident Program Directors
Phone: 306-844-1199

Email
Undergraduate Administrative Assistant
Phone: 306-844-1023

Email
Residency Program Administrative Assistant - Saskatoon
Phone: 306-844-1199
Email
Office Administrator
Phone:306-844-1173
Email
Residency Program Administrative Assistant - Regina
Phone: 306-766-3709