Faculty of Medicine Quick Facts

Fast Facts about the University of Calgary (PDF)

Our People

• More than 2,400 students attend programs at the Faculty of Medicine:
• 529 Doctor of Medicine (MD)
• 365 Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc)
• 135 Bachelor of Community Rehabilitation
• 451 Graduate Science Education (PhD and MSc students)
• 742 Post Graduate Medical Education (residents)
• 188 Post-Doctoral Research Fellows
• The faculty benefits greatly from its partnership with Alberta Health Services, which supports training residents in their specialty areas of medicine and encourages research between scientists and clinicians
• Our Global Health and International Partnerships department supports international educational experiences for students and promotes research in countries such as Laos, and Tanzania and Uganda
• The faculty has more than 500 full-time faculty, more than 1,500 clinical and adjunct faculty, and more than 1,300 technical and support staff
• 3,500 people are employed at the Faculty of Medicine

Our Faculty by the Numbers

• 19 clinical and basic science departments
• Seven reseach institutes:
• The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases: The Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases was named in 2008 in honour of Joan Snyder and her parents, who she credits for teaching her the value of philanthropy. Joan Snyder's gift to the institute was transformational in laying the foundation for the Calvin, Phoebe and Joan Snyder Chair in Critical Care Medicine as well as rebuilding lab space and building the Snyder Institute endowment.
  
  
• Hotchkiss Brain Institute: The mission of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) is to be a centre of excellence in neurological and mental health research, translating discoveries into innovative health care solutions.The HBI was launched in October 2004, under the leadership of Dr. Samuel Weiss with the University of Calgary and former Calgary Health Region, as key partners. The Institute was enabled by a foundational gift from Calgary's own Hotchkiss family.
  
  
• Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health: Created in 2004, the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (as it was then known) was established as a centre of excellence in research and education in maternal, newborn and child health. Re-branded in June 2009 as the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute for Child and Maternal Health, the dedication to research and teaching excellence continues in the study of human development from embryo to adulthood.
  
  
• Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta: On March 6, 2003 the Alvin and Mona Libin Foundation presented the largest one-time donation to the Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary. The gift came in the form of $15 million donated by Alvin and Mona Libin through their Foundation, and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta was born, giving Calgary a world-class institute for heart health research, education, and patient care.
  
  
• McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health: The McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health is home to researchers and clinicians from five different faculties at the University of Calgary and five partner institutions (University of Alberta, Oxford University, University of Lethbridge, University of Michigan, and the Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine) whose work ranges from basic science at the molecular level to whole joint transplants in the operating room, in addition to effective and efficient health service delivery.
  
  
• Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute:The Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute (SACRI) brings together researchers and physicians using the latest advances in medicine and science to determine the most effective treatments, to understand cancer causation, to explain trends in cancer incidence and mortality, and to improve the scientific knowledge of all aspects of the cancer continuum. SACRI originated in 2003 as a partnership between the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine and Alberta Health Services (formerly AHS-ACB).
  
  
• Institute for Public Health: The Institute for Public Health is a partnership between the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine and Alberta Health Services with over 275 members, representing a wide range of disciplines and roles in Pillar III (Health Services) and Pillar IV (Population and Public Health) research, policy-making and practice.

• More than $140 million/year in research grants and contracts
• One of only two, three-year medical school programs in North America
• 48 Chairs and Professorships - generously supported by our community - which develop, promote and recognize research excellence; total endowment value of more than $150 million
• Faculty awards include 10 Orders of Canada, six Rhodes Scholars, and a Gairdner International Award winner

Our History

• 1967 - the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine is founded
• 1970 - the first medical students are accepted into the program
• 2004 - the faculty's research institutes are created
• 2004 - the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program is established

Our Programs

• The Calgary Stroke Program is recognized as one of the leading programs of stroke treatment and research internationally.
• The Faculty of Medicine has one of the largest divisions of gastroenterology in the world and the Inflamatory Bowel Disease (IBD) program ranks fifth internationally.
• The Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program consistently leads the University of Calgary in terms of student GPA and student awards.