Medical Students

UHN welcomes nearly 900 medical students each year from around the world, through our affiliations with many institutions of higher learning. Our principal affiliation is with the University of Toronto; however, we have formal teaching arrangements with over 90 institutions, spanning a variety of clinical sub-specialties.

Why UHN

Message from Dr. Andrea Page, Director, Wightman-Berris Academy Director

The University Health Network, Sinai Health, and Michael Garron Hospital comprise the Wightman-Berris Academy, one of four academies at the University of Toronto. As the largest hospital within the Wightman-Berris Academy, UHN is a major contributor to medical student education across all four years of the undergraduate MD program. Approximately 95 first-year medical students are assigned to the WB Academy every September and remain as WB students until graduation.

At UHN, you will find a home. As a learner, you will be fully integrated into the healthcare team, supported in your acquisition of clinical skills, and exposed to research opportunities to enhance your educational experience. Both pre-clinical (Foundations) and clinical (Clerkship) education occur at UHN hospitals. As a student at UHN, whether you are participating in a facilitated, interactive session in one of our medical education classrooms, or are involved in direct patient care activities during your clerkship, you will have the benefit of being supervised by excellent teachers including physicians from a variety of specialties and non-MD healthcare professionals from every domain. On behalf of all those involved in teaching and supervising medical students, as well as our team of medical education administrative staff, I welcome you to UHN.

A main purpose of the academy structure at the University of Toronto medical school is to provide students with a smaller, more intimate learning environment. Students will have many sources of assistance and mentorship while studying at UHN. These include:

The Academy Director: The Academy Director is a faculty member who oversees all of the medical learners assigned to the academy and who can provide guidance in a non-evaluative manner.
Social Activities: A variety of social activities are planned throughout the academic year by each year's elected class representatives. These activities are aimed at bringing students together in an informal, casual setting so that they may build a strong learner community.
Learner Leadership Advisory Committee (LLAC): UHN's Clinical Learner Leadership Advisory Committee (LLAC) provides a novel opportunity for learners to contribute their unique perspectives to educational and organizational planning and processes while strengthening their leadership skills in areas such as:
- Making specific recommendations to improve learners' experiences
- Participating in strategic planning and other design sessions
- Contributing to organization-wide events
- Participating in committees
- Adding perspectives in focus groups
- Participating in learner and staff leadership initiatives across UHN, etc.

While studying at UHN, medical students will follow the curriculum established by the MD Program. Please visit UofT for full description. In brief, the first two years of study (named Foundations) provide the introductory learning necessary to move on to the clinical portion of the MD Program (called Clerkship).

Much of the learning during Foundations occurs via Case-Based Learning (CBL) sessions, where students are tasked with working through on-line modules depicting typical patient presentations under the guidance of a faculty teacher.

CBL is supplemented by lectures, anatomy classes, clinical skills learning, small group sessions on medical research and methodology, and clinical experiences where students work with community agencies or shadow practicing physicians. UHN provides excellent teachers for the small-group sessions, and amazing clinical experiences across a large number of specialty programs. Learners will have the opportunity to learn from programs unique to UHN, which include Multi-organ Transplantation, Advanced Oncology, and Interventional Cardiology, among others.

Getting Started

For registration instructions on your pre-clerkship, clerkship or electives, please see below

Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals

There are call rooms in the hospital. Check with your department for call room locations and availability. Keys and/or combination codes are distributed by individual departments.

NOTE:
The University Health Network and Sinai Health assume no responsibility for articles lost or stolen from lockers and/or call rooms. Make sure all valuables are securely stored.

During daytime hours, if a workplace injury or accident occurs, please inform your supervisor and go to Heath Services at your site. After hours, or if you are at a site that does not have Health Services, please go to the Emergency Department.

Toronto General Hospital
Eaton 2nd Fl, 2-260
Tel: External 416 340 3267, Internal 14-3267
Fax: 416 340 3463

Toronto Western Hospital
Main Pavilion, 9th floor, Rm. 309
Tel: External 416 603 5121, Internal 13-5121

Princess Margaret Hospital
620 University Avenue
7th Floor Rm. 820
Tel: External 416 946 2090, Internal 16-2090
Clinic hours: 7:30am – 3:30pm (M-F)

Toronto Rehab - Occupational Health Nurse
For all TR sites during regular business hours:
University Centre Room 5-145 (416 597 3422 ext. 3051)
Admin Asst: 416 597 3422 ext. 3775
Fax for all TR sites: 416 597 3026

N95 Mask Fit Testing
Mask fit testing must be completed every 2 years. Arrangements will be made for Wightman-Berris students to complete their training at the start of first and third year. It can also be completed through Occupational Health. Monthly mask fit testing schedules can be accessed at via the UHN intranet. If you require an accommodation to N95 mask fit testing, please contact the Office of Learner Affairs at the University, and notify the Academy Director.

Learning at UHN encompasses teaching and learning at four hospitals- Princess Margaret, Toronto General and Toronto Western hospitals, and the five campuses of Toronto Rehab - as well as full-time programs at the School of Applied Health Sciences and a range of options via the School of Continuing Education at the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. To learn more about the services please visit programs and amenities offered at each location.

Available resources to help you:

Get to and around UHN
In-hospital amenities
Information about bike parking can be found on the Energy and Environment Department home page on the UHN Intranet

UHN Shuttle Service
A free shuttle service runs between Toronto Western and Toronto General Hospitals Monday through Friday.

As a student enrolled in the MD Program at the University of Toronto you must register with the MD Program. Please refer to additional Information on registration, including relevant immunization and e-learning requirements.

As a University of Toronto medical student assigned to the Wightman-Berris Academy, you must also register yearly with UHN and Sinai Health. The UHN registration is accomplished by submitting an online placement. Once this placement is approved, your registration with UHN Medical Education is complete and, if applicable, your network access information (tID and EPR) will be available through your learner profile on the site.

UHN requires that all medical learners complete a small number of eLearning modules each academic year.

Your UMLearns profile keeps track of what modules you have to complete. Please log in and select 'Network login' to view outstanding modules

UHN is committed to identifying, removing and preventing barriers to care, services, work and learning.

Medical students placed at the WB Academy can access information regarding accommodations for their learning by contacting the MD Program's Office of Learner Affairs (OLA).OLA works closely with both Accessibility Services at UofT's Student Life and the Academy Director as required, to support students in both the classroom and clinical environments.

For additional information about accessibility please visit UHN Accessibility page.

Should you require accommodations, please contact the Office of Learner Affairs well in advance of your clinical placement.

Medical students at UHN are invited to take part in interprofessional education (e.g. Structured Interprofessional Clinical Experiences) throughout the year. Visit the website for more information about Interprofessional Education opportunities at UHN.

Through the Centre for Advancing Collaboration in Healthcare and Education (CACHE), the University of Toronto provides interprofessional education opportunities to pre-licensure students and practice-based health professionals at our affiliated hospitals.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is defined as: Occasions when two or more professions learn with, from and about each other to improve collaboration and the quality of care. (CAIPE: 1997 rev. 2001).

For an overview of the IPE curriculum and learning activities at UT - follow this link: U of T IPE Curriculum.

CACHE is a strategic partnership between the University of Toronto and the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network with the University Health Network as lead hospital.

Student Life

Providing inclusive and safe spaces for learners throughout their education is of the utmost importance. Learn more about the safe space resources available to you at UofT and at UHN

UHN is committed to learner and educator wellness at both an individual and at an organizational level. Workplace wellness at UHN is a comprehensive approach to improving the health and well-being of employees, trainees and the organization. A healthy organization translates into a more productive and resilient workforce.

You can visit our Oasis Wellness Centre - Main Office at Toronto General Hospital - 1NU168.

For further wellness resources and supports you can visit student life at the University of Toronto.

Any learner requiring assistance across UHN can find supports and resources on our Learner Assistance page.

If you are experiencing an urgent or emergency situation, there are multiple avenues available to you for support. Additional options include the following:

The Student Assistance page - University of Toronto
Office of Learner Affairs (OLA)
The Gerstein Centre
The Academy Director, Dr. Andrea Page

If your own or someone else's health or safety is at risk, please call 911 or seek medical attention right away.

A variety of scholarships and bursaries are available to you as a medical student through the MD Program.

Students who have worked with a supervisor from UHN to complete research may be eligible to have costs associated with the presentation of their work reimbursed through UHN's MACK Foundation Bursary.

Mack Foundation Bursary

Through a generous donation by the Mack Family Foundation, Undergraduate Medical Education offers bursaries to medical students who presented UHN-supervised research at an approved medical conference during the previous calendar year.

Funding of up to $2,500 will be awarded to reimburse the cost of travel, hotel/accommodations, conference registration and posters. Successful applicants will be notified via e-mail and recognized at the annual Awards reception.

Bursary criteria and application form

To participate in student groups and discussion group, visit student life at the University of Toronto.

Golden Stethoscope Awards

The Golden Stethoscope award recognizes Year 3 Wightman-Berris students who have demonstrated the following characteristics during their 3rd year rotations:

compassion, caring, altruism
academic excellence
the ability to go "above and beyond"

In short, this award is for clerks who “you would most want to walk into your room if you were a patient.”
These awards are distributed annually and medical students are nominated by their rotation supervisors.

Wightman-Berris Academy Awards

The University Health Network (Toronto General, Toronto Western, Princess Margaret Hospitals and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute), Sinai Health, and Michael Garron Hospital offer the Wightman-Berris Academy Awards that recognize the outstanding teachers and educators who have made significant contributions to health professional education. To read more about the categories of awards and learn how to nominate a health professional please visit Wightman-Berris Academy Awards page.

Learning Resources

All educational facilities for the Wightman-Berris Academy are there for student use. In the event that the space is booked and unavailable for students, or if students just want another place to study, there are a number of other spots available.

TGH and TWH are equipped with dedicated spaces for learners including seminar and exam rooms that are accessible to students 24 hours a day.

Toronto General Hospital

Use of study space at TGH Medical Education is first-come, first-served.
The food courts are accessible 24 hours a day. Keep in mind, from Monday to Friday, there is a lot of activity during working hours.
The TGH Library (Eaton Wing, 1st Floor) is available for quiet study.
The DeGasperis Patient and Family Conservatory, Munk Building (formerly Clinical Services Building), 4th floor, is open daily from 6am-11pm.

Toronto Western Hospital

Use of study space at TWH Education Centre is first-come, first-served.
The food court is accessible 24 hours a day. NOTE: during business hours, there is a lot of activity in the food court.

Libraries

The UHN Library Network is one of the largest in Canada and includes health sciences academic libraries across all UHN hospitals, providing expert information leadership across UHN and beyond.

Student Centres

The Paul B. Helliwell Centre for Medical Education

The Paul B. Helliwell Centre for Medical Education is home base for Wightman-Berris Academy students at Toronto General Hospital. The centre was made possible through a generous donation from the Paul B. Helliwell Foundation. The Helliwell Centre includes:

Large classrooms and smaller seminar rooms
A computer lab available to medical students that includes access to internet and printing. The computers in the lab give students access to the UHN Intranet site
A spacious student lounge with additional computers, phones and a fully functional kitchenette
Harvey Simulator

An observation corridor between examination rooms can be used to view the interactions through one-way glass windows and sets of headphones allow observers to listen to interactions.

Toronto General Hospital (Helliwell Centre)
200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton North, Ground Floor, Room 001
Phone: 416 340 4846

Student Services Centre

Opened in June 2014, UHN Student Services Centre is a welcoming environment that provides a central location for students from all health care professions to access placement services, resources and support. Our staff are committed to ensuring students have a positive learning experience and are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to guide students to the rich learning opportunities available throughout the hospital network.

Workshops and In-Services

UHN Student Services Centre is excited to offer a myriad of professional development workshops for students, staff and visitors. Workshops include resume writing, tips and tricks for successful interviewing, enhancing the student/preceptorship relationship, and career planning/coaching. In-services such as respiratory therapy, pain management, palliative care and many more are available based on demand every semester.

Location

The Student Services Centre is located on the ground floor of Toronto General Hospital beside the food court, along the north-south corridor connecting the Gerrard Street entrance and the MaRS building.
Regular Student Drop-In Hours: open 8am – 4pm
Email: studentcentre@uhn.ca

Toronto Western Hospital Education Centre
399 Bathurst Street, 3rd Floor, West Wing
Toronto, ON M5T 2S6
Phone: 416 603 5924
Email: medicaleducation@uhn.ca

Rooms:

Seminar rooms (six total)
Equipped with conference tables and large monitors that can be used as projection screens
Seminar Rooms can accommodate up to 10 to 12 people
Seminar Rooms 1-3 and 5 & 6 have the ability to combine displays with retractable doors to create a larger learning monitors that can be linked to any computer and used as a large display screen. Additional audio-visual equipment can be acquired through the hospital's audio-visual department

Student lounge with full kitchen
Lactation Space
Computer lab with multiple dual screen computer stations with printing and photocopying
Full wireless service

In addition, all Wightman-Berris students can access study space at the Medical Education Centre of the Mount Sinai Hospital (Cooper Centre), located on the third floor of 60 Murray Street. After-hours access to the Cooper Centre requires a separate access card that all WB students are eligible for and can be arranged through the administrative staff at the Cooper Centre.

There are many spaces across the hospital network that can serve as learning spaces. If you are interested in using a learning space, please drop in or if you would like to book a space please contact the centres:

Toronto General Hospital (Helliwell Centre)
200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton North, Ground Floor, Room 001
Toronto, ON M5G 2C4
Phone: 416 340 4846
Email: medicaleducation@uhn.ca

Princess Margaret Education Centre
The Princess Margaret Education Centre is anticipated to open in early 2023. You will need to use the 620 University Avenue Elevators to get to the space, located on the 6th floor.

Invitations to various learning events are circulated to students regularly by email and posted to the notice boards at our Medical Education sites.

UHN is Canada's leading research hospital network, so you may have the opportunity to engage in clinical or educational research.

For more information about research at UHN, and to ensure you have completed all necessary requirements to conduct research, please explore these resources:

The Office of Research Trainees (ORT) is a support and information resource for research trainee related matters who aims to support the research training within UHN. We directly support research trainees at the graduate (MSc and PhD) and postdoctoral levels.
UHN Research Institutes
UHN Libraries
CAP Research and Innovation
Wilson Centre
Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare and Education (CACHE)
The Institute for Education Research

Temerty / Chang Telesimulation Centre

Responding to the critical need for change, the Temerty-Chang International Centre for Telesimulation and Innovation in Medical Education at UHN, Toronto Western Hospital, is bridging a crucial gap in health care in developing countries. Using the latest telecommunications and simulation technology, the centre provides training in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) over the internet for doctors around the world. Surgeons who complete the centre's program will improve the skills necessary to perform safer, less invasive procedures. The centre is the first of its kind in the world and will play a pivotal role in achieving the following goals:

Increase the number of surgeons certified in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery
Evaluate new technology, equipment and methods to advance telesimulation training programs
Conduct ongoing research on the impact of telesimulation on patient safety
Expand telesimulation training models to other medical disciplines and health care professions such as nursing and biomedical engineering

Ho Ping Kong Centre for Excellence in Education and Practice

The HoPingKong Centre for Excellence in Education and Practice (CEEP) is dedicated to improving medical education at the bedside through innovation and scholarship. The Centre’s purpose is to educate physicians for scholarly careers in General Internal Medicine and train the next generations of doctors who teach. Our group is committed to pioneering new ways of using high fidelity simulation for teaching clinical skills and in emphasizing the importance of the art of medicine.

With a primary purpose that is unique worldwide, the HoPingKong Centre has developed an international following, attracting specialists in training from Canada and abroad. Partnerships with other education centres and a strong emphasis on scholarship ensure that the cutting-edge work done at the HoPingKong Centre benefits learners from across the globe.

Anesthesia Simulation Centre

The Anesthesia Assistants group at UHN manage the Anesthesia High Fidelity Simulation Centre, which is used to:

Training and maintenance of AA staff competency
Providing ACLS reviews for nurses
Reviewing crisis management scenarios with anesthesia residents and medical students
Training MSICU nurses in extracorporeal life support
Reviewing interprofessional team communication

The simulation program coordinator works collaboratively with clinical educators from various disciplines to create unique scenarios that are tailored to the specific educational and training needs of the group utilizing the centre. The scenarios provide formative and summative assessments with structured feedback for the participants.

CASE

With 20,000 square feet of simulation space, the Centre for the Advancement of Simulation and Education (CASE), located at the St. Patrick Campus of The Michener Institute of Education at UHN, is one of the largest simulation-based learning centres in Canada and will serve our larger community as an innovative space where interprofessional, simulation-based learning and evaluation can occur. Our expertise in curriculum design and delivery makes our centre the perfect partner in your organization’s learning and education plans. You can address complex team training or high-stakes assessment of clinical skills at CASE.

Research Simulation Labs - Toronto Rehab KITE

To learn more about the simulation labs at Toronto Rehab used for research and innovation please visit Toronto Rehab KITE.

A variety of opportunities are available to you as year 1 and 2 students at UHN to shadow physicians from a variety of specialties. Students assigned to the Wightman-Berris Academy are already registered at UHN and do not need to do anything further to register at the hospital for the observerships. Wightman-Berris students can access the observerships with their Wightman-Berris student identification badge. Students from other academies who are undertaking an observership at UHN must register at Medical Education and obtain a UHN badge before attending their clinical site. All EEEs must be registered formally with U of T.

Students who are from institutions other than the University of Toronto can obtain observerships by contacting the Observership Office.

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