Sinai Health and the University Health Network Division of Geriatrics offers unique and innovative fellowship opportunities for medical residents seeking to receive specialty training in diverse and emerging areas of geriatric medicine. In many cases, these fellowship opportunities are the only ones of their kind in Canada, and attract talented residents from across the country.
Training under one of these programs does not lead to certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or to a certification as a family physician by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Note: If you are considering applying to any of the listed fellowships and you have also applied to the U.S. match through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), please be advised that the University of Toronto is a participating institution and adheres to the match policy. The policy states that “Applicants, who have matched to a program or have accepted a position during the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP), shall not apply for, discuss, interview for, or accept a concurrent year position in another program prior to the NRMP granting the requested waiver.” More information is accessible on the NRMP Specialty Matching Services Match Participation Agreement.
We offer two pathways for fellowship training in geriatric medicine:
The first is a traditional fellowship program offering training experiences tailored to meet the educational goals of the applicant. This is a one-year program based at the Sinai Health System (SHS) and the University Health Network (UHN) hospitals in Toronto.
The second pathway, mirroring the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Competence By Design curriculum, aims to prepare fellows to write the Royal College Geriatric Medicine subspecialty exam. This program follows a 2-year curriculum. Fellows rotate across five major teaching hospitals across the city of Toronto. Upon completion of the program and passing the Royal College exam, fellows would be eligible for SEAP (Subspecialist Exam Affiliate Program) Affiliate designation with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. At this time, the SEAP pathway is only open to applicants with funding from their home country/institution.
Please note: If you are a Canadian citizen enrolled in or have completed an ACGME accredited Internal Medicine program, please apply through CaRMS https://www.carms.ca/match/msm/ .
Detailed descriptions of the two programs, the eligibility requirements and application requirements are found below.
If you have further questions regarding the two programs after thoroughly reviewing this document, please feel free to contact us at geriatric.medicine@utoronto.ca.
SHS/UHN Geriatric Medicine Fellowship
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: Sept. 1, for July 1 start date of following year
Anticipated Start Date: July 1 (with flexibility on start date if needed)
Number of Position(s): 1-2
Description:
The fellowship program in general geriatric medicine will train physicians to offer expert care of older adults. The design of the training program will be tailored to the specific learning needs and objectives of the candidate.
Core training at the SHS/UHN sites will include rotations on the inpatient geriatric medicine consultation service, ortho-geriatrics service, geriatric rehabilitation service, outpatient geriatrics (general geriatrics clinics and specialty clinics such as Falls Clinic, Memory Clinic and others) and geriatric community outreach programs. Elective rotations in behavioral neurology, geriatric psychiatry, osteoporosis and long-term-care (among others) are available to enhance knowledge and skills for managing common geriatric syndromes and can be arranged according to the interests and needs for the fellow. Fellows will be assigned a longitudinal clinic (outpatient geriatric medicine consultation), where they will see and follow community dwelling patients for one half day each week over the course of the fellowship.
The clinical experience is enhanced by dedicated educational activities including:
- Weekly academic half day teaching
- Scholarly project: with mentorship and protected time during the program to facilitate project completion
- Monthly journal club
- Quality improvement co-learning curriculum: conduct a group QI project with a faculty liaison.
Our faculty are involved in a myriad of scholarly projects including clinical research, health systems research, medical education, and more, with many opportunities for academic collaboration and mentorship.
Eligibility:
- Certificate of postgraduate (residency) training in Internal Medicine
- English fluency
- Proof of funding for 2 years
Ideal fellows have:
- Well-developed career goals, with consideration of how the fellowship program will help achieve those goals.
- A passion for working with older adults. This interest should be evident in the clinical and academic experiences highlighted in their CV and personal statement.
Impeccable bedside manner, strong communication skills and work well in teams.
How to Apply:
Please submit the following documents to geriatric.medicine@utoronto.ca.
- Application Form
- Personal Letter: Please include the following items in your letter:
- Reason for your interest in training in geriatric medicine
- The qualities and skills that make you a good candidate for our program. Please elaborate on any prior clinical experience with geriatric medicine or the care of frail elders.
- Future career goals and explanation of how this program will help you achieve these goals.
- Letters of Reference: 3
- Referees should know you well and be in a position to comment on your clinical skills, knowledge and interpersonal skills. We prefer letters from teaching faculty with actual clinical exposure to you.
- Letters of reference must be dated within the past 12 months.
- Resume/CV – optional
- Medical School and Internal Medicine Residency/Postgraduate Training Diplomas
- Proof of funding for clinical fellowship, if available (Note: Funding is not required in order to apply for a position. However, the Sinai Health System and the University Health Network cannot ensure that funding for this fellowship will be available each year.)
University of Toronto Geriatric Medicine Subspecialist Exam Affiliate Program (SEAP) Fellowship
Duration: 2 years
Application Open and Close Date: Application close date Aug. 15, of year prior to starting fellowship program. Interviews conducted in the fall season prior to start year of the fellowship.
Anticipated Start Date: July 1 of following year
Number of Position(s) per Year: 1-2
Description:
The Geriatric Medicine SEAP fellowship is a 2-year program mirroring the University of Toronto Geriatric Medicine subspecialty residency program. Graduates of this program can apply to write the Royal College exam in Geriatric Medicine and if successful, can apply to become SEAP (subspecialist exam affiliates) of the Royal College.
During this program, fellows will rotate across the 4 academic teaching hospitals offering geriatrics training rotations within the city of Toronto (Sunnybrook Hospital, Unity Health, Baycrest Hospital and Sinai Health System/University Health Network Hospitals). Clinical rotations include:
- Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Unit
- Inpatient geriatric consultation
- Geriatric rehabilitation
- Geriatric psychiatry
- Behavioural neurology
- Ambulatory (outpatient) geriatrics, including one half-day longitudinal clinic each week
Elective rotations can be arranged according to the interests and needs for the fellow.
The clinical experience is enhanced by dedicated educational activities including:
- Weekly academic half day teaching
- Scholarly project: with mentorship and protected time during the program to facilitate project completion
- Monthly journal club
- Quality improvement co-learning curriculum: conduct a group QI project with a faculty liaison.
Prior to enrollment, the program will work with the candidate to ensure eligibility to write the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Geriatric Subspecialty Exam at the completion of training. Successful completion of the exam will offer this trainee the opportunity to become a Subspecialist Affiliate of the Royal College.
Eligibility:
- Certificate of postgraduate (residency) training in Internal Medicine
- English fluency
Ideal fellows have:
- A passion for working with older adults and embrace the challenges presented by complex geriatric issues.
- An interest in the pursuit of scholarship in geriatric medicine
- A mature and well-developed professional attitude, who are motivated, self-directed adult-learners.
How to Apply:
*Please submit the following documents to to geriatric.medicine@utoronto.ca.
- Application Form
- Personal Letter: Please include the following items in your letter:
- Reason for your interest in training in geriatric medicine
- The qualities and skills that make you a good candidate for our program. Please elaborate on any prior clinical experience with geriatric medicine or the care of frail elders.
- Future career goals and explanation of how this program will help you achieve these goals.
- Custom Resume/CV
- Must include a chronology of training and work experience, including start and end dates accurate to the month
- Letters of Reference: 3
- Referees should know you well and be in a position to comment on your clinical skills, knowledge and interpersonal skills, specifically as these skills relate to care of complex older adults. They should be able to compare your performance to the expected standard for your level, or other residents they have worked with. We prefer letters from teaching faculty with actual clinical exposure to you.
- Letters of reference must be dated within the past 12 months.
- English Language Proficiency—provide one of the following:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7 in each component
- TOEFL-Ibt – passing score of 93 including a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section
- Candidates for whom their primary and secondary education, OR medical school education was conducted in English, we will accept Language Proficiency Attestations as follows:
- Primary and Secondary Education: Mailed directly from the Senior Academic Administrators of both schools to the program confirming that all of the candidate’s primary and secondary education was conducted completely in English
- Medical School: Mailed directly from the Dean of the candidate’s medical school confirming that the language of instruction and patient care was conducted completely in English
- World Directory of Medical Schools Language Option – If the instruction and the language of patient care at the undergraduate medical school was conducted completely in English, then a candidate can submit to the Program a copy or printout of the World Directory of Medical Schools website listing the medical school which clearly states that the language of instruction is English
- Proof of funding for clinical fellowship.
- Residency/Postgraduate Training in Internal Medicine: please provide copy of diploma, medical school transcripts and postgraduate (residency) training transcripts.
*Postgraduate training agreements are currently in place between the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine and sponsoring agencies from the following countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates. Applications from these countries MUST come through PGME International office at pgme.international@utoronto.ca not directly to our program.
The geriatric rehab fellowship program is a one-year clinical training program to equip physicians with the knowledge and skills to expertly care for and manage older adults in the rehab setting. The field of geriatric rehab is relatively new but is growing in Canada and around the world. Patients will include those with functional decline due to multi-morbidity, destabilized medical conditions, surgery, stroke and other causes. Fellows will learn to apply the principles of geriatric medicine to the prevention of functional impairment and to assist older adults to function successfully in the community. Our hope is that our graduates will go on to become leaders of geriatric medicine and geriatric rehabilitation around the world.
Further description of the required and elective rotation, the eligibility requirements and application requirements are found below.
If you have further questions after thoroughly reviewing this document, please feel free to contact us at geriatric.medicine@utoronto.ca.
SHS/UHN Geriatric Rehab Fellowship
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: Applications due by Sept. 1, for July 1 start date of following year.
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1, with flexibility
Number of Position(s) per Year: 1-2
Description:
Clinical Rotations:
- Acute Care Geriatric Consultation, Acute Care: 2 months
- Geriatric Rehabilitation, Consultation Service: 2 months
- Geriatric Rehabilitation, Co-management Service: 2 months
- Specialized rehabilitation/Physiatry: 3 months total
- Muskuloskeletal rehab: 1-2 months
- Stroke and Acquired Brain Injury rehab: 1-2 months
- Electives: Choose from the following, for total of 3 months
- Spinal Cord rehab
- Oncology rehab
- Behavioural neurology, including specialized Memory Clinic
- Osteoporosis Clinic
- Cardiac rehab
- ENT/Dysphagia
- Stroke neurology
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Movement disorders neurology
- Research Elective
- Geriatric Medicine longitudinal outpatient clinic: 1/2 day per week
The clinical experience is enhanced by dedicated educational activities including:
- Weekly academic half day teaching
- Scholarly project: with mentorship and protected time during the program to facilitate project completion
- Monthly journal club
- Quality improvement co-learning curriculum
Eligibility:
Eligibility: Applicants must be fluent in English and have completed postgraduate (residency) training in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine (preferred) or Physical medicine and rehabilitation (physiatry).
Ideal fellows have:
- Impeccable bedside manner, strong communication skills and work well in teams.
- A passion for working with older adults. This interest should be evident in the clinical and academic experiences highlighted in their CV and personal statement.
- An interest in the pursuit of scholarly activities.
- Well-developed career goals, with consideration of how the fellowship program will help achieve those goals.
How to Apply:
Please submit the following documents to geriatric.medicine@utoronto.ca.
- Application Form
- Medical school and Residency/Postgraduate Training Diplomas
- Personal Letter: Please include the following items in your letter:
- Reason for your interest in training in geriatric medicine
- The qualities and skills that make you a good candidate for our program. Please elaborate on any prior clinical experience with geriatric medicine or the care of frail elders.
- Future career plan and goals, with an explanation of how this fellowship program will help you achieve those goals.
- Custom Resume/CV
- Letters of Reference: 3
- Referees should know you well and be in a position to comment on your clinical skills, knowledge and interpersonal skills. We prefer letters from teaching faculty who have supervised your clinical work.
- Letters of reference should be dated within the past 12 months. An exception can be granted to physicians who completed their training > 12 months ago, in which case we would appreciate at least one letter from a previous supervising physician.
- Letters of reference should be sent directly to the fellowship director
- Proof of funding for clinical fellowship, if available
- Note: Funding is not required to apply, however, we cannot ensure that funding for this fellowship will be available each year
The geriatric oncology fellowship program is a one-year training program based at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the largest clinical and academic cancer centres in the world. The program combines clinical work and scholarly activity throughout the year. The program aims to equip physicians with the knowledge and skills to expertly care for and manage older adults with cancer. The field of geriatric oncology is relatively young but is growing rapidly in Canada and around the world as the unique issues faced by a rapidly growing number of older adults with cancer become more common and understood.
Fellows will learn to apply the principles of geriatric medicine and comprehensive geriatric assessment to characterize the fitness and frailty of older adults with cancer in the pre-treatment setting, in those on active cancer treatments, and in those older adults during the survivorship phase after cancer treatment. The comprehensive geriatric assessment and resulting recommendations help guide the oncologic care of these patients and help optimize patients during the cancer journey. Our hope is that our graduates will go on to become leaders of geriatric oncology around the world.
Further description of the fellowship, academic tracks, the eligibility requirements, and application requirements are found below.
If you have further questions after reviewing this information, please feel free to contact the fellowship director at shabbir.alibhai@uhn.ca.
Geriatric Oncology Fellowship
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: Applications due by Sept. 15, for July 1 start date of following year.
Anticipated Start Date(s): July 1, with flexibility
Number of Position(s) per Year: 1-2 (contingent on funding)
Description:
Clinical Rotations:
This Fellowship will train geriatricians or medical oncologists to provide enhanced care of the older adult with cancer. Clinical work will be based in the outpatient Older Adults with Cancer Clinic – a multidisciplinary assessment and co-management program that supplements the care provided by oncologists to assist with treatment decision-making and co-management during patients’ cancer journeys. Depending on the background, needs and interests of the fellow, clinical rotations in inpatient and outpatient geriatric medicine, medical oncology, and palliative medicine will be scheduled into the curriculum.
Older Adults with Cancer Clinic: 1/2 day three times per week
The clinical experience is enhanced by dedicated educational activities including:
- Twice-monthly academic teaching covering core topics and papers in geriatric oncology
- Scholarly project: with mentorship and protected time to facilitate project completion
- Monthly journal club
- Fellows are also invited to attend core geriatric and oncology education rounds, as appropriate for their interests and needs
Scholarly focus:
Beyond clinical training in geriatric oncology, the fellowship requires participation in one of three academic tracks: research, education, or quality improvement, depending on the interest of the trainee. Fellows will be matched with appropriate mentors to support their academic goals.
- The research track includes participation in clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, and health services research in various aspects of geriatric oncology research in a variety of clinical populations, including prostate cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, head and neck cancer, myeloproliferative neoplasms, and others. Fellows who wish to do research training are expected to develop a significant research project during the tenure of the Fellowship.
- The education track includes designing and/or evaluating curricula for physicians (in practice and/or in training), nurses, and other health care professionals in geriatric oncology.
- The quality improvement track features multiple opportunities to study knowledge translation initiatives, quality of care projects, and models of care for older cancer patients.
- Combined geriatric oncology/palliative care. This track features sequential 6 months of training in each of geriatric oncology and palliative care. Palliative care training would be coordinated by the Department of Supportive Care at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, UHN, and requires a separate application to that program.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be fluent in English and have completed postgraduate (residency) training in Geriatric Medicine, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, or Surgical Oncology.
Ideal fellows have:
- Impeccable bedside manner, strong communication skills and work well in teams.
- A passion for working with older adults. This interest should be evident in the clinical and academic experiences highlighted in their CV and personal statement.
- An interest in the pursuit of scholarly activities.
- Well-developed career goals, with consideration of how the fellowship program will help achieve those goals.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants should include the following documents before they will be reviewed by the fellowship committee. To apply, please submit these documents to shabbir.alibhai@uhn.ca.
1. Personal Letter: Please include the following items in your letter:
- Reason for your interest in training in geriatric oncology.
- The qualities and skills that make you a good candidate for our program. Please elaborate on any prior clinical experience relevant to geriatric oncology.
- Future career plan and goals, with an explanation of how this fellowship program will help you achieve those goals.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Letters of Reference: 3
- Referees should know you well and be in a position to comment on your clinical skills, knowledge and interpersonal skills. We prefer letters from teaching faculty who have supervised your clinical work.
- Letters of reference should be sent directly to the fellowship director.
4. Proof of funding for clinical fellowship, if available
- Note: Funding is not required to apply, however, we cannot ensure that funding for this fellowship will be available each year
This fellowship focuses on developing clinical skills specific to care of older people in emergency medicine and critical care; and on providing exposure to models of care that prioritize optimal outcomes for them. Fellows will experience a balance between developing clinical excellence in geriatric care, advancing research relevant in geriatric ED care, and cultivating a broader view of care of older people across the health care spectrum. The fellowship provides opportunities for skill enhancement in Geriatric Medicine, Geriatric Psychiatry, Geriatric Palliative Care, Geriatric Trauma, Long-Term Care, Home-Based Primary Care, in addition to Geriatric Emergency Medicine.
Geriatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship
Duration: 1 year
Application Open and Close Date: Applications can be submitted at any point during the year.
Anticipated Start Date: July 1 (flexible start date)
Number of Position(s): 2
Description:
This fellowship will be tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of the individual applicant.
Eligibility:
This fellowship is suitable for an EM-trained physician who has satisfied the requirements of a general license; or, for Canadian residents, who are in the PGY4 or 5 year of a five-year residency programme.
How to Apply:
Interested applicants should provide their current curriculum vitae and a letter stating their interest and involvement in geriatric care and how this fellowship fits into their career plans. Eventually three letters of reference will be requests.
For more information, please contact Dr. Don Melady at don.melady@utoronto.ca
This fellowship, both clinical and research in nature, focuses on the needs of older nephrology patients. Fellows will gain experience in applying the findings from a comprehensive geriatric assessment to the patient with renal disease, with the goal of maximizing wellbeing in the context of renal therapies and chronic disease. Although the training experiences will extend across all stages of renal disease, there will be a strong emphasis on palliative dialysis, symptom management, and rehabilitation with dialysis and also on providing comprehensive conservative renal care. Fellows will be exposed to critical appraisal and given the opportunity for clinical research training if applicable.
Eligibility
This fellowship is 6 months in duration, beginning on January 1st or July 1st. It is open to residents/physicians who have completed training in general nephrology and are eligible for licensure through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should provide their current curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and a brief outline of goals and objectives. Applications open September 30 or April 30.
For more information, please contact Samantha Ramsammy at Samantha.rammsammy@uhn.ca