The Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto is the largest geriatrics training program in Canada. Medical students who choose geriatrics as an elective get the opportunity to experience what a career in geriatric medicine entails.
Medical Students
The Sinai Health/UHN Healthy Ageing and Geriatrics program in collaboration with the University of Toronto offers medical students clinical experience through an elective in Geriatric Medicine, or research opportunities through the Sinai Health/UHN Summer Scholars Programs in Geriatrics. Each of these opportunities is explained below.
- GERIATRIC MEDICINE ELECTIVE
The MSH/UHN Geriatrics rotation offers a comprehensive learning experience. Trainees join the multidisciplinary inpatient consultation service at either the University Avenue (MSH/TGH/PMH), Toronto Western Hospital (TWH) or Toronto Rehab (TRI) site for 4 weeks. By the end of the rotations, trainees will have ample exposure providing geriatrics consultations on patients admitted to hospital with hip fractures, delirium, falls, multi-morbidity and polypharmacy.
Students are scheduled into multiple outpatient experiences during their rotation at affiliated hospital ambulatory clinics including general geriatric medicine clinics (MSH/TRI), falls clinic (TRI), memory clinic (TWH), geriatric day hospital (TRI), telemedicine clinic (MSH); and community outreach experiences. Educational sessions are built in to the weekly schedule, with 2-4 hours of formal teaching each week. Formal teaching include weekly “Geriatric Giants” seminars, a dementia seminar by a behavioural neurologist, osteoporosis rounds and allied health seminars that address topics such as capacity and elder abuse, polypharmacy, and mobility.
2. GERIATRIC REHABILITATION ELECTIVE
The Geriatric Rehabilitation (GR) rotation offers students the opportunity to join the multidisciplinary rehab team caring for patients as they recover from acute hospitalization. Students will provide geriatric consultation for older patients admitted after complex medical/surgical hospital stays, hip fractures, and stroke, to name a few. They will learn about the path to recovery and discharge back to the community for frail elders, with extensive exposure to the contributions of allied health professionals. They will also work with our geriatric psychiatry team on the Specialized Dementia Unit (SDU), providing medical consultations and learning about the management of advanced dementia.
Students will be scheduled into multiple outpatient experiences during their rotation at affiliated hospital ambulatory clinics including general geriatric medicine clinics (MSH/TRI), falls clinic (TRI), memory clinic (TWH), geriatric day hospital (TRI), telemedicine clinic (MSH), geriatric oncology clinic (PMH); and community outreach experiences. Educational sessions are built into the weekly schedule, with 2-4 hours of formal teaching each week. Formal teaching include weekly “Geriatric Giants” seminars, a dementia seminar by a behavioural neurologist, osteoporosis rounds and allied health seminars that address topics such as capacity and elder abuse, polypharmacy, and mobility.
How to Apply
- University of Toronto Students (Years 3-4)
Electives vary from 2 to 4 weeks. One week electives are not available.
Additionally, please visit https://md.utoronto.ca/electives for more information regarding available courses and how to book.
2. Wightman-Berris Academy at the University of Toronto
Undergraduate students who are a part of this program should directly communicate their elective intent to the educational programs administrator. If approved, the Medical Education office will be notified of the student’s timeframe, and the student can begin their elective as scheduled.
Please visit https://wbacademy.utoronto.ca/ for more information.
Educational Programs Administrator: Libby Mendonca, Libby.Mendonca@sinaihealthsystem.ca
3. Other Academies at the University of Toronto
Undergraduate students who are not part of the Wightman-Berris Academy will need to be registered with the Medical Education office to process their request for an elective. They will first need to contact the educational programs administrator, who upon acceptance, will forward their application to the Medical Education office. The Medical Education Office will finalize the process with the student.
4. Non- University of Toronto & International Students
Undergraduate students who are not affiliated with the University of Toronto need to apply for an elective through the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), <https://www.afmcstudentportal.ca/Elective#/ElectiveDetails/194/15>.
Once the AFMC confirms placement and sends required documentation to the Medical Education Office, the student’s registration will be processed.
Visiting Electives Program
University of Toronto will be re-opening their Visiting Electives Program for Canadian and International students. A new national portal has been developed and launched under the guidance of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). Our program will open for student registration (via the AFMC portal) in October 2022 for electives placements to begin in January 2023. Students graduating 2024 onwards will be eligible to apply.
Specialties available for placements for visiting electives in January to April, are limited to:
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- Emergency Medicine
- Family and Community medicine
- General Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- General Surgery
- Psychiatry
To learn more, visit: https://md.utoronto.ca/electives.
Date Modified: July 2021