Answers
1)
I've heard that University of Toronto medical students are divided into
academies. What does this mean?
Medical students at U of
T are allocated to academies, in an effort to expose students to as many of the
incredible teaching hospitals as possible, and to allow students to study in
smaller groups. There are four academies: the
Fitzgerald Academy
at St. Michael’s Hospital, the Wightman-Berris Academy at Mount Sinai Hospital,
Toronto General Hospital,
and Toronto Western
Hospital, and the Peters-Boyd Academy
at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre.
Med students at U of T
will generally spend their pre-clerkship years at one academy, but have the
option to change academies for their clerkship. Students spend one morning a
week at one of their assigned teaching hospitals, practicing history taking and
physical exam skills, but the academies are also where seminars and PBL
sessions, among others, take place.
No academy is better than
the other, as each one will have its own flavour, with med students making fast
friends with the rest of their academy members. Inter-academy challenges are
favorite charity events for the class, and different academies will be involved
in the university and city community in different ways. Although each academy
is unique, one thing they all have in common is the excellent teaching by
incredible physicians who are leaders in their field, as well as the dedication
on the part of their members to consistently prove that U of T is a fantastic
med school and a great place to be.
2)
What does H-P-F mean?
H-P-F refers to the
Faculty of Medicine’s Honours (80% +)-Pass (60-79%)-Fail (<60%) grading
system. The university switched to this system in 1998 to encourage
self-directed learning and small-group collaborative efforts amongst students.
3)
I’ve heard the classes at U of T referred to “class of 0T9” or “class of 1T0”.
What does this mean?
OT9 stands for
the graduating medical class of 2009, while 1T0 stands for the graduating class
of 2010. It’s a naming system that the medical school has continued to use in
the new millennium, but actually makes more sense for the graduating classes in
previous years e.g. Class of 9T6 for the class of ‘96.
4) Do students have
any participation in the decision-making process of the school?
Yes! The Medical
Society (MedSoc) is the elected governing body of undergraduate medical
students. The Medical Society represents medical students to the Faculty of
Medicine, Alumni, other faculties within the university, the medical
profession, and the community at large. The Society organizes a wide variety of
student events and is concerned with both academic and non-academic aspects of
student life.
5) What support services are offered to med students?
In addition to
the financial and emotional support offered by the Undergraduate Medical Education Office (particularly the Office
of Student Affairs), The Medical Alumni Association (MAA), Peer Support Centre
(PSC) and Program for Advice and Support of Students (PASS) are all available
to ensure that med students have an academic, social, wellness and financial
support system.
6) What kind of financial aid is offered to med students?
For Canadian
students, the first source of funding will be federal and provincial student
assistance programs. All students are encouraged to apply, and Students
who have been granted Provincial loan assistance are eligible to defer fee
payment until later in the fall term. Students who qualify for government
assistance may also be eligible for a Faculty of Medicine Student Grant, which
is non-repayable. However, the Faculty of Medicine and the University of Toronto
recognize that many students will require financial resources beyond what is
available in government loan support. To address these needs, the University of Toronto has entered into an agreement
with Scotiabank to provide students access to a personal line of credit. The
Faculty of Medicine also offers a number of academic scholarships and awards,
most of which do not require an application.
7) When do U of T med students first get to interact with
patients?
As of first
year, med students are divided into small groups (usually 5 to 6 students),
which meet once a week (usually Friday mornings in first year) at one of the
assigned teaching hospitals. Students spend their morning practicing their
history-taking and physical exam skills, so exposure to patients happens as
early as the first week of med school. In second year, med students continue to
meet once a week at the hospital (usually Thursday mornings in second year),
but once third year comes around, clerkship begins and med students are at the
hospital for most of the time.
8) What athletic facilities are available to med students?
The university has two
major athletic centres – Hart House and the Athletic Centre (AC). All U
of T med students are automatically members of these centers through the
payment of their incidental fees. Hart House is a five-minute walk from the
Medical Science Building (MSB), while the AC is a fifteen-minute walk from MSB.
Visit the following site to learn more about these athletic facilities: http://www.facmed.utoronto.ca/English/University-of-Toronto-Services.html
9) Are there opportunities to do research during the summer?
The Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical
Students (CREMS) is a student program for medical students that has recently
been created with the stated purpose of providing an enhanced summer and
curriculum experience for medical students in the fundamentals of research.
This program has linkages with graduate supervisors from across the full
spectrum of departments, including biomedical, health outcomes, and
international health research.
10) Why is the Faculty of
Medicine expanding to Mississauga?
As part of a
province-wide initiative, the University
of Toronto will be
expanding its class size by 26 students to have a class of 224 students by
2008. To accommodate this expansion, a fourth academy will be created at the University of Toronto
at Mississauga, in partnership with Mississauga community
hospitals.
Although details are
still being worked out, it is anticipated that the Mississauga Academy
will provide some of the basic science education currently provided for med
students at the downtown campus. Advanced videoconferencing and other
technologies will allow students at all teaching sites to interact and share
learning experiences. Infrastructure for the Academy will be created and will
include classrooms, seminar rooms, lab facilities, a library and other learning
spaces. Intercampus transportation among U of T campuses and hospital campuses
will be available.
Further information is
available on the Faculty of Medicine website at http://www.facmed.utoronto.ca
Other
questions? Email 2008admissions@gmail.com
