Family Medicine Leadership & DFCM Master's Integrated 3-Year Program (I3P)

The DFCM graduate programs provide a natural extension of Family Medicine residency training by supporting residents interested in:

• Academic leadership
• Community-based scholarship
• Educational scholarship
• Health professions education
• Primary care leadership
• Population and public health
• Research and knowledge translation

This integrated model strengthens connections between residents, faculty mentors, graduate supervisors, and departmental leadership while keeping graduate training within DFCM.

Graduates of the I3P Program will develop competencies in:

• Leadership in family and community medicine practice, education, research, and health systems
• Community and population health approaches to improving health outcomes
• Scholarly inquiry, knowledge generation, and evidence-informed practice
• Quality improvement, program evaluation, and health systems innovation
• Teaching and educational leadership across health professions
• Community-engaged and patient-centred approaches to care and scholarship
• Research methods and critical appraisal skills applicable to primary care and community health
• Interprofessional collaboration and change leadership

Master of Public Health in Family and Community Medicine (MPH-FCM)

Designed for residents interested in:

• Public health
• Prevention
• Population health
• Community health leadership
• Health policy and health promotion

Master of Science in Community Health (Family and Community Medicine Stream)

Designed for residents interested in:

• Primary care research
• Community-based scholarship
• Program evaluation
• Academic family medicine
• Health services research

Master of Science in Community Health (Health Practitioner Teacher Education Stream)

Designed for residents interested in:

• Medical and health professions education
• Curriculum development
• Assessment and evaluation
• Educational leadership
• Health professions education scholarship

Integrated PGY2–PGY3 Model

• Longitudinal integration across PGY2 and PGY3
• Graduate coursework distributed over two years
• Scheduled practicum experiences
• Alignment with residency scholarly projects
• Teaching opportunities
• Mentorship from faculty and graduate supervisors
• Preparation for the CCFP examination and residency requirements

Why Choose the I3P DFCM Master's Pathway?

• Graduate studies embedded within the Department of Family and Community Medicine
• Increased engagement with DFCM faculty, mentors, and graduate program leadership
• Strong alignment between residency and graduate learning objectives
• Opportunities to integrate graduate practicum requirements with residency scholarly projects
• Flexibility to pursue public health, community health research, or health professions education pathways
• Enhanced preparation for academic, educational, leadership, and scholarly careers

Two I3P leadership positions are available in 2027. Applications for these positions are due February 1, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

There are two steps applicants must complete:

1. Apply to the I3P Program - submit required I3P application materials by the published deadline

Application requirements include submission of:

• Letter of Intent*, 
• Curriculum Vitae, and 
• Two Letters of Support. One must be from your Site Program Director and include a review of your rotation assessments (i.e. ITERs), communication skills, self-direction and professionalism.

Please submit your Letter of Intent and CV to Dr. Batya Grundland and to dfcm.admissions@utoronto.ca by February 1, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Your two Letters of Reference should be confidential and emailed directly to Dr. Grundland. If you are using these same two letters for your application to the DFCM program, please ensure your references also submit them to the DFCM online application website.

Applicants may be selected for an interview. Interviews will take place virtually over Zoom. Successful candidates will be notified in late February/early March. The I3P Leadership Program commences annually in June.

*Letter of Intent (Max 1000 words):

The purpose of the letter of intent is to inform the selection committee of your goals, career aspirations and skills that prepare you to be successful in completion of the Integrated 3-year Family Medicine Program. Please include the following: 

• What are your career goals that would be supported by the Integrated 3 Year Leadership Program?
• What skills have you developed that prepare you to be successful in this program?
• Describe any leadership or leadership training experiences you have had in medicine or personal experiences.
• What are the learning objectives that you would like to pursue in the program?
• How will you integrate the course learnings into your training and/or career aspirations?
• What personal or professional characteristics make you a strong candidate for the program in its “proof of concept” phase?
• Please confirm that you are committed to completing the full three years of training, including sitting the CCFP exam in the PGY3 year.
• Please confirm that you have spoken with your Site Program Director and have his or her support to participate.
• Please confirm agreement to participate in any DFCM program evaluation and education scholarship related to the I3P Leadership Program.

2. Apply separately to the DFCM Graduate Program  

Applicants selected for or pursuing the I3P stream must also submit a separate application through the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) admissions process. Applicants must satisfy all admission requirements established by SGS, DLSPH, and the DFCM graduate programs.

For more information: https://dfcm.utoronto.ca/applying-graduate-studies 

IMPORTANT: In addition to the I3P application, you must also gain acceptance to one of DFCM's graduate degree programs (MPH-AS (FCM), MScCH-FCM, or MScCH-HPTE), offered collaboratively through the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH)*. Please apply to both programs simultaneously. Please direct any questions about these graduate programs to the DFCM Graduate Programs Program Director, Dr. Melissa Graham, or Program Administrator, Christie Billings (christie.billings@utoronto.ca).

*You will be responsible for tuition costs payable to DLSPH for your graduate program, but educational grants are normally available through DFCM to help offset these costs. Please note: any program application fee is non-refundable and is only required upon acceptance to I3P. Please speak with your Site Program Director to ensure his or her support for making the necessary scheduling arrangements so that your clinical training and graduate coursework can be integrated smoothly. We expect that there will be flexibility in programming and opportunities for self-direction. 

Admission to the I3P Program does not automatically confer admission to a DFCM graduate program. Applicants must meet all admissions requirements established by the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the selected DFCM graduate program.

• MPH-FCM admissions page
• MScCH-FCM admissions page
• MScCH-HPTE admissions page

I3P Program Inquiries

I3P Program Leadership (existing I3P contacts - Dr. Stuart Murdoch, Dr. Batya Grundland)

DFCM Graduate Program Inquiries

Dr. Melissa Graham, Program Director, DFCM Graduate Programs

Christie Billings, Graduate Programs Administrator, Department of Family and Community Medicine

Email: familymed.grad@utoronto.ca

Which graduate degree should I choose?

Learn more about each of the pathways to determine what would be best for you: 

• Master of Public Health in Family and Community Medicine
• Master of Science in Community Health in Family and Community Medicine
• Master of Science in Community Health in Health Practitioner Teacher Education

Can my residency scholarly project be aligned with my graduate work?

Yes. Opportunities exist to align practicum, scholarly, teaching, and research activities wherever possible.

Will graduate coursework be integrated into residency training?

Yes. Coursework and program requirements are designed to be completed longitudinally across PGY2 and PGY3.

Do I need to apply separately to the graduate program?

Yes. Applicants must complete both the I3P application and the appropriate graduate program application process.