Master of Public Health in Family and Community Medicine

Admissions Criteria

Students are admitted under the general admissions requirements set by the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto.  We advise all prospective students to review this criteria prior to submitting an application.

Minimum requirements include

• 4-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent, from a recognized university (check international credentials  )
• At least a mid-B average in the last 5.0 full course equivalents completed at a senior level
• Proof of English language proficiency if your previous studies were completed in a country where English is not the native language or if English was not the language of instruction
• An undergraduate statistics course is recommended
• A license in a regulated health care profession and actively practicing in country of current residence;  minimum of 1 year clinical experience post-training 

For the MPH FCM - Advanced Standing Program, applicants must provide evidence of completion, in good standing, of the public health curriculum of an accredited Canadian medical school and/or meeting the required examinable competencies of the Medical Council of Canada.

Target Audience

The MPH FCM-Advanced Standing option is geared towards physicians who have acquired significant competence in concepts relevant to public health during their medical training, including medical students/graduates from Canadian medical schools, or those who have otherwise obtained a license to practice medicine in Canada

Applying to the Program

Applications are now closed for the 2024-2025 academic year.

The admission cycle for Fall 2025 program entry will reopen mid-October 2024 and close mid-January 2025. Program Information Webinars for prospective 2025 applicants will be held in Fall 2024.

Applications are submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto through the Dalla Lana School of Public Healthonline application process.

Visit the 'Learn More' section below for recording links of past Admissions Information Webinars, providing program, admissions and application overviews.

Program Goals:

• Train family physicians and other primary care practitioners to optimize their impact on the health of their communities by applying public health-related knowledge and skills to the individuals, families, and communities that they serve
• Provide opportunities for learners to develop skills in primary care leadership and scholarship 
• Provide opportunities for learners to pursue an area of special interest (ie Health Professions Education, Research, Global Health)

Program Objectives:

• Describe how Canada’s health system is organized, how it is implemented and how it compares to other countries 
• Analyze current issues in the primary care design and delivery and they intersections with public health
• Develop an approach to research and quality improvement in primary health care and clinical public health
• Understand and apply theoretical models and policy approaches in local, national and global health care work 
• Develop leadership skills in primary care and become a resource to primary care colleagues and public health officials

Career Opportunities:

The MPH FCM Advanced Standing degree will prepare practitioners to increase their teaching, scholarly and leadership opportunities and effectiveness. Our graduates are leaders in a range of settings in academic institutions and public health agencies addressing a broad array of health-related issues related to primary care.

MPH (FCM)

The MPH (FCM) program requires the completion of 10 full course credit equivalents. It provides a study of the principles and practice of medical education, research in family medicine, and community health. A seminar series integrates a broad range of primary health issues. Courses in individual and family development and leadership and management are offered. Practicum work in medical education, primary care research and community health delivery is facilitated. No thesis is required and there is no comprehensive evaluation (examination).

Program Length

16-24 months full-time or up to 6 years part-time (most part-time students finish in 2-3 years)

Public Health Courses (2 half credits)

• CHL5004H: Introduction to Public Health Sciences
• CHL5622H: Patient Related Health Care and Public Policy in Canada

Family Medicine Courses (9 half credits)

• CHL5601H: Appraising and Applying Evidence to Assist Clinical Decision-Making
• CHL5603Y: Social, Political and Scientific Issues in Family Medicine (1.0 credit)
• CHL5607H: Teaching & Learning by the Health Professions: Principles and Theories
• CHL5608H: Teaching and Learning by the Health Professions: Practical Issues and Approaches
• CHL5613H: Leading Improvement in the Quality of Health Care for Community Populations
• CHL5620Y: Required Practicum in Family Medicine (1.0 credit)
• 0.5 credit: Research oriented course (CHL5605H or other equivalent research course, subject to approval)

Elective Courses and Practica (9 half credits)

Students are encouraged to take elective courses that will enhance their learning experience and/or provide focused study on a particular topic. 

A wide range of courses are offered by the DFCM, the DLSPH and elsewhere in the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto.

Collaborative Specializations

The DLSPH offers several collaborative specializations which provide students with additional experience in a multidisciplinary area.

MPH (FCM) Advanced Standing

The MPH (FCM) Advanced Standing program requires the completion of 5.0 Full Course Equivalents (FCE) during the 12-month academic year (September to August). 

Program Length

12 months full-time, up to 6 years part-time

Course/Practicum

CHL5004H: Introduction to Public Health Sciences (0.5 FCE)

CHL5603Y: Social, Political and Scientific Issues in Family Medicine (1.0 FCE)

CHL5622H: Patient-Related Health Care and Public Policy in Canada (0.5 FCE)

CHL5624H: Historical, Ethical, and Philosophical Foundations of Public Health (0.5 FCE)

0.5 FCE Research Methods course selected from the following list:

CHL5601H: Appraising and Applying Evidence to Assist Clinical Decision-Making

CHL5605H: Research Issues in Family Medicine/Primary Care

CHL5613H: Leading Improvement in the Quality of Health Care for Community Populations

CHL5616H: Applied Survey Methods for Health Care Professionals

0.5 FCE in practicum placement

CHL6013H: Required MPH Advanced Standing Practicum

Practica

The MPH FCM-Advanced Standing degree required practicum provides an opportunity for learners to apply and reflect on the theory and knowledge gained in coursework by engaging in new academic projects, publications, proposals or program development in public health related endeavours. The focus of the public health practicum is on the promotion and protection of the health of people and communities in the sphere of where they live, work and play. Learners are required to spend a minimum of 160 hours involved in an appropriate practicum to earn the 0.5 FCE credit. A short (CHL6011H) or long (CHL6012Y) extension practicum can be added to the required practicum.

Electives 1.5FCE

Students are encouraged to take elective courses that will enhance their learning experience and/or provide focused study on a particular topic. Please check the PHS timetable for a list of courses available each academic year. If you have any questions about the appropriateness of a course, please speak with the MPH FCM-Advanced Standing Program Director.

More information soon.

Andrew J Organek, MPH, MD, CCFP(EM), FCFP   

Dr. Andrew Organek, is an emergency physician at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Schwartz/Reisman Emergency Centre and Scarborough Health Network in Toronto. Andrew completed the MPH(FCM)-AS program full time in the 2022-2023 academic year. He is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, where he provides clinical teaching and mentorship. Andrew engages communities on the frontlines to create safe clinical environments for his patients.

Why did you choose the MPH(FCM)-AS program?

As a practicing emergency doctor, I find that the greatest challenges in providing care lies in the limitations of our health care and social systems. I have always maintained a balance of clinical and administrative work to improve not just the health of my patients, but the environment where I provide care. This program offered me an excellent opportunity to learn more about our health care system and build important skills to take on broader challenges, as I plan out the next steps in my career.

What are the best parts of the program?

The MPH(FCM)-AS program allowed me a great deal of convenience and flexibility to find courses that met my needs, and the appropriate support to develop expertise to apply to my career goals. The program leadership and administration were beyond helpful in making all of this possible.

Who would you recommend this program to?

Any health care provider who gets excited about primary care and is looking beyond their clinical practice to take on systemic health challenges. You won’t regret it!

I'm a health practitioner who just arrived in Canada. Am I eligible for this program?

If you are a regulated health professional currently working in your field and you consider yourself to be a primary care provider, then you are eligible to apply.

Is this the right program for me?

If you are interested in gaining knowledge and skills that will enable you to think more broadly about your patient population and to try to impact the health of your community in ways other than direct patient care then this program may be a good fit for you.

What makes this program different from the MPH Epidemiology program?

While the FCM field acknowledges the importance of introductory epidemiology skills in any MPH degree, our field does not aim to graduate epidemiologists.

What are possible career opportunities?

Rather than preparing you for a career change, the FCM field aims more for career enhancement. This degree will prepare primary care practitioners to increase their teaching, scholarly and leadership opportunities and effectiveness. Of course, such knowledge and skills might result in adjusting and taking on new roles within the health arena.

Can you tell me more about the practicum?

The MPH (FCM) required practicum provides an opportunity for learners to apply and reflect on the theory and knowledge gained in coursework by engaging in new academic projects in their professional settings.

Learners spend 320 hours involved in an appropriate practicum to earn the 1.0 FCE credit. Students must also identify and meet regularly with a practicum field supervisor and all practicum projects require the approval of the Program Director.

Because the practicum involves the hands-on application of knowledge obtained via coursework, the practicum activities must be new endeavours that are related to either an area of academic core competency¹ or one of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s faculty promotion planks² to which the learner has been exposed during previous or concurrent MPH coursework. See references below for specific examples.

References

1. Harris D. et al. Academic competencies for medical faculty. Family Medicine 2007;39(5):343-350.
2. Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Academic Promotions Manual

Want to learn more?

WATCH recordings of past Information Sessions

Admissions 2024 Information Webinars: 

October 24, 2023  WATCH NOW!

November 23, 2023  WATCH NOW!

Or contact us if you have any questions

1. Harvey B. The issue of public health. Canadian Family Physician 2009;55:1057.
2. Brown A, Upshur R and Sullivan T. Public Health and Primary Care: Competition or Collaboration? Healthcare Papers 2013;13(3):4-8.
3. Levesque J-F, Breton M, Senn N et al. The Integration of Public Health and Primary Care; Functional Roles and Organizational Models that Bridge Individual and Population Perspectives. Public Health Reviews 2013;35(1):1-27.
4. Starfield B. Is primary care essential. Lancet 1994;344:1129-1133.
5. Sikora C and Johnson D. The family physician and the public health perspective. Canadian Family Physician 2009;55:1061-3.
6. Zweifler J and Evans R. Development of a residency/MPH program. Family Medicine 2001;33(6):453-8.