What We Do

Whether you are an individual international learner or looking to partner with the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM), there are many options for you to gain Canadian experience and learn from peers from around the world.

TRAINING FOR INCREASED PRIMARY CARE CAPACITY

DFCM helps partners to build or strengthen their primary care system. We can provide guidance or training on:

Academic infrastructure – We provide expert advice on how to create the necessary academic infrastructure to recruit and train family physicians.We work with partners to help them define the role of family medicine in their context and to establish family medicine as a desirable lifelong career path for new medical graduates.
Primary care teams – Primary health care is at the centre of any health care reform and is best delivered by multi-disciplinary teams. Based on our research and experience in Canada and in international settings, we provide assistance in creating teams and the structures and policies to support them, maintaining effective working relationships and establishing efficient work flow between physicians and other team members.
Curriculum development – We have extensive experience in developing curriculum to ensure family physicians are appropriately trained to deliver care in their context and to work effectively in interprofessional teams. Our curriculum and assessment models provide useful frameworks and tools.
Faculty development – Our comprehensive menu of faculty development programs supports the development of academic leaders and teachers who can design, evaluate and deliver family medicine curriculum. We offer a variety of short-term, modular-based training programs that are adaptable to international settings and we work with partners to adapt, create and deliver programs appropriate to their context.

TRAINING IN FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

A strong primary care system requires faculty leaders and teachers with the skills to design curriculum, teach and evaluate learners, and provide the leadership necessary to develop and sustain strong training programs. DFCM has more than 20 years of international experience in providing faculty development to enhance academic family medicine scholarship and leadership. The strengths of our faculty development programs include:

Interprofessional focus – We develop leadership, teaching and basic research skills in an interprofessional environment. At DFCM, family physicians and other health professionals learn, and learn to teach, the skills and attitudes necessary for successful interprofessional care.
Rich learning environment – Canada’s strong tradition of family medicine provides a rich context for international learners enrolled in our training programs. In addition, our programs attract Canadian, international and interprofessional learners, creating a stimulating learning environment and are taught by eminent family medicine faculty.
Flexible and complementary programs – Our courses and programs are highly complementary. Some individuals begin with one course and subsequently complete a full Academic
Fellowship or Masters degree - We work with learners to choose courses, design practica and create programs that meet their needs. To make our offerings accessible to learners who are not located in Toronto, some of our offerings feature compressed course schedules. These short blocks of time make it easier for learners to attend courses in Toronto. In addition, some offerings provide the learner the option to complete some course requirements in their home setting.

OFFERINGS BY CAREER STATUS

MD Students

Visit our Undergraduate MD Section to see our electives and read about our programs

Prospective Residents

Read about admissions for International Medical Graduates and Sponsored Visa Trainees as well as a list of our Enhanced Skills Program.

Prospective Graduate Students

Our FAQ's will tell you what you need to know about being admitted to our Academic Fellowships and Graduate Studies program

Early or Midcareer Family Physicians

Learn about our Academic Fellowships and INTAPT, a broad introductory overview of teaching and learning issues in health professional training.

All Health Care Professionals

We have a variety of options for healthcare professionals to train:

Toronto International Program
Graduate Studies
INTAPT
Customized training options