The goal of the Indigenous Student Application Program (ISAP) is to increase the number of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) medical students at the University of Toronto (U of T). Students who are interested in the optional application stream will have the opportunity to discuss their experiences with the Indigenous community in the application materials.

University of Toronto’s MD Program is committed to excellence through equity. 

The Community of Support (COS) program is a collaborative initiative supported by several faculties of medicine across Canada, which supports prospective students facing systemic barriers on their journeys to medical education, basic sciences, and rehabilitation sciences programs. This includes individuals who identify as Indigenous, Black, Filipino, Latin American, and students that face financial barriers, and/or self-identify as having a disability, and/or are non-traditional applicants (e.g., mature students). 

From its home in the University of Toronto’s Medical Sciences Building, in the heart of Toronto’s “Medical Discovery District”, Med YSP offers students the opportunity to learn about science/medicine and conduct life science labs. Students from across Canada and the World attend to explore various diseases, the next generation of treatments, and learn what it takes to become a health professional. For students in Grades 10 to 12. Grade 9 students are eligible for Module 4.

Mission:

• To advocate on behalf of Black and Indigenous Faculty, Fellows, Residents and Medical Students in the Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Canadian society at large.
• To provide a safe space for networking and mentorship across all levels of the DoM/TFoM Black and Indigenous community.
• To be a resource for the University of Toronto and affiliated hospitals in the ongoing and dynamic process of Diversity and Inclusion, including but not limited to:
  • reaching the goals outlined in the Anti-Black Racism Mandate
  • providing a mechanism to support the call to action on health care workers from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, ie, increasing the number of health care workers who are Indigenous, increasing skills based training in cultural safety and recognizing unique health care needs of Indigenous peoples
  • increasing Black and Indigenous representation at all levels (student, resident, fellow, faculty, leadership) of the DoM and TFoM
• To align with like-minded groups across the University and set an example for other institutions.

Through a series of workshops, interactive sessions, and mentorship opportunities, The Next Surgeon program gives high school students in grades 10-12 from the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) a glimpse of what it’s like to work in the medical field. Resources and guidance are provided to help students navigate the educational requirements to support their journey toward becoming a healthcare professional. 

The Next Surgeon is delivered in partnership with Unity Health Toronto, Office of Access and Outreach – Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and UpSurge.

DICE is a mentorship group, lead by cardiology-residents, with a mission to introduce undergraduate and medical students from traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly among learners who identify as Black or Indigenous, to the field of cardiology.
 

DICE presents sessions and events in partnership with other programs within the University of Toronto, including the Summer Mentorship Program (SMP); Community of Support (COS); Diversity Mentorship Program (DMP); Black Medical Students’ Association (BMSA); and the Office of Indigenous Medical Education.

UpSurge is a mentorship program aimed at stimulating interest, providing support, and guiding underrepresented students in pursuing surgical careers. This entails long-term, goal-oriented strategies for providing exposure to the different surgical specialties, ensuring resource availability, and facilitating networking opportunities.

The program is available to trainees and medical students from underrepresented ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. UpSurge is supported by Dr. Sav Brar (Program Director, Division of General Surgery) and a group of dedicated residents.

The Centre for Indigenous Studies and Woodsworth College, in partnership with the Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies, the Centre for Community Partnerships, First Nations House, and First Story Toronto created an initiative to improve recruitment, access, and retention for Indigenous students while strengthening ties between the University and the Indigenous community of Tsi Tkaronto (Toronto).

The collaboration focused on opportunities for Indigenous students and community youth to increase their knowledge of Indigenous presence in the GTA historically and today while enhancing leadership skills, employability, and confidence in Indigenous identity.

While focusing on the development of Indigenous students and community youth, a much broader segment of the University and local community benefits through increased opportunities to participate in First Story Walking Tours at U of T’s three campuses and/or the Hart House 100 Production (Encounters at the ‘Edge of the Woods’). Both public education opportunities seek to encourage participants’ knowledge base of/abilities to engage in reconciliation and decolonization. The entire project furthers the university’s goal to enhance Indigenous placemaking across its campuses.

This event is an opportunity to learn more about documentation requirements, accommodations, and resources for students with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) at the University of Toronto, St. George Campus. This event is for all high school educators/guidance counsellors and community partners who work with students diagnosed with ASD as well as prospective students, families and supporters looking to learn more about specific documentation requirements, accommodations, and resources. This is a hybrid (simultaneously in person and online) event.

Transition Day is an opportunity to learn about starting university for students with disabilities. Participants learn about academic accommodations and how they are implemented, the support services that are available to students, the assessment process and common transition challenges students face. Transition Day includes sessions for high school educators and community partners who work with students with disabilities.

Prospective and incoming students with disabilities and their families are eligible to attend. High school educators, guidance counsellors and community partners who support students with disabilities are also welcome. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from a student panel, accessibility advisors and learning strategists.