Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

• Excellent clinical experience with elderly and complex patients
• Dedicated teachers and research support
• Good exposure to primary care obstetrics, home-based primary care and collaborative mental health care
• Strong academic half-day program and family medicine research focus
• Procedures Clinic

Hospital, Community, Teaching Unit and Program

The physicians, nurses and receptionists work together in teams and as a resident in our program, you will:

• Become an integral part of a family practice health team
• Have the opportunity to work with our social workers, pharmacist, nurse care navigator, diabetes nurse educators and dietitian
• Develop your own practice of patients
• Improve your skills with complex elderly patients, as well as having ample opportunity to see patients with a wide range of health problems
• Be paired with a family physician supervisor who follows you throughout the two-year program
• Work with several different supervisors in dedicated family medicine teaching clinics and in the community

Academic half-days offer a two-year curriculum focused on common FP problems, evidence-based medicine, quality assurance, problem-based learning, ethics, behavioural sciences and consultant rounds. In order to facilitate a practical, hands-on experience, the academic curriculum has been enhanced to include:

• Interactive procedures workshops
• Theme-based interprofessional seminars
• Regular evidence-based medicine sessions
• Interdepartmental obstetrical patients at both campuses

The Family Practice Unit experience is enhanced through psychiatry shared care services as well as our procedures clinic, which operates weekly and gives residents a chance to learn and practice a wide range of in-office procedures. Our home-bound seniors program gives the residents the opportunity to deliver care in a variety of settings with an interprofessional team

Some rotations involve different University of Toronto sites, contributing to a diverse and stimulating learning environment. Throughout your program, you will enjoy the supportive atmosphere provided by your resident colleagues and the entire family practice staff.

Family Medicine

During the family medicine block, you spend up to eight-half days a week in clinic and have one day a week available for a selective experience of your choice.

First year includes:

• Four months at Sunnybrook
• A fifth month allowing for two selective days each week
• Assignment to one of three teams in the unit

Second year includes:

• Two months of block time at Sunnybrook
• Assignment to a secondary preceptor to balance experience needs
• The chance to build your own mini-practice throughout your two-year residency

Highlights of the rotation:

• Procedures clinic
• Psychiatry shared care
• A strong academic curriculum
• Primary care research focus
• Highly dedicated teachers

Psychiatry

This rotation takes place here at Sunnybrook in either the Consult Liaison Service or Psychiatry Emergency Services. These two services provide psychiatric experience relevant to family medicine and to mental health issues in a variety of acute medical settings.

Palliative

This rotation is very popular, primarily due to highly regarded, enthusiastic and clinically exceptional physicians who oversee your experience. Excellent, organized and comprehensive teaching of pain management, constipation, sleep disturbances and other core palliative topics, coupled with both inpatient consultation and outpatient Pain and Symptom Management Clinic experience make this a well-received rotation.

Obstetrics/Gynecology

This is a rotation at the onsite Sunnybrook Women & Babies facility, opened in 2010. Your time is divided between OR, ER and OB. You will be responsible for following up with gynecology and post-partum patients and will have the opportunity to deliver with both OB and family doctors, allowing for a broad experience that provides excellent hands-on learning.

Geriatrics

Based in the Aging and Veterans Care wing here at Sunnybrook and taught by experienced family physicians from the Division of Long-Term Care as well as allied health professionals, this rotation will work to help residents achieve the expected competencies in caring for the elderly.

Paediatrics

Residents fulfill this rotation at the Hospital for Sick Children’s emergency department, in both major and minor acuity areas. Residents will see complex patients, including seizures, traumas and major fractures in the former; and walk-in clinic-style, family practice-type problems like gastroenteritis, rashes and lacerations, in the latter.

Emergency  

This is a very popular and well-run rotation at North York General Hospital in first year. Residents work eight-hour shifts and are assigned one emergency doctor to be their preceptor to supervise them for about 5/16 shifts in a one-month block. In year two, residents work in the largest and busiest trauma centre in Canada: Sunnybrook Emergency Department. This rotation offers excellent exposure to the most complex and demanding trauma patients with a high level of acuity. Well organized and very well-received weekly teaching complements this intense rotation.

Internal Medicine

This first-year rotation takes place at Sunnybrook. Residents are assigned to a team and are the primary physician for complex patients from admission to discharge. Excellent daily teaching takes place in the morning and at lunch. Residents become comfortable with acute care management of community acquired pneumonia, strokes, infections and other complex problems.

1st Year:

2nd Year:

Number of half-days back in family practice clinic per week:

PGY1s – 1 half-day/week
PGY2s – 2 half-days/week