Academic Coaching & Clinical Skills Enhancement

As a Temerty Faculty of Medicine learner in the MD Program, MD/PhD, Medical Radiation Sciences, Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, and Physician Assistant, you have access to an academic coach who will work with you to develop individualized study plans and to frame new, or to review and adapt current, strategies to optimize learning potential in order to ensure peak academic performance. The academic coach is available for one-on-one coaching and to assist with workshop development and facilitation.

To access Academic Coaching services, please book an appointment on Veribook.

The Faculty of Medicine’s PREP offers first-year medical students the unique opportunity to participate in small, innovative, interactive and collaborative learning communities. Sessions are facilitated by successful second-year medical students.

Participants may come to as many, or as few, sessions as they like. There is no commitment, other than the commitment to achieving your full academic potential.

For more information about this program, please contact Dr. Shauna Phillips.

Learners in years 1-4 of the MD Program (MD, MD/PhD) who are experiencing academic challenges may be referred to the AACE-IT program for additional support.  AACE-IT coaches are faculty or senior residents who will provide individualized tutoring sessions that support core content.

For more information about this program, please contact Dr. Shauna Phillips.

This program provides learners in years 1-4 of the MD Program (including MD/PhD learners who are returning to the MD program) with additional practice and feedback on their skills in the following areas: interviewing, communication, counselling and physical examinations.  Coaching, which is provided by faculty or senior residents, involves individualized, and very occasionally small-group, sessions that supplement core content. Participation in the program is by referral only.

The Learner Support Unit at Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, offers short term coaching for Residents and Clinical Fellows fully registered in a PGME Residency or Clinical Fellowship who are exhibiting difficulties during training in the following two areas: 
 

• CanMEDS Roles – Collaborator, Communicator, Leader, Professionalism coaching
• Examination Preparation Support Coaching – MCQ, Oral, Short Answer, Royal College/CFPC Exam Coaching (previous failure required to access)

Important Notes: 

• Requests for coaching must be made by a Program Director, Supervisor and/or person (s) in a leadership role within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. 
• Coaching offered through PGME is reserved for learners who are exhibiting difficulties in the above outlined areas. 
• Program Directors, Supervisors and/or person (s) in a leadership role may be contacted by the Learner Support Team to request more details pertaining to support requests submitted on the form below. 
• ***Requests from learners will not be accepted.

Coaching offered through PGME is not long term (limited to 1-3 sessions) and should not be a substitute for remediation. Please contact pglearnersupport@utoronto.ca if you are unsure.

Learner Support Request Form 

The Board of Examiners – Postgraduate Programs (BOE-PG) is a committee of the University of Toronto (U of T) Faculty Council that reviews cases of residents in academic difficulty. The members determine the acceptability of the recommendation for remediation, provide direction on the design of the remediation plan, and approve the appropriate status of training which could be: remediation, remediation with probation, probation, suspension, or dismissal.

Cases are brought forward to the BOE-PG by the Program Director (PD) on the advisement of their Residency Program Committee (RPC). The Associate Dean, Postgraduate Medical Education, or his/her designate also presents information to the Board about key process issues related to the case, and education experts provide the BOE-PG with a content review of the proposed educational plan.

This can be a stressful experience. The Resident Guide to Remediation is available to help you navigate the remediation process.

We encourage learners who are undergoing remediation to reach out to their Program Director, Remediation Coordinator (if applicable) and/or their identified mentor (listed in the individual remediation plan). Supports are also available through OLA. If residents have additional process questions that the above individuals are unable to answer, they can send an email to pgboe@utoronto.ca .

More information on BOE-PG is available here

Note: Clinical Fellows in difficulty are not reviewed by the Board of Examiners – Postgraduate (BOE-PG). If a Fellowship Director has concerns about a Clinical Fellow in Difficulty, they should contact pglearnersupport@utoronto.ca for more information.

The Guidelines for the Assessment of Postgraduate Residents at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto contain the rules governing the Assessment and promotion of all residents in postgraduate training programs at the University of Toronto. It is the responsibility of each resident to read the Guidelines and to be familiar with their content

The Guidelines for Educational Responsibilities in Clinical Fellowships is a resource for Fellows and education leaders working with Fellows.

A full list of PGME Policies and Guidelines is available on the PGME website.