University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine

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The Temerty Faculty of Medicine (previously Faculty of Medicine) is the medical school of the University of Toronto. Founded in 1843, the faculty is based in Downtown Toronto and is one of Canada's oldest institutions of medical studies, being known for the discovery of insulin, stem cells and the site of the first single and double lung transplants in the world.

Temerty Faculty of Medicine
The FitzGerald Building (foreground) and the Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
TypeFaculty (medical school)
Established1843; 181 years ago (1843)
AffiliationUniversity of Toronto
DeanLisa Robinson (scientist)
Location, ,
Websitemedicine.utoronto.ca

History

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Frederick Banting joined by Charles Best in office, 1924

The university originally opened its medical school in 1843, providing instruction in medicine and medical sciences. In 1853, it suspended the school's teaching program and transferred teaching duties to the city's three proprietary schools: Trinity Medical College, the Toronto School of Medicine and Woman's Medical College. Because proprietary schools could not grant degrees, the university's medical school retained the responsibility of holding examinations and conferring medical degrees. As the university kept raising its standards, the medical examinations became increasingly rigorous and scientific.[1] This led to fewer medical students from proprietary schools deciding to obtain university degrees, which were not required for medical practice at the time.[1]

 
Recruitment ad from 1906, showing course fees, subjects and other information.

In 1887, the university resumed medical teaching in its Faculty of Medicine. The faculty promptly absorbed the Toronto School of Medicine, which could no longer compete with the university as it faced heavy costs of scientific work and higher examination standards set by the faculty.[1] The 1910 Flexner Report on the state of medical education in the United States and Canada, which led to the closures of many medical schools across the continent, nonetheless singled out a select few medical schools for praise, among them Toronto's Faculty of Medicine. Flexner praised the "high quality of instruction" offered at Toronto and noted that its equipment "among the best on the continent".[2]

The Faculty, in partnership with the University of Toronto Mississauga and Trillium Health Partners[3] opened the Mississauga Academy of Medicine in August 2011 with 54 first-year students. As of 2014, the academy has a total of 216 students enrolled in the four-year program. The new facility is located across two floors inside the new Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex and provides brand new classrooms, seminar rooms, computer facilities, learning spaces and laboratories.[4] Students are provided with fully equipped student lounge and outdoor terrace to relax and socialize. Students are able to share lectures and learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom through advanced technologies.[4]

In 2022, the Ontario government announced that University of Toronto Scarborough would provide medical training as well. The campus will receive 30 undergraduate seats and 45 postgraduate positions.[5]

Curriculum

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The Medical Sciences Building is the administrative centre of the Faculty of Medicine
 
The McMurrich Building contains offices of medical faculty members and researchers.

In 2016, the Faculty of Medicine implemented the new Foundations Curriculum, moving away from the traditional lecture based style of teaching based on anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology and into a case-based learning approach with early clinical exposure.[6]

The Doctor of Medicine program at the University of Toronto is a 4-year MD program with a total enrollment of about 850 students. The first two years are known as the preclerkship curriculum, during which M.D. candidates acquire the basic biomedical and human anatomy knowledge. The principles of medical ethics, professionalism and medical jurisprudence are also taught in preclerkship. The final two years form the clerkship curriculum that takes place in hospitals and ambulatory clinics. The core clerkship rotations cover the essential medical specialties: surgery and internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, ambulatory experience, neurology, emergency medicine, anesthesia, ophthalmology, otolaryngology and dermatology. Additional rotations are devoted to elective clerkships that provide training in subdisciplines within the major specialities.

In 2018, the average accepted undergraduate weighted GPA was 3.96 (on the University of Toronto Weighted GPA (wGPA) Formula) and the median score in the numerically graded sections of the MCAT was 11.[7][8] The University of Toronto is one of only a few programs in Canada to accept international students through its admission process. The faculty also offers the MD/PhD degree jointly with University of Toronto doctoral programs, in addition to other degrees of Master of Science, master of public health, master of health science, doctor of philosophy, and post-doctoral fellowships.

Departments, hospitals and research

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The Faculty of Medicine is subdivided into 26 separate departments: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Family and Community Medicine, Immunology, Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Medical Biophysics, Medical Imaging, the Institute of Medical Science, Medicine, Molecular Genetics, Nutritional Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Paediatrics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physical Therapy, Physiology, Psychiatry, Radiation Oncology, Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Speech-Language Pathology and Surgery.

The Faculty of Medicine is also the only medical school in the Greater Toronto Area and operates a health network that comprises twelve teaching hospitals with significant emphasis on tertiary care, including medical treatment, research and advisory services to patients and clients from Canada and abroad.[9] The Faculty houses Biosafety level 3 facilities.[10]

The faculty is associated with two level 1 adult trauma centres, a multi-organ transplant hospital, a pediatric hospital, a psychiatric hospital, a geriatric hospital, four rehabilitation institutes and several general hospitals.

The teaching hospitals are arranged in four hospital networks, which are the University Health Network, Unity Health Toronto, the Sinai Health System, the Trillium Health Partners, as well as three major teaching hospitals outside of the system, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Women's College Hospital and The Hospital for Sick Children.

Rotations may also involve community teaching hospitals, which include North York General Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Michael Garron Hospital, Scarborough General Hospital, Credit Valley Hospital and Markham Stouffville Hospital.

 
A laboratory at The Centre for Applied Genomics of the Hospital for Sick Children
 
Interior of the MaRS Discovery District research park facility
University of Toronto fully affiliated teaching hospitals
Institution Main specialty Affiliated research arm
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (University Health Network) Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Surgical Oncology Ontario Cancer Institute
Toronto General Hospital (University Health Network) Cardiology, Multi-Organ Transplant, Cardiac Surgery, Thoracic Surgery Toronto General Research Institute
Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network) Neurology, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Rheumatology Krembil Research Institute
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Paediatric rehabilitation Bloorview Research Institute
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine
Mount Sinai Hospital (Sinai Health System) Multispecialty: Inflammatory bowel disease, High Risk Pregnancy, Orthopedic Oncology Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute
Hospital for Sick Children Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgical Specialities SickKids Research Institute
St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto) Trauma Surgery, Inner City Health, Gastroenterology Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Multispecialty: Oncology, Trauma Surgery, Burn Injuries Sunnybrook Research Institute
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (University Health Network) Physiatry
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care Geriatrics, Neurophysiology Research Centre for Aging and the Brain
Women's College Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Health, Dermatology Women's College Research Institute

Collaborations with industry

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MaRS Discovery District is an affiliated corporation that was established to help commercialize the faculty's life science and medical research through partnerships with private enterprises.

On April 7, 2022, the University of Toronto announced a partnership with American biotechnology company Moderna intended to develop new tools to prevent and treat infectious diseases, collaborating with researchers in the fields of molecular genetics, biomedical engineering, and biochemistry.[13][14] The collaboration is a joint venture across U of T's Faculties of Applied Science and Engineering and Medicine.

Reputation

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In 2023 the school was ranked 4th in the world for clinical medicine and surgery by U.S. News & World Report.[15] It was also ranked 5th in the world for pre-clinical, clinical and health by The Times Higher Education in its 2022 listings.[16] It was ranked 13th in the world for medicine by the QS World Ranking.[17] In 2020 the school was ranked 15th in the world Academic Ranking of World Universities for clinical medicine.[18]

While not exclusively regarding the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, in 2023, NATURE ranked the University of Toronto 3rd in the world for Health sciences [19]

Notable alumni

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Notable past or present faculty

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "What medical school was recognized as among the "best on the continent" within 20 years of its opening?". History Q & A. University of Toronto Department of Public Affairs. 2002. Retrieved November 2, 2008. [dead link]
  2. ^ Abraham Flexner (1910). "Medical Education in the United States and Canada" (PDF). Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Mississauga Academy of Medicine". University of Toronto Mississauga. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Mississauga Academy of Medicine". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  5. ^ "Ontario Training More Doctors as it Builds a More Resilient Health Care System". Government of Ontario. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  6. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. University of Toronto. Archived from the original on October 18, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  7. ^ Henheffer, Tom. "Canada’s Best Professional Schools: Where did you go, Marcus Welby?". Macleans. September 17, 2009
  8. ^ "Admission Statistics". University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.
  9. ^ "Hospital Partners". Experience Research. Office of the Vice-President, Research, University of Toronto. 2008. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  10. ^ "Combined Containment Level 3 Unit". Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  11. ^ "Toronto General Hospital". Archived from the original on October 5, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2008.; "Princess Margaret Hospital". Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2008.; "Toronto Western Hospital". University Health Network. Archived from the original on October 4, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  12. ^ "BioDiscovery Toronto – Hospital for Sick Children". BioDiscovery Toronto. 2006. Archived from the original on May 13, 2006. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  13. ^ Kalvapalle, Rahul (April 7, 2022). "U of T partners with Moderna to advance research in RNA science and technology". University of Toronto News. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Terry, Mark (April 8, 2022). "Everybody Wants a Piece of Moderna. Next Up: University of Toronto". BioSpace. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  15. ^ "University of Toronto in Canada". US News Best Global Universities. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "World University Rankings 2022 by subject: Clinical and health". September 10, 2021.
  17. ^ "Medicine 2020".
  18. ^ "ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017 - Clinical Medicine | Shanghai Ranking - 2017". www.shanghairanking.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017.
  19. ^ "2023 tables: Institutions - health sciences | Annual tables | Nature Index".
  20. ^ "Pashby, Thomas Joseph". College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. 2001. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  21. ^ "Dr. Tom Pashby". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. 2000. Retrieved October 26, 2022.

Further reading

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43°39′39″N 79°23′37″W / 43.660770°N 79.393658°W / 43.660770; -79.393658