Internal Medicine (Core) Residency Program
The University of Toronto Internal Medicine (Core) Program is one of the largest internal medicine residency programs in North America, with approximately 70 residents in each Core year (PGY-1 to PGY-3), and 12-15 residents stay for a PGY-4 year of training. Trainees may enter as Canadian Medical Graduates, International Medical Graduates, and Internationally Funded Trainees: once in the program, all trainees are valued for their unique perspectives, and held to the same high standards.
The goal of our program is to train outstanding physicians who are skilled clinicians with well-developed competencies across all RCSPC CanMEDS roles. We expect our graduating trainees to have the necessary tools to become future leaders in Canadian medicine, whether they choose to pursue careers as generalists in internal medicine or as sub-specialists. We embrace diversity and inclusiveness for all trainees and support patient-centred care.
Our Internal Medicine program launched Competence By Design on July 1, 2019.
What makes the U of T Internal Medicine Program unique are the opportunities that come with a program this size, including:
- Large number of engaged faculty, residents and the full complement of internal medicine subspecialties
- Diverse scholarly opportunities in basic science, clinical epidemiology, quality improvement, medical education and the humanities
- Resident leadership opportunities (as committee representatives and Chief Medical Residents, for instance)
- Black and Indigenous Pathway and Mentorship Program
- CaRMS application process for interested candidates who are Black or Indigenous
- Longitudinal Collaborative (peer/faculty) IMG/IFT Mentorship Program for IMG and IFT residents in Core IM program
- Dedicated, carefully crafted Academic Half Day unique for each postgraduate year
- Resident Interest Group in Social Advocacy (RIG-SA) for residents interested in promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity
- Resident Interest Group in Medical Education (RIG-ME) for enrichment in medical education practice and scholarship
- Unique elective experiences such as Healthy Debate, clinical allergy and immunology, clinical genetics, palliative medicine, and much more
- Global Health Education Initiative – Internal Medicine stream
- Mentorship: Near-peer and academic advisors help our residents navigate the twists and turns of the residency experience
- Robust wellness support, with wellness leads, a wellness subcommittee, and many projects underway for program improvement
- Plenty of fun activities, both hospital-based and program-based
Applicants
If you are considering applying to our program, feel free to explore the links below, and contact us if you have any questions. There is also information on the CaRMS website.
Townhall Registrations for 2025 CaRMS Applicants
Leading up to interviews for our program, there will be a number of organized townhalls for applicants to join. During these townhalls, the Program Director and Chief Medial Residents will present important information and highlights about the internal medicine program at U of T and be available to answer questions.
The PD portion will be followed by open Q&A with current residents from the Internal Medicine program. This will provide applicants a candid and honest look into specific aspects of life as an IM resident and living in Toronto. Out of fairness to all applicants, no individual meetings can be scheduled with the Program Director or the Site Directors. Each CMR may be approached via email to answer questions about their experience in the program.
Select a townhall date listed below and you will be redirected to a Zoom registration page
Goals of Residency Training
1. Overarching Goals
The overarching goals of the program are to train outstanding physicians who: are skilled clinicians with well-developed competencies across all of the CanMEDS roles; have the tools to become future leaders of Canadian medicine, whether they choose to be generalists in internal medicine or to pursue careers as subspecialists; are prepared to meet the needs of the Canadian and global population.
2. Competency Goals for Trainees
The program supports trainees’ achievement of all of the CanMEDS competencies, with special emphasis on the following:
- Achieving a high level of medical expertise with comprehensive knowledge of disease and all aspects of diagnosis and management, as well as sophisticated clinical and problem- solving skills across the breadth of problems in internal medicine;
- Development of excellent communication skills with a compassionate and empathic approach to their patients, including clear explanations and instructions;
- Demonstrating the ability to work collaboratively with all colleagues, with an emphasis on understanding and respecting the roles of collaborating health professionals;
- Acting as leaders of teams, particularly with respect to responsible expenditure of scarce health care resources, being able to audit their practice, and to apply quality improvement tools to investigate and manage their practice;
- Showing strong advocacy for their patients, with an emphasis on understanding and applying the principles and practice of social justice and social responsibility
- Achieving strong scholastic skills, with a focus on evidence-based practice, and having the foundational competencies to be able to pursue scholarship in research, quality improvement, education and/or the humanities;
- Always demonstrating highly professional behaviour with regard to their patients, the profession, society and themselves.
3. Goals for Delivery of the Program
The program’s delivery is oriented around the following major principles:
- Ensuring exposure of trainees to the full diversity of patient populations with internal medicine problems, including the full age spectrum, and patients from various population groups including medically underserved groups such as Indigenous Canadians, those identifying as LGBTQ2S+, immigrants and refugees, those living in poverty;
- Ensuring trainees learn about diagnosis and management of acute and chronic illnesses;
- Ensuring trainees experience a variety of both in-hospital and ambulatory settings;
- Ensuring a balanced blend of teaching driven by patient care experiences together with structured didactic education;
- Emphasizing trainees’ wellness and safety, and a fully supportive learning environment;
- At the same time, providing an environment which challenges the learners to develop their full potential, as clinicians, teachers and mentors for junior trainees, and scholars;
- Ensuring teachers are respected and supported in their professional development.
The goals of the program are conceptualized in three major categories: overarching goals, broad competency goals for trainees, and goals for the delivery of the program.
Curriculum Requirements
Length of Program: 39 blocks
Number of rotations per academic year: 13
General Medicine Requirement
The Royal College requires all internal medicine trainees to complete a minimum of 13 blocks of rotations focusing on general internal medicine; our program requires 15 blocks (minimum). Our current breakdown of this requirement is listed below.
GIM - CTU Junior Experience |
4 blocks |
Completed in PGY-1 |
GIM - CTU/Consults Senior Experience |
8 blocks |
Completed in PGY-2, 4 in PGY-3 |
GIM - Community |
1 block |
Completed in PGY-2 or PGY-3 |
GIM – Internal Medicine - THP |
1 block |
Completed in PGY-2 or PGY-3 |
GIM – Ambulatory Medicine |
1 block |
Completed in PGY-3 |
Experience Managing Critically Ill Patients
The Royal College requires that all internal medicine trainees complete a minimum of four blocks of managing critically ill patients. Residents must complete two blocks of ICU and one block of CCU – the fourth block can be selected at your discretion.
MS-ICU |
2-3 blocks |
2 completed in PGY-2 |
CCU |
1-2 blocks |
1 completed in PGY-2 |
Medicine Subspecialties
The minimum requirements for the individual medicine subspecialties are listed below. Residents are permitted to complete a maximum of five blocks in one subspecialty (the total for cardiology is a combination of cardio ward and CCU). Rotations can be completed in any year of training unless otherwise noted. They will complete four additional blocks of subspecialty training, beyond the minimums indicated below, and beyond those booked as electives.
Cardiology Ward |
2 blocks |
Completed in PGY-1 |
Endocrinology |
1 block |
|
Emergency Medicine | 1 block | Completed in PGY-1 (optional) |
Gastroenterology |
1 block |
|
Geriatric Medicine |
1 block |
|
Hematology |
1 block |
|
Infectious Diseases |
1 block |
|
Medical Oncology |
1 block |
|
Nephrology |
1 block |
Completed in PGY-1 |
Neurology |
1 block |
|
Respirology |
1 block |
|
Rheumatology |
1 block |
|
Research
The Royal College requires residents to demonstrate the completion of a scholarly project. To ensure residents have protected time for this you will be required to complete one block in your PGY-2.
Electives
Residents may take a maximum of six blocks of electives, maximum of three per year (this includes research, special electives, U of T electives and non-UofT electives). Residents may do a maximum of two non-U of T electives and three U of T electives during their training.
Meet the Team
Program Director: Dr. Rodrigo Cavalcanti
Program Lead: Sheri Johnston
Program Coordinators: Emily Li, Rachel Roh, and Monica Mozumdar
For inquiries, please email our IM Team core.medicine@utoronto.ca