Clubs
Internal Affairs
PhDs in MD
PhDs in MD is designed to connect Temerty Medical School students who have obtained their PhD prior to medical school enrollment. The goal is to advocate for this group of students and serve as a representative of the interests of this unique cohort of students. In addition, this club serves as a social medium to connect this group of students and facilitate social events and networking.
Health Leadership Initiative
The club aims to develop emerging physician leaders in their health leadership potential and in helping learners identify the type of physician-leader they want to be. The offerings of the group include skill development workshops, observerships, and a space where learners can network with one another alongside physician leaders. This club has the support of Dr. Tia Pham who is the faculty advisor for this club.
Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Student Society (AiMSS)
The Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Student Society (AiMSS) is a club dedicated to exploring the growing impact artificial intelligence will have in healthcare. We take a holistic approach to exploring the topic of AI in healthcare by considering its scientific, clinical, ethical, legal, social, and financial aspects. Core to our group is our year-long speaker series, and we additionally hold events such as design-thinking workshops.
Jewish Medical Students Association
The Jewish Medical Students Association (JMSA) fosters education and community among medical students through speakers, presentations, and social events. By working with the other medical student culture and faith groups, the JMSA encourages dialogue, forms meaningful relationships, and provides a forum for discussing current topics relating to faith, culture, and medicine.
Medical Imaging Interest Group (MIIG)
The Medical Imaging Interest Group aims to: 1) increase students’ exposure to medical imaging specialties and the diverse career opportunities in community hospitals and academic medical centers; 2) provide opportunities for students to develop skills in image interpretation; 3) foster student appreciation of various imaging modalities; and 4) enhance student-faculty relationships and provide career planning support through mentorship opportunities.
University of Toronto Medicine Communauté Française
The UTMCF is a group of medical students dedicated to encouraging a new generation of culturally aware and bilingual physicians who can provide optimal healthcare to patients in French. It was founded in 2014 in response to the lack of French health human resources and means for students to equip themselves with tools necessary to pursue a career in a French- speaking environment.
Korean Medical Students Association
The KMSA aims to provide cultural support, mentorship and networking opportunities to Korean medical students at UofT, with an emphasis on building an inclusive community for all. We hope to foster unity among Korean medical students, promote diversity, and celebrate Korean culture in medicine. The club will also explore issues and research relevant to the health of Korean immigrants, including Korean and Asian representation in healthcare. Furthermore, the club will collaborate with other organizations to address issues in medicine for visible minorities. Any UofT medical student can become a member. Private Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kmsaofuoft
Women's Health Education Initiative
The Women’s Health Education Initiative is a student-run initiative that aims to provide medical students with clinically relevant material on the topic of women’s health and to promote interest in this field. Workshops will be focused in areas such as sexual, reproductive and mental health, and will be led by various experts in the field.
Longitudinal Academic Mentorship Program (LAMP)
The Longitudinal Academic Mentorship Program (LAMP) is a peer-to-peer, physician-to-student mentorship initiative for the medical trainees at the University of Toronto. Participants are organized in groups which consist of 7-8 students, 1 resident and 1 physician. The mentorship relationship is longitudinal in nature, and groups individually meet once a month in an informal setting (ex. Dinner, escape rooms, nature walks, etc) to share stories and advice. Currently in its pilot stages, LAMP is organized by the Medical Society under the VP Education portfolio, under the guidance of representatives from the MD Program and OHPSA.
Choosing Wisely Resource Stewardship Interest Group
The Choosing Wisely Resource Stewardship Interest Group helps students gain practical education in healthcare stewardship principles. This is done through resident-led interactive sessions that apply Choosing Wisely guidelines to example clinical cases, interprofessional education seminars, quality improvement case competitions, and much more! We also advocate for the inclusion of Choosing Wisely concepts in the MD curriculum.
Green Meds
GreenMeds is a Medical Society Associated Position (MSAP) that aims to increase awareness on the importance of sustainability in medicine. This is accomplished by coordinating the sales of refurbished anatomy equipment, advocating for waste reduction policies, and collaborating with like-minded individuals, such as the Centre for Sustainable Health Systems (CHS) and Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare (ELESH), to create a certificate program on sustainable healthcare for Canadian medical students.
Sport Medicine and Physiatry Interest Group
The Sport Medicine and Physiatry Interest Group allows those interested in the field to gain firsthand knowledge from leading practitioners in Toronto, including physicians and therapists from the national, international and professional levels. Our yearly events include career panels and clinical skills workshops, among others.
HIV Seminar Series
The University of Toronto’s Preclerkship HIV Supplemental Series aims to respond to the need for better medical education in the field of HIV by introducing students to the multidisciplinary elements of HIV care and the spectrum of determinants of health affecting people living with HIV, in Canada and globally. There are opportunities for students to meet with people with HIV/AIDS for one-on-one interviews. Each participant is also guaranteed an observership with physicians treating HIV patients and with a community agency. There are also at least 5 educational seminar lectures featuring experts in various aspects of HIV research and care.
Student Surgical Skills Development (S3D)
The Student Surgical Skills Development (S3D) group strives to enhance the general awareness of the field of surgery among medical students and provide all students with an opportunity to develop surgical skills, which are essential for a broad range of specialties. We provide medical students with the opportunity to develop surgical skills and to increase the exposure of students to surgical specialties through hands-on learning.
Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Interest Group
The POCUS Interest Group provides University of Toronto medical students with the opportunity to engage in a longitudinal and drop-in POCUS skill-building program in order to gain hands-on ultrasound scanning practice and receive feedback from experienced physicians, residents, and fellows.
Inner City Health Speaker Series (ICH-SS)
The Inner City Health Speaker Series aims to educate and cultivate interest in students regarding issues in inner city health. We organize a series of seminars and shadowing opportunities to help students understand and become involved in improving inner city health. Private Facebook link: www.facebook.com/groups/683575422610947/
Connecting Genetics Around Toronto
CGAT is a genetics interest group that raises awareness about genetics in medicine. Our mandate is to expose medical students to the incredible impact genetics has on our lives through seminars, and other exciting genetics opportunities in Toronto. Private Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cgat.uoft
Interest Group in Family Medicine (IGFM)
IgFM collaborates with the Department of Family and Community Medicine to promote and increase medical student exposure to family medicine. Organizes several diverse events for students including guest lectures, lunch-time speaker series, journal clubs, socials, clinical skills conferences, and a mentorship program.
Student Health Initiatives and Education (SHINE)
SHINE promotes student wellness, academic skills development, and career exploration through student-delivered initiatives, organized in collaboration with the Office of Health Professions Student Affairs (OHPSA). In addition, SHINE informs students about OHPSA’s counselling services and advises OHPSA regarding student needs.
Muslim Medical Association of Canada (MMAC)
The Muslim Medical Association of Canada (MMAC) at UofT strives to create space and build community among Muslim medical students and allies. We hope to contribute to a positive environment that is conducive to open dialogue about spirituality and faith within the medical community. Throughout the year, we will host events that enhance student life, promote awareness about different faith practices and cultures - particularly the Muslim faith, collaborate with other organizations with a focus on equity, and advocate for faith-based inclusivity within the curriculum.
Global Medical Student Partnership (GMSP)
The Global Medical Student Partnership (GMSP) aims to create an international network of medical students. This network will facilitate a greater understanding of global health care issues, promote international health advocacy, and foster relationships between future physicians.
Preclerkship Exploration in Developmental Disabilities (PEDD)
PEDD, through our affiliation with Surrey Place Centre, offers a 7-week experience that aims to teach preclerkship students clinical manifestation and management of developmental disabilities from an interprofessional perspective. Students will hear talks from healthcare professionals from various fields as well as patients and patient family members.
Filipino Association of Medical Students (FAMS)
The Filipino Association of Medical Students aims to address the issues of underrepresentation and inequity as it applies to the Filipino community. Furthermore, it hopes to foster a sense of unity between Filipino medical students at UofT and Ontario in general, and invite everyone to experience Filipino culture and practices, all through collaborative initiatives and community engagement.
Arts & Letters (ArtBeat)
Encourages medical students to develop appreciation and enjoyment of cultural arts (e.g. music, dance, art, photography, literature). Organizes attendance of musicals, ballets, film screenings and concert series. Also moderates art/poetry/literature submissions for
student-run art show Synesthesia.
Artbeat, home of the humanities for U of T Medicine, came into being to inspire and encourage medical students at the University of Toronto to nourish and express their creativity. Our group consists of a collection of portfolios, each dedicated to enrich students' experience in a particular arts domain. These portfolios include Companion Curriculum, Synesthesia, Faculty Interviews, Arts & Letters, Photography Club and more.
Rural Medicine Interest Group (RMIG)
The Rural Medicine Interest Group aims to foster student interest and facilitate career exploration in rural medicine. We encourage students to consider practicing medicine in a diverse range of settings, including rural, remote, northern, and under-serviced communities.
Pacemakers Dragon Boat Club
We are the University of Toronto Medicine dragon boat team, the Pacemakers! We are a group of individuals encouraging physical activity and wellness among our student community. Our training is composed of weekly workout sessions that involve basic exercises done in an interval training session. During the fall and spring, any interested students are welcome to join us out on the water for optional paddling sessions. In the summer we partake in an annual dragon boat festival at Toronto Centre Island for a fun day of racing and team bonding. This club is open to all students of any skill levels and no prior experience is necessary. Workout drop-ins are also always welcome. We hope you consider joining our family!
Iranian Medical Students Association (IMSA)
The Iranian Medical Student Association of UofT (IMSA) is a group dedicated to supporting the needs of Iranian/Persian medical students of University of Toronto. Any UofT medical student that identifies as part or full Iranian can become a member. The IMSA provides a community to support the cultural, professional, and social needs of the medical students. All members can benefit fully from everything that the IMSA can offer and all members will have a say in how to shape and grow the community.
Toronto Political Advocacy Committee
The Toronto Political Advisory Committee (TPAC) is a new initiative at U of T focusing on engaging students in the intersection between municipal politics and health. We are organizing a municipal Lobby Day, in which students will have the opportunity to discuss important health-related topics with the city councilors of Toronto. The Lobby Day will be a chance for students to gain advocacy skills while working towards tangible, healthy changes in our city.
Medical Student Research Day
The University of Toronto’s annual Medical Student Research Day provides undergraduate medical students with the opportunity to present their own research to their peers. This is the largest student-run medical student research conference in Canada. Projects including basic and clinical sciences to health care, medical education, and public, community, and international health. Prizes are awarded to novice and experienced researchers in both Basic Sciences and Clinical research.
Essential Skills Program
The Essential Skills Program (ESP) is a student-led initiative built to address the challenges in achieving technical competency in training by providing the opportunity to teach and learn skills at the undergraduate medical school level. The ESP utilizes a low resource design consisting of a peer-assisted learning model and video assessment for feedback. Peer tutors are trained and verified by surgical experts, and lead participants through 6 main tasks, 3 open and 3 laparoscopic. Student learners attend two 2-hour sessions spread over 2 weeks, where they will video record their performance and submit their videos for feedback by tutors and surgical experts between sessions to allow for deliberate practice. The online platform, Learner’s Space, will be used for assessment, in the form of annotated video feedback, Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills, and Task-Specific Checklists by experts. Students completing the program and mastering the skills will be eligible to be tested as peer tutors for future cohorts. The goal of the program is to increase technical skills exposure for student learners and develop teaching skills of student tutors.
Laboratory Medicine Interest Group
The Lab Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) aims to garner interest in and provide early exposure to a wide range of medical specialties that can be categorized under Lab Medicine. Lab medicine includes pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, transfusion medicine and more. The LMIG hopes to not only garner career interest in lab-related fields, but also emphasize the role and relevance of lab specialties in patient care for all medical students, including those who may be interested in pursuing a career other than in lab medicine. Private Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/uoftlmig
UofT Med Dance Team
The U of T Med Dance Team is a recreational dance group open to all Medical Students at U of T, regardless of prior dance training. Commitment is individual, beginning with practices 1-2 times per week, as well as performing and competing in events including the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, MedGames, Mississauga Arts Festival, and the U of T Festival of Dance. We aim to incorporate all styles of dance and are always eager for students with prior dance experience to teach dance disciplines we might not offer yet. Our focus is to have fun and stay active during the busy school year, while learning some dance moves along the way.
Women in Medicine
WIM's primary aim is to provide opportunities for all students to meet female role models in medicine. WIM's events are intended as informal gatherings to foster the sharing of insights and experiences related to the various medical and non-medical roles of women. Private Facebook link: www.facebook.com/groups/uoftwim/
Prototype UofT
Prototype serves to engage students in learning about human-centered design principles and their application to healthcare issues. Our formal year-long team projects, led by physician mentors, allow students to tackle a design project and create iterative solutions to real life problems. Our informal events engage students in a more non-committal fashion to share professional networks with students of leaders in the design, innovation, and entrepreneurship fields. We approach our teaching and learning systems through the principles of independence, mentor support, and facilitating professional networking.
Cardiovascular Interest Group
Our mandate is unique to our group. We have in the past collaborated with student groups such as the Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG), but considering our specific focus on delivering cardiovascular-related educational and career events, we have noted no overlap with any other student group at the University of Toronto. We have been encouraged to expand our scope and number of events by trainees interested in cardiology and our efforts have also been supported by U of T Cardiology curriculum developers such as Dr. Michael McDonald. Furthermore, at leading cardiology conferences in North America, it has been noted that all major top tier medical schools have an active Cardiology Interest Group, hence we sought to fill that gap at UofT.
Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee (GAAC)
The Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee connects students with important health policy information and facilitate the development of physician-advocates. We are part of a national committee run through CFMS and assemble U of T's delegation to the CFMS Lobby Day in Ottawa.
OB/GYN Interest Group
The goal of the OB-GYN Interest Group to provide a forum for pre-clerkship students to, along with classmates with similar interests, interact with residents and practicing physicians in the specialty as well as to gain mentorship and observer-ship opportunities.Regular career information sessions that will be open to students from all years to learn about various aspects of this specialty (i.e. scope of clinical/surgical practice, research, lifestyle, etc.) Private Facebook link: www.facebook.com/groups/uoftobgyn/
Co-Ed Medicine Athletics Director
The Athletics Director supports the Medical Faculty students in their athletic pursuits. This mainly consists of organizing intramural teams, fees and schedules. It also includes yearly events like MedGames, where universities across Canada compete and the yearly Athletics Banquet. There are also various other miscellaneous activities including organizing athletic jerseys and t-shirts for the faculty.
Medical Christian Fellowship (MCF)
MCF is a community of medical students and practising physicians that gather weekly to build meaningful relationships and discuss the integration of Christian faith in medicine. This is done through our Friday evening Weekly Connects and weekly prayer meetings, which are welcome to everyone who is interested (whether or not you’re Christian or religious!). We are affiliated with the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) of Canada and collaborate with our dental counterpart to connect and plan events. We also will have monthly events with speakers, discussion sessions, worship/prayer nights, games nights, and more!
Developmental Disabilities Seminar Series (MAM)
The MAM Developmental Disability Seminar Series consists of 7 weekly interactive sessions that aim to teach participants about various aspects of developmental disabilities, and how to better interact with patients who have developmental disabilities. We also provide an opportunity to shadow physicians who directly treat patients with developmental disabilities in the Peel region.
Aerospace Medicine Club
Space is the final frontier, and the aerospace industry is at a pivotal point where aerospace activities and travel are becoming accessible to the general public. The University of Toronto Aerospace Medicine club is dedicated to providing awe-inspiring opportunities for students to learn about physiology in space, the latest research in aerospace medicine, new developments in the space industry, and growing career opportunities. In addition, a new Aerospace Medicine Fellowship Program is currently being developed in Canada, and will likely be available to medical graduates starting in 2021/2022. The club hopes to introduce medical students early in their education to inspire them to become future leaders in this exciting field.
Movember Movement
The Movember Movement's vision is to motivate U of T medical and health professional students to have an everlasting impact on men's health. During November of each year, medical students and their colleagues sprout moustaches to raise vital funds and awareness to combat prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide challenges. Note that while our primary identity is as a men's health club, we eagerly extend our mission to engage and include individuals of all genders.
Palette Magazine
Palette is a student-led publication that fosters artistic expression, collaboration, and dialogue within the medical community. Featuring student talent in the visual arts, creative writing, performance arts, and lifestyle design, palette provides a platform to both celebrate creative authenticity and unite diverse interests among students.
Open House
The biannual Open House events are a tradition at the Faculty of Medicine. They are led by preclerkship medical students, and aim to showcase the curriculum, research, and sense of community at our Faculty. The fall event has been an opportunity for students interested in the U of T MD and MD/PhD programs to learn about curriculum, but more importantly, the student experience. The second open house is held in the spring, and highlights the many health professional programs at the University of Toronto. This full-day event encompasses admission information, and an introduction to clinical skills through interactive workshops.
Social Justice in Medical Education (SJME)
Social Justice in Medical Education is a club that organizes workshops and speaker events, advocates for curriculum changes, and engages in community activism to promote medical students' understanding and involvement in social justice: a system of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect the belief that all people deserve equitable treatment and freedom from oppression. We believe that medicine is a social institution and by advocating for and adopting an anti-oppressive approach in their practices, physicians can fight to minimize the oppression of marginalized identities.
Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG)
The Emergency Medicine Interest Group explores all aspects of Emergency medicine, with a focus on careers in that specialty. Our goal is to increase interest and knowledge of emergency medicine through talks on the path to EMRG (family2+1 or 5-year emerg residencies), the different opportunities for work in emergency medicine (education, global health, trauma, rural vs. urban) and the lifestyle of emergency physicians and residents. We host a number of events each year including INTRO to EMRG, Trauma Talk, and even set up Toronto EMS Ride-Outs and EMRG shadowing. Come out and share our love for the ER DR!
Decrypting Clerkship
Provides practical teaching and mentorship to help pre-clerkship students transition to clinical practice. Sessions will provide ward orientation, introduction to documentation, foster critical skills for patient care, and support students in knowledge synthesis. Our model provides high yield teaching through didactic lectures, small group learning, and (most importantly) through practice exercises. Residents from a wide array of specialties have expressed interest in attending sessions.
Paediatrics Interest Group
The U of T Paediatrics Club aims to expose 1st and 2nd year medical students to the various areas of Paediatrics through a series of talks and events throughout the school year. Past events have included different speakers from academic and community settings, including residents, fellows and staff, panel nights comparing different subspecialties in paediatrics to each other.