Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. Changes will likely occur as the province and its municipalities adjust to new data about the virus. In these circumstances, please be advised that changes to the delivery of courses, co-curricular opportunities, programs (including clinical programs or opportunities) and services, may become necessary during the academic year. The University thanks its students, faculty, and staff for their flexibility during these challenging times as we work together to maintain the standards of excellence that are the hallmark of the MD Program, Temerty Medicine, and the University.
Electives provide students with the opportunity to explore career possibilities, gain experience in aspects of medicine beyond the core Clerkship rotations, and study disciplines in greater depth. In May or June of Year 3, students have the option to complete a two-week home school (U of T) elective that counts toward the MD Program elective requirements. At the beginning of Year 4, 14 weeks between September to December are allocated to completion of elective experiences. Students must register for electives in accordance with the program’s registration procedures and requirements.
An orientation to selecting electives is provided in Transition to Clerkship (TTC310) at the beginning of Year 3.
MD Program elective requirements:
- Students must successfully compete at least 13 weeks in electives.
- All elective experiences must be at least two weeks in length. (See below for guidelines regarding the length of international electives and selectives.)
- In accordance with the AFMC National Electives Policy, student electives cannot exceed a maximum of eight weeks in any single entry-level discipline or in research.
- A single entry-level discipline is defined as any CaRMS direct-entry program. Electives in subspecialties that are part of a PGY-3 (R3) match (such as the subspecialties in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) do not count towards the eight week maximum in an entry-level discipline.
- Electives that involve clinical research count as research as long as all encounters with patients (e.g., history-taking, physical examinations, explanations regarding treatments) are purely related to research and are not part of the patient’s care. An elective that includes any clinical activities will count towards the eight week maximum in the clinical entry-level discipline.
- Selective experiences do not count towards the eight-week maximum in an entry-level discipline.
- Students must successfully complete elective experiences in a minimum of three entry-level disciplines. Selective experiences count toward fulfillment of this three discipline requirement.
Guidelines regarding the Length of International Electives and Selectives
- Electives: The minimum length of time for electives to the United States is two weeks. The minimum length for electives outside of Canada and the United States is three weeks.
- Selectives: The minimum length of time for selectives in high income countries (as defined by the World Bank classification) is four weeks. The minimum length of selectives in low or middle income countries or at distant geographic locations is eight weeks. Exceptions regarding selective duration may be made at the Course Director's discretion.
Electives Catalogue and Registration System
For details on electives, refer to the Electives (ELV410) webpage: http://www.md.utoronto.ca/electives
An online catalogue of elective experiences offered by University of Toronto faculty members, as well as electives registered by previous clerkship students, is available within MedSIS: http://MedSIS.utoronto.ca/electives/
Registration for electives with University of Toronto faculty is also conducted within MedSIS.
Registration for electives outside of the University of Toronto, but within Canada must be conducted through the AFMC National Portal: http://www.afmcstudentportal.ca
Questions regarding electives registration should be directed to the Electives course staff: http://www.md.utoronto.ca/clerkship-course-directors-and-administrators