Guidelines for Academy Transfer

The MD program is committed to a strong Academy system.  Academies provide an academic home for students with the intent of developing a supportive learning community for students and preceptors. On occasion, an exceptional situation may arise such that a student may feel that they would be better served at another academy. In these instances, the student may submit an Academy Transfer Application for consideration.

High Priority Academy Transfer Requests

  • Potential examples of high priority situations include:
    • concern for personal physical or psychological safety
    • learners who face discrimination based on a protected ground, as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code

Moderate Priority Academy Transfer Requests

  • Potential examples of moderate priority situations include:
    • Conflict of Interest/Privacy issues
    • Proximity to specialized health care for the learner

Low Priority Academy Transfer Requests

  • Potential examples of low priority situations include:
    • Proximity to research institute or university campus for learners engaged in ongoing academic pursuit outside of the MD program
    • Proximity to part time employment
    • Duration/cost of commuting
    • Proximity to social network/supports/home

Note: The above list is not exhaustive, but rather is intended to provide a framework for decision-making. It is understood that there may be instances where a situation listed above in one priority category may be deemed a different priority category, at the discretion of the group reviewing the Academy transfer request and in consultation with OLA.  

Timeline 

Requests to transfer Academies will be reviewed once per year. Applications for transfer must be submitted by 5pm on February 1st and applicants can expect to receive a decision by mid March. If there are extenuating circumstances (e.g. safety concerns), the Academy Director group may consider requests outside of this timeline.

Operational Considerations

Transfer applications will be dependent on Academy capacity, resources, and ability to meet students’ requested needs.

Process

Students requesting an Academy Transfer should submit an Academy Transfer Application by 5pm on February 1st to the Associate Dean, Learner Affairs via ola.assocdean@utoronto.ca. Interested students should contact OLA 2-4 weeks prior to the February 1st deadline in order to schedule a meeting to review the transfer request. As outlined in the application, students must include a personal statement that addresses the specific criteria for consideration of transfer, and additional supporting documents which may include letters of support from:

  • A physician or therapist
  • A faculty advisor or advocate

Applications will be reviewed by a combination of the following faculty:

  • Academy Directors
  • The Associate Dean, Learner Affairs
  • The Associate Dean, MD Program
  • Either the Foundations or Clerkship Directors

All written material submitted will be taken into consideration.  If the transfer request is granted, the Director of the Academy that the learner will be transferring to will inform the learner. If the request is denied, the learner’s current Academy Director will inform the learner.

The UME Enrolment Services office will be informed of the outcome.  

Recommendations for learners

  • If you are considering an academy transfer, please reach out to your local Academy Director to explore all available supports/solutions within your current Academy.
  • To ensure the committee can best evaluate your circumstance and rationale for transfer request, please disclose all relevant information and/or documentation at the time of submitting your transfer request. Insufficient information and/or documentation may result in denial of a transfer request. If there is relevant information that you are not comfortable to disclose to the committee, you may wish to discuss this with OLA for their guidance.
  • When submitting a transfer request, you should list in order of preference all Academies that you would be willing to transfer to.
  • Capacity limitations can be a common reason for declining an academy transfer request. For this reason, in the past some students have overcome this barrier by identifying another student who is interested in swapping Academies. E.g. Student A is currently in Academy X, but wishes to transfer to Academy Y. Student B is currently in Academy Y, but wishes to transfer to Academy X. They discuss between themselves and are happy to swap places completely (including small group allocation, rotation group/placement etc). Student A and B decide to submit individual applications to transfer Academies AND IN ADDITION they inform OLA that they are content to swap spots. 

o  NOTE # 1: Even if two students agree to swap Academies, this does not automatically guarantee that the request will be approved as other factors are taken into consideration when reviewing transfer requests.
o  NOTE # 2: It is not the responsibility of OLA or the Academy Directors to identify potential swaps. Students interested in a swap will need to identify another student on their own.

  • Academy transfers during clerkship are extremely difficult to accommodate. Learners are strongly encouraged to request transfers by 5pm on February 1st, prior to starting Clerkship as applications after this date are likely to be rejected..

Date of original adoption: 7 August 2024
Date of last review: 26 June 2025

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