2024 - 2025 MD Program Updates

The Medical Innovation and Technology (MIT) program, developed by the Temerty Medicine MD Program, offers an exciting opportunity aimed at equipping aspiring doctors with essential business skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. Designed for learners interested in exploring the intersection of medicine and entrepreneurship, the MIT program helps develop skills in creating and managing healthcare ventures. Through a series of self-paced online modules, students participating in the program can learn from industry experts, build a diverse skill set, expand their networks beyond the classroom, and gain real-world experience in healthcare innovation. The first cohort of 75 learners began in December 2024.  
 
On April 23, 2025, the program hosted its capstone Panel Discussion and Networking Reception at the Rotman School of Management. With over 48 students, faculty, and guests in attendance, the event brought together future physician-innovators and leaders in health technology for an evening of conversation and connection. The panel, moderated by Dr. Nardin Samuel, featured guest speakers Dr. William Cherniak, Founder and CEO of Rocket Doctor Inc., and Lachlan Holmes, CTO of FirstHx, who shared candid insights on entrepreneurship, digital health, and building impact-driven ventures. Following the discussion, attendees had the opportunity to network with panellists, faculty from Medicine and Rotman, and fellow students. This event marked the final module of the MIT Program’s inaugural year.

The updated TGD curriculum, which is woven throughout the Years 1 and 2 of the MD Program, encourages students to expand their perspectives and explore the viewpoints and experiences of trans and gender-diverse individuals. By acknowledging and considering the impact of stereotypes and assumptions along with reflecting on our own potential biases and presuppositions, we can work towards providing equitable, gender-affirming care to all patients. This updated curriculum expands on essential topics in gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy and transition-related surgeries, empowering future physicians to support patients in achieving their individual embodiment goals. 

The TGD Health Curriculum Project team consulted with members of TGD communities, as well as medical practitioners who are experts in the field, to evaluate, develop, and integrate TGD health content into the curriculum.

The new Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Pathology, and Surgery (MAPS) curriculum spans Years 1 and 2 of the MD Program and integrates the teaching of anatomy with medical imaging, pathology, and surgery. This shift aims to move away from isolated anatomy instruction and instead emphasize its relevance in the everyday practice of medicine. The revised curriculum helps students understand the importance of anatomy in diagnosis and treatment, especially through multidisciplinary cases that reflect real-world teamwork in patient care.

The curriculum includes lectures, focused dissections in the anatomy lab, and ten MAPS sessions throughout the year. These sessions feature guest speakers, case-based learning, and hands-on activities in medical imaging and pathology, along with core training in Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). This integrated approach not only enhances learning but also introduces students to specialties like pathology, potentially inspiring future career pathways. Student feedback has been very positive, and Year 2 MAPS will roll out in the fall.

In Year 2, the curriculum will deepen its focus on case-based learning, especially within the anatomy lab. Core anatomy content will continue through lectures, which are integrated with medical imaging teaching. Cases will integrate pathology and surgery learning which will be built into the anatomy lab activities, and POCUS training will continue.

The MAPS curriculum moves away from memorizing very detailed anatomy which is quickly forgotten and instead is designed to build a core understanding of clinically relevant anatomy, medical imaging, and pathology concepts. Our case-based, multidisciplinary integrated curriculum prepares students for careers as physicians, including through teaching and learning that demonstrates how teams working together helps patients.

The Office of the Associate Dean, MD Program, conducted an audit of data collection and reporting practices across core areas in 2024 to gain a deeper understanding of the matrix of quality assurance and program improvement practices implemented throughout the program. This audit led to the establishment of regular meetings between the Office of Assessment and Evaluation and Accreditation to identify and advance opportunities for continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes across the program. The adoption of CQI practices supports ongoing efforts to refine existing data collection tools and develop new reporting platforms, maximizing the impact of these efforts and resulting in more data-driven improvements to the MD Program curriculum, services, and the overall student experience. 
 
Key CQI achievements over the past year centred around the Office of Learner Affairs and campus and academy facilities. Deliverables of these efforts include:  

• The development of the Learner Affairs and Wellness Survey (LAWS) and new “just-in-time" experience surveys for students accessing critical Learner Affairs services are underway. These new data collection tools support increased internal reporting by the Office of Learner Affairs to ensure programs meet the needs of students and to identify and monitor efforts to improve core services.  

• A new facilities dashboard delivers real-time data on student satisfaction with facilities, derived from recalibrated end-of-course and rotation evaluations. This data is shared with Academy Directors, as well as MD Program and hospital staff, to proactively identify emerging issues with facilities that can be resolved before adversely affecting the student experience in learning environments. 

The implementation of a CQI model for program evaluation will lead not only to more data-driven decision-making and reflection but also serve as a foundation for future data collection, analysis, and reporting processes that support accreditation and quality assurance, aiming to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the MD Program. Future program priorities for CQI include the Office of Assessment and Evaluation, the Curriculum Office, and Enrolment Services.