“We have amazing teaching and support from physicians across Michael Garron Hospital,” says Dr. Maria Leis, who completed her family medicine residency at our hospital. She is now doing a residency to specialize in emergency medicine.
Aspiring physicians enter residency training after finishing their Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees. Residency typically lasts two to seven years, depending on the specialization, and is required to become a licensed physician.
Residents are essential to patient care throughout our hospital. Under the supervision of attending physicians, they diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans and carry out procedures, all while maintaining close communication with patients to build trust and address concerns.
Residents specializing in family medicine are the biggest group at our hospital. We also train many who are specializing in obstetrics and gynaecology, internal medicine, general surgery and anesthesiology.
Outstanding facilities
Dr. Leis has no trouble listing reasons why Michael Garron Hospital is a fabulous place to learn. Among them: our state-of-the-art Carswell Family Centre for Medical Education.
Opened in February 2023 as part of our hospital’s historic redevelopment, the centre features:
- A large classroom that provides an immersive environment for lectures, group discussions and more.
- The Rands Family Simulation Centre, where learners and staff practice wide-ranging clinical situations and receive training in a safe space.
- Nine spacious call rooms that give residents and MD students a relaxing place to sleep and complete administrative duties during long on-call shifts.
“I think all residents would agree the Carswell Family Centre for Medical Education is a game changer for us and our experience,” says Dr. Leis. “The call rooms are really large. They’re well-equipped and they’re kept very clean. They’ve done wonders for our wellness.”
And because the centre is centrally located, it makes it easier for residents on call to quickly respond to overnight emergencies throughout our hospital.
The centre was built with generous support from the Carswell Family Foundation, the Rands Family and thousands of people who donated to our redevelopment.
Comprehensive simulation
One thing that sets Michael Garron Hospital’s family medicine residency program apart is its extensive simulation curriculum, says Dr. Leis.
“Simulation helps us gain critical, hands-on skills in the relatively short period of time we have as family medicine residents,” she notes.
Indeed, this was the case with a simulation-focused study that was led by Dr. Leis and based out of our Rands Family Simulation Centre. Focused on treatment of bleeding during early pregnancy, the simulation training was shown to improve residents’ confidence in managing these life-threatening cases.
Published in the journal Frontiers in Emergency Medicine, the study is poised to inform learners, educators and hospitals around the world.
No better place to train
Dr. Leis has valued her hands-on learning at Michael Garron Hospital. She’s gained experience delivering babies, inserting chest tubes in our Stavro Emergency Department, and much more. For family medicine residents here, these opportunities are more numerous compared to other Toronto hospitals, she says.
She also found it “very rewarding” and informative to serve a diverse population of newcomers at our hospital and at Health Access Thorncliffe Park during the community-based portion of her residency.
Given Dr. Leis’ experience, it’s not surprising our hospital routinely ranks as the first choice of University of Toronto family medicine residents.
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