University of Toronto Wound Healing Fellowship
The Wound Healing fellowship at the University of Toronto is a six month to one year multi-disciplinary program, which incorporates Dermatology, Internal Medicine and Surgery. The fellowship is available for physicians who have completed a residency program in either dermatology, internal medicine or surgery. Internationally trained clinicians are welcome.
The Wound Healing fellowship focuses on training clinician-researchers to care for the variety of wounds seen in a teaching hospital including a large number of patients with chronic venous stasis ulcers, diabetic neuropathic infections and non-healing surgical wounds, malignant wounds as well as complex wounds due to systemic disorders such as pyoderma gangrenosum and vasculitis. The clinic works with an interdisciplinary team of nursing and ancillary support, including Dermatologists, Chiropodists, Geriatricians, Infectious Disease, and Family Medicine.
When and how do people become fellows?
Registration for candidates begins on May 1 and is open until July 31; interviews are conducted in the fall, and will be completed by October 15 for the upcoming year. Our training program is one year, July 1st to June 30th.
Typically, the CV, letter of interest and 2 letters of references is all we will need initially. The applications from fellows that completed their residency will be reviewed for interview, and only complete applications will be reviewed.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada does not accredit training as a clinical or research fellow as residency training towards certification.
Clinical fellows will receive a certificate of completion of their fellowship issued by the Postgraduate Medical Education Office at University of Toronto.
International Medical Graduates are welcomed to apply, but in order to work in an Ontario teaching hospital, fellows must obtain an educational licence, and successfully complete the Pre-entry Assessment Program.
What is our fellowship like?
We have an inter-professional faculty (2 dermatologists, 2 geriatricians, 2 chiropodists, and 1 family doctor) and we do wound healing 4 days a week. We work closely with Vascular Surgery, Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery services. We expect the fellow will attend clinics with each of these colleagues, and others such as a vascular lab, to advance their knowledge and skills in these areas. We also expect the fellow to complete a fellowship research project, as per the university of Toronto guidelines.
The fellow will spend 20 to 50 percent of their time in outpatient clinics (clinical time commitment will depend on research productivity), where he or she will learn, in a highly mentored environment, the fundamentals of wound care treatment and prevention. Inpatient opportunities will include rotations with inpatient wound teams and subspecialty services, such as dermatology, surgery, burns, ID and rheumatology.
The fellowship is a full time program with 3 days clinical experience, one day research and one day educational day in a week.
Since the vast majority of patients with chronic wounds have underlying diseases, the ideal candidate is an individual with a strong clinical background and interest in developing an academic career focusing on chronic wounds care and research.
Evaluations:
A. Formal evaluation every 6 months and informal evaluation on a monthly basis
B. Completion of a research project for publication in peer reviewed journals or formal presentation in a main conference
C. Completion of a 200-patient log and reflection on learning the references studied.
D. 4 lectures to resident trainees during the year
E. Attendance in journal clubs and dermatology grand rounds
F. Spend at least 6-12 months in the fellowship (max 4 weeks vacations/ conferences/ leave per year)
The objectives of the fellowship-training program are:
• Medical Expert
-Manage wound patients and perform a focused patient history and physical examination relevant to the wound-healing patient, formulate a provisional management plan.
• Communicator
-Facilitate inter-professional communication for optimal management of patient centered concerns.
• Collaborator
-Collaborate with members of the inter-professional team for maximal professional performance and patient outcomes.
• Manager
-Improve health care systems for innovative and optimal wound care management.
• Health Advocate
-Promote healthy living and prevent the occurrence of chronic wounds.
• Scholar
-Critically review the literature and patient experience to create improved best wound care practices.
• Professional
-Foster inter-professional wound care education, research and health care system reform for the optimal patient care outcomes, health care professionals performance and health care systems
Our fellows are funded, either by their own support systems (self-funded from a government or University), or funded by us based on availability of funds.
Rotation List:
The first 3 months would be basic wound care and then each rotation is 4-8 weeks in duration and 1-2 days a week --the program total is 6-12 months. All fellows are based at Women College Hospital with 3 days wound care clinic, one day research and one day (Friday rounds) dermatology education.
A. Wound Care I, II, III
B. Vascular Surgery, Vascular Lab
C. Pediatric Dermatology (Epidermolysis Bullosa Clinic)
D. Orthopedic Surgery, Diabetic Foot Clinic, Offloading
E. Rheumatology (Vasculitis Clinic)
F. Others (such as Plastic Surgery, Hyperbaric Oxygen) based on the interest or research project
The clinical fellows work directly with dermatology residents, medical students and other trainees in the program. They will have an ongoing evaluation of main supervisor and will be evaluated every 3 months and receive feedback.
Contact us?
Fellowship Director: Afsaneh Alavi MD MSc FRCPC
Afsaneh.alavi@mail.utoronto.ca