Education and Professional Development
The Pharmacy Department at the University Health Network (UHN) collaborates with the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, other faculties of pharmacy, as well as pharmacy technician colleges to provide exceptional education programs for pharmacy residents, pharmacy students and pharmacy technician students.
The Pharmacy Department is proud of its staff and their commitment to teachingg and developing future leaders in hospital pharmacy. Many UHN pharmacists are cross-appointed with the University of Toronto and have extensive teaching experiences. Education is a central pillar of the department. Pharmacy staff members participate in a variety of teaching activities including course coordination, clinical instructors for pharmacotherapy and medication-therapy management courses and inter-professional education. The department maintains an extensive continuing education calendar with participation from pharmacists, pharmacy residents and students, technicians and external speakers.
Undergraduate Pharmacy Student Experiences
The UHN Pharmacy Department offers a variety of educational opportunities in clinical units and in the areas of research, education, leadership and operational management. Direct patient care (DPC) and non-direct patient care (NDPC) rotations are available in a wide range of inpatient and ambulatory areas at each UHN clinical sites. Novel teaching models are often used in many of the rotations.
For University of Toronto students, rotations are organized in conjunction with the Office of Experiential Education (OEE) at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Affiliation agreements with the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and other pharmacy schools enable the potential for these students to complete rotations at UHN as well.
Pharmacy Technician Student Experiences
The UHN Pharmacy Department maintains active affiliation agreements with several pharmacy technician colleges in the province of Ontario. Placements are arranged through the experiential coordinators at each college in collaboration with technician supervisors at each UHN site.
Pharmacy Residency Programs
The UHN Pharmacy Department is proud to offer six residency positions annually for pharmacy graduates. Our residency programs are affiliated with the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto and accredited by the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB). Residency programs offer the opportunity to gain patient care, teaching and research experiences in an academic health sciences centre. Three of the programs are Year 1 programs and one is an advance practice Year 2 program.
Our Year 1 programs are in the areas of general hospital practice, oncology-focused practice and primary care practice. These programs are open to those who have completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited pharmacy school.
More information on each of the programs is provided:
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General Hospital Pharmacy Residency (3 positions)
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Primary Care Pharmacy Residency (1 position)
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Oncology Pharmacy Residency (1 position)
Learn more about
detailed comparison of the three Year 1 residency programs listed above.
Residency applications deadlines are typically in October for programs starting the following year. Please note that UHN only accepts applications via the process defined by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy (CSHP). Interested applicants should visit the
CSHP website for further information on application procedures and yearly deadlines. Emailed resumes and applications are not accepted.
Interested candidates are invited to attend our annual open house to learn more about the residency programs. This event allows you the opportunity to speak with our current and past residents, residency coordinator(s), director(s), preceptors and mentors. The open house is hosted in the fall prior to the application deadline. Contact the pharmacy education coordinator for more information on this year's open house.
We also offer an advanced practice Year 2 residency in the area of HIV. This is a joint program between UHN Pharmacy Department and McGill University Health Centre in Montreal in conjunction with the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. Applicants should have a pharmacy degree (BScPhm, MScPhm or PharmD) and should have completed a Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB) accredited general Year 1 residency program (or equivalent). More information and key dates are available on the HIV Pharmacy Specialty Residency webpage.
Frequently Asked Questions about UHN Residencies
Graduate Programs
Pharmacy residents at UHN also have the option of completing a combined
Residency/Masters program. Details on applying for this program can be discussed once you are a successful UHN resident.
Staff members in the UHN Pharmacy department supervise students for master projects through the University of Toronto. This can either be done as a combined residency/master program or a traditional MSc. Visit the
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy for more information on MSc programs.
Interprofessional Education and Collaboration
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are highly integrated and contribute to inter-professional patient care, education and research teams at UHN. Pharmacists actively participate in inter-professional education (IPE) activities in collaboration with all health professionals at UHN and the University of Toronto. This includes teaching and learning activities associated with clinical topics such as pain management, medication safety as well as on-site IPE placement facilitation.
Volunteering
Periodically, the Pharmacy Department has volunteer opportunities for pharmacy students who wish to gain some hospital pharmacy experience. When available, these volunteer opportunities are circulated to pharmacy students through their pharmacy school along with application instructions.
International Learners
There are opportunities for individuals who have a passion for health care to learn and share knowledge through direct observation of pharmacists at UHN. International learners can apply to the
International Centre for Education (ICE) to arrange observerships for a predefined period depending on the availability of sponsors. For more information on the different types of observerships and how to apply please visit the
ICE website. Applications are submitted through ICE and then reviewed by the pharmacy education coordinator(s).
Contact Us
For additional information regarding the UHN Pharmacy Department and its educational programs please contact:
Dr. Cindy Natsheh RPh, BScPhm, ACPR, PharmD
Pharmacy Education Coordinator
Email: Cindy.Natsheh@uhn.ca
