Program Contacts

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Important Information

Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
All postgraduate training programs at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine of the University of Toronto are committed to create, support, and maintain a learning and working environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, and disrespectful behaviour. We also strive to recruit and retain learners, staff and faculty that reflect the diversity of Canadian society, and assure that our programs and curricula prepare our graduates to meet the needs of the diverse communities they will serve in their careers in Canada and around the world. We are committed to working with all underrepresented/minoritized populations (including 2SLGBTQIA+ people, Indigenous Peoples of Canada, people of African ancestry and other racialized groups, people with disabilities, the economically disadvantaged, those from rural or remote communities, and more) in order to advance all forms of equity, and in particular, health equity.

 
CaRMS Self-Identification Questionnaire (CSIQ)
The University of Toronto has determined that we will not be using the CSIQ for the 2026 R1 Match.  If you assign the CSIQ to any University of Toronto program, the program will NOT be able to view the content of your CSIQ response. There are programs that provide applicants other opportunities to self-identify as a member of an equity-seeking group. Please see individual program descriptions for details.  

Electives
While elective experiences in our discipline are highly encouraged, as this helps demonstrate your interest and aptitude in the field, an elective at the University of Toronto is not required. We recognize that not all candidates have the opportunity to arrange and complete electives outside of their home institution and would like to reassure you this will not negatively impact your application to the University of Toronto.

Current Residents at a Canadian University Applying for 2^nd Iteration

If you are a current resident in Canadian Residency Program applying to the second iteration of the CaRMS R1 Match as a possible route to change program or specialty, please carefully review the below information:

• In accordance with the Ontario eligibility criteria, which references the National Transfer Guidelines, you will need to upload all in-training assessments/evaluations
• Letter of Standing from your current PGME Office
  • this must include a confirmation of standing, an overview of training dates, leaves, and any formal remediations

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Return of Service

Return of Service - International Medical Graduates 

Ontario’s International Medical Graduate (IMG) Return of Service (ROS) program is intended to improve access to physician services across Ontario, particularly in areas with limited physician supply. The IMG ROS program offers participants a postgraduate medical training position in return for a commitment to practise medicine in an eligible Ontario community. The ROS contract is between the Ministry of Health and the successful applicant, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm eligibility with respect to ROS requirements of other provinces. Ontario PGME offices are not involved in this process.

The Ministry requests all ROS agreements before July 1 of the year they were matched. All agreements should be returned to the Ministry prior to the start of residency training.

More information for IMG ROS can be found here: Return of Service Program

If you have further questions, please contact the Ministry of Health at PPUProgramOfficer@ontario.ca

PLEASE NOTE: APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO FULFILL A ROS COMMITMENT IN ONTARIO IMMEDIATELY UPON COMPLETION OF YOUR TRAINING.

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General Instructions

Program application language: English

Each year all Medical Genetics and Genomics Programs across Canada hold a Career Night each Fall - this year the session will be held November 3rd, please click the link to sign up Register Here 

In addition to the Career Night during the CaRMS Interviews we also hold a virtual meet and greet between candidates and current trainees, further details will be shared with interview invites.

Both these activities are optional, if you cannot attend we are also happy to meet with candidates one-on-one should you have any outstanding questions about the program. 

For further information about our program feel free to reach out to our PA - Brittany Marshman, brittany.marshman@sickkids.ca 

 

In addition to the application requirements outlined in this program description, applicants must ensure they meet all Provincial Eligibility Criteria. To review the Ontario Eligibility Requirements, please visit:  https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/eligibility-criteria/ontario/

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Supporting Documentation / Information

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Review Process

Applications submitted after file review has opened on March 17, 2026

Supporting documents (excluding letters of reference) that arrive after file review has opened  on  March 17, 2026

Letters of reference that arrive after the unmasking date on March 17, 2026

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Interviews

Selection Criteria

Our program seeks curious and compassionate trainees who will provide ethical and patient-focused genetic care and have the potential to demonstrate leadership in the field of genetics and genomics.

This is a 5 year residency program housed out of the Hospital for Sick Children. Trainees will complete rotations at all TAHSN (Toronto Academic Health Science Network) sites allowing a for unique training experience in some of the most highly regarded specialty genetic clinics in North America. We are the largest genetics training program in Canada which allows our program to provide additional training opportunities and supports like career days, balint groups, QI (quality improvement) and research training. 

 

Program goals

The practice of Medical Genetics is based on a broad knowledge and application of basic genetic principles, and diagnosis and management of genetic disease through the lifespan. The practice also requires a clear understanding of the principles of genetic counselling and utilization of cutting edge genomic technologies for the diagnosis of genetic disease. 

At the completion of training, the resident will have acquired the following competencies and will function effectively to:

• Perform a consultation, including the presentation of well-documented assessments and recommendations in written and/or verbal form in response to a request from another health care professional

• Demonstrate use of all CanMEDS competencies relevant to Medical Genetics
• Identify and appropriately respond to relevant ethical issues arising in the care of patients and their families

• Demonstrate the ability to prioritize professional duties when faced with multiple patients and problems
• Demonstrate compassionate patient and family-centered care
• Recognize and respond to the ethical dimensions in medical decision-making

It is understood that residents successfully completing a Medical Genetics residency program are regarded as fully competent, undifferentiated consultants in the specialty. The resident will be prepared to pursue further fellowship training in a variety of sub disciplines of the specialty, including but not inclusive to clinical biochemical genetics, prenatal genetics, or laboratory molecular and cytogenetics fellowships.

Selection process goals

We are looking for physicians to join our cohort of residents who demonstrate a passion for the field of medical genetics and genomics, curiosity, critical thinking skills, compassion, and advanced communication skills.  

Applicants providing evidence of professionalism, leadership, social accountability, problem solving abilities, skills in collaboration, and empathy within the CaRMS application file components will be prioritized for further consideration. 

Successful applicants should be given the opportunity to demonstrate these attributes at the time of interviews. Interviews consist of a series of questions and are ranked with a standardized rubric that priortizes ranking of attributes noted above.

Candidates who fail to meet criteria of demonstrated interest in genetics, professionalism or skills in communication will not be considered further. Other candidates will be ranked based on the scores of their application and interview. Final ranks will be determined by the aggregate score as outlined above and the selection committee reserves the right to adjust final rankings by consensus to address issues of program priority and diversity. 

File review process

Evaluation criteria :

Elective criteria

Interview process

Interview evaluation criteria :

Information gathered outside of CaRMS application

Specifically, we may consider:
Social interaction during program related events
Communication with program administration
Social media
Unsolicited reference letters
Unsolicited email references
Unsolicited verbal information on a candidate's prior performance
Unsolicited feedback from colleagues and co-workers

Ranking process

The behavior(s) exhibited below during the interview process may prevent an applicant from being ranked by our program :
Unprofessional or inappropriate behavior   
Did not attend interview   
Interview performance was not competitive   

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Program Highlights

University of Toronto Genetics and Genomics Residency Program Overview

The University of Toronto Genetics and Genomics Program is the largest program for Medical Genetics and Genomics training in Canada. The main training site for the program is the world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children (HSC/Sickkids) where there are numerous innovative collaborations in between clinical and research team members.  Participating faculty members hold University of Toronto appointments in the Departments of Molecular Genetics, Paediatrics, Medicine, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry. The Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics at HSC also serves as a primary education program for the Master's Program in Genetic Counselling and as such, teaching faculty include a large group of dedicated genetic counsellors who are committed to supporting MD trainees. In addition to our residency program we also offer fellowship training in both Clinical Genetics and Metabolic Genetics, both accredited by the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG). As such, the trainees join a diverse and engaged peer group and a well-supported education program. 

The Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics provides comprehensive training in all aspects of medical genetics in the setting of a large quarternary care institution. Our program is committed to excellence in training individuals for careers in community genetics or in academic clinical/research careers. The Centre for Genetic Medicine and SickKids newly established Genome Clinic provides unparalleled opportunities to participate in cutting-edge whole exome and whole genome sequencing projects with a variety of expert collaborators. There are numerous faculty members involved in clinical trials and genetic-based therapies and they provide a unique opportunity to mentor trainees in a novel areas of genetic therapeutics; this is likely to become an important future areas in a geneticists scope of practice. Training sites not only include HSC but leading Canadian institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital, University Health Network, Princess Margaret Hospital, amongst several other community partners within the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). 

The Division serves primarily the Ontario central east region, a large and diverse population of approximately 6 million residents. As such, our program sees a wide variety of genetic consultations across the lifespan, including those with congenital anomalies, inborn errors of metabolism, genetic cancer syndromes, and prenatal cases with active inpatient and outpatient services that run year-round. We are backed by in-house biochemical, molecular and cytogenetic laboratories that all concurrently serve as educational fellowship sites. The program sees over 5000 patients per year. As such, there are virtually no groups of rare diseases a trainee would not encounter during their time in the program. 

 

The educational environment 

There are ample opportunities for trainees to further develop expertise in education, ethics, and Quality Improvement (QI). In-house courses are provided for Cytogenetics, Research methodology, and a QI-curriculum as part of a trainees protected training. Resident research is supported by a research committee available to trainees comprised of senior scientists with vast experience in mentorship and residents are allowed up to 1 year for research. The protected half-day curriculum is managed by a dedicated curriculum faculty lead and includes content that is continuously improved with innovative and engaging teaching approaches. A well-attended weekly case-conference encourages active participation from trainees and other divisional members and promotes discussions in a collaborative setting. 

Trainee wellness is prioritized in our program. A Balint group is coordinated for trainees, formal and informal wellness activities are organized several times per year, and a resident retreat is well supported financially by our program. We have a standing wellness agenda item during our residency program committee meetings. Further, multiple ongoing initiatives are underway to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in our program. This includes divisional sessions on allyship, implicit bias, the hidden curriculum, and ensuring the academic-half day offerings cover issues related to discrimination such as sexism, ableism, and racism. 

 

The city 

One would be remiss to describe the program in such detail without a note about the city. Toronto is a vibrant, diverse city with its multiple smaller and unique neighbourhoods that make its whole. There is no shortage of restaurants or arts and culture within the city that contribute to an unforgettable training experience. City cyclists have access to hundreds of km of dedicated bike routes within the city and while it is not always well-advertised, the unique ravine system and trails within Toronto allows for a magical downtown escape that is easily accessible by city transit. Expect travel post-pandemic to be easy with a convenient downtown airport and travel to other worldwide locations with direct access to a large international airport within 20 minutes of downtown. 

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Program Curriculum

This residency program is for 5 years.

Program length of training does not exceed the Royal College or College of Family Physicians of Canada standard.

All RCPSC Medical Genetics and Genomics Residency Programs across Canada follow the same basic training requirements as outlined by the Royal College. But many of the detailed training components will differ between programs based on the clinical training opportunities and how the program choses to fulfill the program requirements. The outline is meant to provide a overview of the clinical schedule of the typical trainee at the University of Toronto Medical Genetics Program.  Note rotations and sites may be adjusted based on availability, trainee progress, or at Program’s discretion and not necessily in the order outlined below. 

Transition to Discipline: As outlined by the Royal College training requirements, the purpose of this stage is to provide an orientation to the medical genetics and genomics residency program, including the hospital environment, with a focus on the medical genetics’ clinic and inpatient consultation service. In this stage, residents focus on assessing, presenting, and documenting basic examinations; formulating a differential diagnosis; and selecting and providing interpretation of first-line genetic investigations. 

2 blocks of Orientation to Genetics – this rotation includes didactic teaching of basic genetic concepts, mentorship meetings and clinical experiences in clinical inpatient and outpatient genetics in both adult and paediatic genetics. Trainees rotate at both SickKids and UHN sites. 

Foundations: As outlined by the Royal College training requirements, the purpose of this stage is to gain experience assessing and managing patients of all ages with common conditions in a range of settings. During this stage, residents perform patient assessments and create and communicate management plans for common presentations. They develop their ability to recognize factors that lead to variability, complexity, comorbidity, and acuity. They gain experience consulting other health professionals, integrating recommendations into care plans, and coordinating transitions of care. 

3 blocks of General Internal Medicine – 2 in-patient rotations/ 1 outpatient rotation at UHN sites (Toronto General or Toronto Western Hospitals) 

3 blocks of General Paediatics – in-patient rotation SickKids 

2 block of High-Risk Obstetrics –at Mount Sinai Hospital with experiences at the Fetal Medicine Unit, Maternal Disorders of Pregnancy clinics, and Fertility clinics 

1 block of Haematology/Oncology – at SickKids 

1 block of Cardiology – clinics in both adult congenital cardiology and paediatric cardiology at Mount Sinai Hospital and SickKids 

1 block of Adult Neurology – at UHN sites 

2 blocks of NICU – at Mount Sinai Hospital and SickKids 

1 block of Developmental Pediatrics – at Holland Bloorview Hospital 

2 blocks of Paediatric Neurology – at SickKids 

1 block of Palliative Care– at SickKids 

2 blocks of Elective Rotations -  choice of completion in a Paeds or Adult setting 

Core: As outlined by the Royal College training requirements, in this stage residents build on the skills acquired in the Foundations stage as they develop their approach to assessing and managing patients with acute and chronic genetic presentations. Residents request and interpret reports of advanced genetic investigations and provide pre- and post-test counselling to patients. They lead patient care teams and communicate with patients and families in complex situations. During this period of training trainees complete a monthly continuity clinic and home call in paediatric and adult clinical and metabolic genetics.  

We offer a rich number of outpatient experiences in clinical genetics at Sickkids, UHN, and community sites; this includes general genetics clinics as well as specialty clinics such as neurogenetics, neurodevelopmental, cardiogenetics, bone health clinic, EDS clinic, genodermatosis, Huntington disease, Tuberous Sclerosis, Neurofibromatosis, overgrowth, multidisciplinary urogenital clinic (MUG), 22q11.2 deletion clinic, and involvement in other specialty clinics such as cleft lip and palate and hearing loss. There is a rich array of experiences in metabolic genetics; with both general clinics at Sickkids and UHN and subspecialty clinics in PKU, Gaucher disease, Fabry disease, and neurometabolics.  

4 blocks of Clinical Genetics Inpatient – at SickKids 

4 blocks of Pediatrics Clinical Genetics Outpatient – at SickKids 

1 block of Adult Genetics Clinical Genetics Outpatient – at UHN 

3 blocks of Cancer Genetics – at UHN/SickKids/NYGH

1 block of Clinical Genetics Outpatient – at NYGH 

1 block of Community Genetics – at NYGH/Credit Valley or other site approved by PD 

3 blocks of Prenatal Genetics – at Mount Sinai Hospital 

1 block of mixed Metabolics - Paired rotation with senior trainees during PGY 2 year to prep trainees for transition to call coverage in PGY 3 year

2 blocks of Metabolic Inpatient – at SickKids 

2 blocks of Metabolic Outpatient – at SickKids 

5 blocks of Laboratory Rotations – rotations in Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics and Biochemical Genetics Laboratories at SickKids 

1 block of Genetic Counselling – at SickKids 

1 block of Newborn Screening – at SickKids 

2 blocks of Research – at UHN or SickKids 

3 blocks of Electives or Research – as approved by PD and/or research committee and/or competence committee 

Transition to Practice: As outlined by the Royal College training requirements, the focus of this stage is the development and demonstration of independence in patient care. By the end of this stage, residents independently manage an inpatient service and outpatient practice for patients with any known or suspected genetic condition. This stage also focuses on implementing a plan for lifelong learning and continuing professional development. During this period of training trainees complete a monthly continuity clinic and senior call in paediatric, adult genetics and metabolics.  

2 blocks Team Leader TTP – these rotations are completed in inpatient and outpatient genetic services in both adult and paediatric settings. Trainees are treated as junior staff; where they are expected to manage clinical activities and results, coordinate with their clinical team, and appropriately supervise junior trainees on service. These blocks are held at SickKids and UHN. 

5 blocks of Research/Electives – as approved by PD  

Research 

The University of Toronto offers a rich environment for scientific inquiry. There are many active investigators in basic and clinical sciences, and we encourage the involvement of residents in research projects in which they can experience the design, conduct and evaluation of investigations into relevant problems. 

An annual presentation to the residents is scheduled as part of orientation by the program’s faculty research coordinators. Before the start of the PGY3 year, residents will meet with one of the coordinators to explore opportunities for research projects and set up specific goals and objectives. 

We also offer excellent opportunities for residents to pursue graduate degrees, not only in the basic and clinical sciences (MSc and PhD) but also in clinical epidemiology and medical education. A program in health administration is also available. Residents committing to at least a two-year experience in a Masters or PhD program can satisfy the requirement of the Royal College Clinician Investigator Program (CIP). Funding may be available through the department if extra time is required to complete a degree program. 

 

Educational Activities 

Five hours of strictly protected time per week make up the academic half day. This curriculum provides a wide variety of learning opportunities addressing all the CanMeds roles. The Half Day activities include but are not inclusive to: case conference, walk rounds, journal club and lectures on Current Topics in Medical Genetics as well as special rounds where a patient with a diagnosed genetic condition is invited on site a few times a year. This 3-year theme-based curriculum covers the fundamentals of genetics and the CanMeds competencies as they apply to genetics. The objective of this course is to bridge the gap between well-accepted knowledge (available in textbooks), important updates and new developments derived from the current medical literature. It emphasizes the areas that are important for maintaining a high standard of clinical practice in medical genetics. The genetics division also hosts the Masters in Genetic Counselling program, where there are several collaborative education activities and where trainees are invited to audit the courses that are available.  

 

Seminars and Courses 
 
In keeping with the requirements of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, the resident will complete a customized course for medical genetics trainees in molecular and cytogenetics offered at Sickkids every 2 years. This course is currently protected for 13 weeks outside of the academic half-day curriculum.  Further, there is a 3-day research course protected for trainees once during their training, with basics of research methodology and targeted seminars provided to the genetics trainees. Lastly, trainees are protected to attend a course in Quality Improvement run through the Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQUIPS) at U of T during their senior years, where they collaborate on a group project and present at the Annual QI day held in the spring. 

The residents are also encouraged to attend and present to at least one national or international conferences. Residents are eligible for up to $1500.00 of funding per academic year for conference. Other educational opportunities include clinical case conferences, journal club, and research seminars and rounds which amounts to approximately five hours per week. 

In addition, Objective Standardized Clinical Encounters (OSCE) and practice written examinations are held twice a year. OSCE's are multi-station exams designed to be similar to the Royal College examination format. Residents also participate in Telehealth for Genetic Residents and Fellows (TeleGRAF) sessions; across Canada monthly teaching seminar series delivered via videoconference. 

 

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Training Sites

The vast majority of the five year Medical Genetics residency is spent at the Hospital for Sick Children, except for rotations in Internal Medicine and other Adult clinics (including Endocrinology, Neurology, Genetics, Cancer and Prenatal Diagnosis) which are done at the University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital), Mount Sinai Hospital, and St. Michaels Hospital. Rotations in Perinatology and High Risk Obstetrics are completed at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Most of the hospitals are located within 4 blocks of the SickKids. There is also opportunity for electives which can be done at other University of Toronto institutions as well as hospitals abroad, which may include attending genetics clinic part of the Northern Regional Genetics Program, which is funded yearly for a senior trainee. Our Medical Genetics residents are also encouraged to attend genetics conferences and workshops.

For additional information regarding the University of Toronto’s fully affiliated and community affiliated training sites, please visit: https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/vice-provost-relations-health-care-institutions

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Additional Information

1. Permanent Residents: Successful applicants who hold Permanent Resident status in Canada will be required to disclose their Country of Citizenship to the postgraduate medical education office in order to comply with current reporting requirements of the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities
2. Matched applicants: CaRMS will provide their electronic data file to the matched university’s postgraduate education office. The postgraduate office will share the information as needed, but not limited to, the Ontario Physician Human Resource Data Centre, Canadian Post-MD Education Registry, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario, teaching hospitals and other training sites, Touchstone Institute and the Ontario Ministry of Health.
3. Changes: The Ontario Faculties of Medicine and Ontario Ministry of Health reserve the right to make changes to the information published on the CaRMS website pertaining to Ontario postgraduate training without prior notice.
4. Failure to meet or provide proof of any of the stated requirements may result in applicant file being removed at any point during the match.

As of September 2025, there are 14 residents in the Royal College Program and 8 fellows in the Canadian College of Medical Geneticist Clinical Fellowship programs. Our Division also houses some additional specialized Genetic Fellowships and a Master's Program in Genetic Counselling.

The library facilities at the University of Toronto and SickKids as well as the Division has an excellent library which includes over a hundred books and journals, access to OSSUM/POSSUM and OMIM, the London Dysmorphology Database. Medical Genetics residents also have designated office space with computer access and telemedicine capabilities.

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FAQ

For any program related questions please feel free to email our coordinator, Brittany Marshman.