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Programs, Resources & Organizations

Please find a non-exhaustive list of materials that may assist in education around equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility (EDIIA). Please email medicine.oid@utoronto.ca for any feedback or suggested resources for inclusion. 

CFD Resource Hub

The Centre for Faculty Development (CFD) hub contains materials related to advocacy, scholarship, leadership and teaching. Many of these resources are helpful in equity-informed practice.
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Programs

EDI Calendar – The Division of People Strategy, Equity & Culture

Mentorship

  • Diversity Mentorship Program
    The program connects medical students and first year residents from equity seeking groups to faculty physician mentors who are able to support and assist them in their educational and professional growth and development.

  • Rehabilitation Sciences Sector Diversity Mentorship Program
    The program connects medical students and first year residents from equity seeking groups to faculty physician mentors who are able to support and assist them in their educational and professional growth and development.

  • Summer Mentorship Program
    SMP gives high school students of Indigenous or African ancestry a chance to explore health sciences.

  • Med Youth Summer Program
    Med YSP offers high school students an exclusive glimpse into the world of medicine and medical research.

  • Zka'an Ni-Bmiwdoowin Gchi-Kinoomaadwinan "Building the Fire, Walking with Medicine"
    This two-week program aims to engage and expose Indigenous youth (grades 9 & 10) to healthcare career opportunities at younger ages to change the future of Indigenous healthcare representation, approaches, and leadership.

Resources

Temerty Medicine Useful Resources and Quick Links: Learner Experience & Learning Environments

Temerty Medicine resources and reports

Equity in healthcare and medical education

Search committees, recruitment and selection

Please be sure to check out the resources on unconscious bias below to additionally support your search committees, recruitment and selection.

U of T resources and reports

Equity offices overview

There are many offices across Temerty Medicine and U of T that are committed to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion for learners, staff and faculty members..
An illustration of a diverse group of learners

Faith-based Resources

Multi-Faith/Interfaith

Campus-based Resources

  • Campus Chaplain's Association – In partnership with the Multi-Faith centre, the association helps students, faculty and staff learn, grow and explore spirituality. They offer support at critical moments to facilitate rites of passage, weddings, funerals, memorial services. 
  • Directory of Chaplains – The directory connects students and chaplains from a wide range of faiths such as: Jain, Hindu, Humanist, Pagan, Sikh, and many more. Chaplains are available year round and are a direct resource to reach out to. 
  •  Multi-Faith Centre for Spiritual Study and Practice – The centre fosters community, inclusive space, learning, and growth through diverse personal, cultural, and spiritual perspectives and practices.
  • Prayer Spaces on Campus In addition to the Multi-Faith Centre, the University of Toronto St. George campus offers multi-purpose spaces for individual and collective prayer and spiritual practices.
  • Significant Religious and Cultural Days – A list of significant religious, spiritual and cultural days around the world every year.

External Resources

  • Faith-Based Resources in Toronto – Looking for Faith-based services and resources? HelpSeeker is a free network offering over 196 Faith-based resources and services in Toronto. HelpSeeker makes it quick and easy to find the help you need. It’s free, anonymous, and accessible in 23 languages.

Initiatives, Groups & Events

  • Interfaith Leadership Certificate ­– This workshop series is focused on gaining tools to build religious and cultural fluency to better understand and work with diverse faith communities in contexts like the workplace, learning spaces and daily interactions.
  • Interfaith Meditation Series – Monthly workshops are dedicated to meditation practices from a wide variety of contemplative traditions.
  • Faculty and Staff: Religious Diversity Training – The workshops are an introduction to religious literacy and its role in higher education. Participants will: explore current literature and practices, reflect on their own professional practices and review case studies and explore what it means to be an inclusive educator/administrator in relation to religious diversity and intersectional student identities.
  • Religious Accommodation Support – Students who observe religious Holy Days that might conflict with academic activities like classes, tests and so on can seek accomodation. Students have a responsibility to alert members of the teaching staff in a timely fashion about upcoming religious observances and anticipated absences.
  • Spiritual and Faith-Based Groups – The student organization portal has a directory of groups across the three campuses.

Buddhist

Campus-based Resources

  • SGI-UofT Buddhist Group – This group is for anyone interested in learning more about the philosophy and history of Buddhism. Meetings are structured in such away to allow and encourage discussion of philosophy and spirituality in a relaxed environment and focus on how to apply Buddhism in daily life.
  • U of T Buddhist Contemplative Care Sangha – integrate the academic learning that takes place in the classroom into our meditation practice, as well as in the day-to-day services we provide in our professional roles in contemplative care.

Catholic

Campus-based Resources

Newman Centre – A University parish and chaplaincy providing a supportive home on campus, where students can integrate faith and intellect, and grow in community and holiness.

Chinese Catholic Community (UTCCC) – Chinese Catholic students in the Greater Toronto Area who strive to live out our faith together amidst our busy university lives.

Christian

Campus Groups

Christian Students @ U of T– The group comes together to know and experience the Lord, to study His Word, and to encourage one another in the Christian walk.

Orthodox Christian Fellowship– strives to provide students with an active community of fellow Orthodox Christians, offering the chance to explore, express their faith, as well as inquire.

Jewish

Campus-based Resources

  • Hillel U of T – Hillel U of T helps Jewish students find a home away from home on campus. They strive to reflect the diversity of U of T’s vibrant Jewish campus community, representing all majors, denominations, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender expressions, and backgrounds. Contact - amit.rozenblum@hillelontario.org for more information.
  • Jewish Student Alliance at the University of Toronto– A safe space for U of T students who identify as Jewish or Jewish allies. JSAUT speaks out against acts, speeches, or movements which incite antisemitism, discrimination, or racism of any form.

External Resources

  • No Silence on Race - A non-profit organization dedicated to creating Jewish spaces for multi-ethnic Jews across Canada through art, culture and community engagement. 
  • Ontario Jewish Archives - A department of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, acquires, preserves, and makes available documentary sources related to Ontario's Jewish community.
  • Periphery exhibit and documentary (multimedia) An evocative mixed media experience that bears witness to ethnic diversity in the Jewish community. 
  • City of Toronto - Confronting Antisemitism (webpage) This Toronto for All campaign brings attention to antisemitism in Toronto and calls on Torontonians to take action to confront it and eliminate it.

Initiatives & Events

Hindu

Campus Groups 

Hindu Student Council- A forum where Hindus, on and off campus, can celebrate being Hindu and Hinduism through a variety of religious and cultural events.

Initiatives & Events

Vaikuntha Conference - (Dec 2022) A two-day conference that considers the concept of a Hindu heaven—Vaikuṇṭha—through the lens of texts, performance and the visual arts of the Śrīvaisṇava community.

U of T Celebrates Diwali - The five-day “festival of lights” observed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists as well as across multiple South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

Muslim

Campus-based Resources

U of T Jumu'ah Prayers Locations – There are 3 Jumu'ah prayers offered on campus. Two are offered in Hart House back to back at the same location, while one is offered in the Multifaith Centre.

Food court and vending information – This document contains information at some TAHSN hospital sites to help learners looking to start or break their fast during Ramadan. 

The Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto – Muslim youth are provided an inclusive space where they can foster a meaningful Muslim identity, enriched and supported by quality educational and counseling services.

Muslim Medical Association of Canada – The U of T Chapter is a community for all Muslim medical learners at Temerty. 

Muslim Students’ Association – The aim and purpose of MSA is to cater to the needs of Muslim students while striving to be a vibrant, integrated and contributing body within the campus community.

External Resources

  • Muslim Medical Association of Canada– A platform for Canadian Muslim Physicians to contribute to the betterment of their communities, society, and humanity. 
  • Masjid Omar Bin Khatab– A list of weekly class (halaqa) offerings for interested in learning about the different teachings of their faith and Quranic recitations. 
  • Sisters Circle TO– An initiative to unite, empower and create a community for Black-identifying Muslim sisters. Different events ranging from book clubs, paint nights to discussions on Islam are widely offered. 
  • Muslim Link– A directory of events primarily for Muslims within the GTA. 
  • MMAC Mentorship– Links to medical school admissions guides, residency guides, IMG support, networking opportunities and various workshops to aid those interested in becoming the best candidates no matter where they are in their medical career journey. The MMAC also offers personal mentorship and advocacy on behalf of Muslim medical students, trainees and staff. 
  • MMAC Advocacy– Support for Muslim medical learners who are seeking an advocate to address various issues of discrimination, racism or any faith-based academic related conflicts. 
  • Naseeha– We provide a safe zone for youths and individuals to talk and get the help they need. We provide workshops to youth across North America, web therapy sessions, and offer texting mental health support 7 days a week. 
  • Canadian Council of Muslim Women– An organization dedicated to the empowerment, equality and equity of all Muslim women in Canada.

Initiatives & Events

Dr. Javeed Sukhera on Healing from Islamophobia –  Dr. Sukhera's talk acknowledged the 1-year anniversary of the June 6, 2021 London attack, and shared reflections on Islamophobia & the importance of moving from hatred towards healing. [Video Unavailable; Contact OID for more information]

Let's Talk About Islamophobia in Medicine: An Open Forum – ­earners, staff members, faculty members at the Faculty of Medicine, and members of the University of Toronto community gathered for an open forum to have a conversation about the issue of Islamophobia in Medicine, and how to work together to create a more inclusive, respectful, and accepting community for all. [Video Unavailable; Contact OID for more information]

Muslim Mental Health Conference - The Muslim Medical Association of Canada’s annual Muslim Mental Health conference discusses the confluence of Islamic faith and Mental health in a full day of workshops, teachings and activities delivered by Muslim chaplains, Muslim identifying experts in the field of Mental Health and various allied healthcare workers. 

Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference– International scholars and presenters in Islam deliver powerful talks to ignite hope, empowerment and unity amongst Muslims. It is attended by thousands on an annual basis and includes a vibrant Bazaar and halal food options at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. 

ISNA Canada– ISNA offers a wide variety of sports for Muslim brothers and sisters to get involved in within the GTA. Most of which are free! 

MuslimFest– An annual celebration taking place in Mississauga square - and Canada’s largest Muslim event. 

Black Muslim Initiative– A grassroots initiative organization dedicated to shedding light on the intersection of Black and Muslim initiatives. 

More Than One Experience: Encountering Islamophobia–No one experiences Islamophobia in the same way but its existence is undeniable. Islamophobia presents itself in innumerable ways as it intersects across ethnicity, sexuality, gender, race, etc. Deepening our learning about the various manifestations of Islamophobia is an important step to building our tools to address experiences in our environments.

Organizations