The complete process, from submitting your application to starting your fellowship, can take 12-18 months.  

Firstly, applications are accepted during a six-month period. There are two application deadlines every year: January 31 and July 31. If you apply just after one of the deadline dates, your application will be considered for the next round of hiring.

When an application deadline passes, all submitted applications from the six-month open period are reviewed by a panel. Our program attracts excellent candidates and is very competitive. Thus, in order to maintain the required degree of thoroughness, our review process spans several weeks.

After review, only applicants who are selected for an interview will be contacted. If you have not received an interview invitation and are wondering if the review panel has closed, you may contact our program coordinator, Kasia.Briegmann-Samson@uhn.ca, to inquire and confirm.

Because our program is competitive, we typically interview dozens of candidates, each requiring an individual interview with members of our panel. This, again, extends our recruitment process by several weeks. Once interviews are completed, the panel confers to decide which candidates will receive offers.

If you are extended an offer, congratulations! You are extended this opportunity in recognition of your outstanding personal, professional, and academic achievements. You will be asked to sign our offer letter and return it with the required documents to start your registration process. Registration, work permits and visas are facilitated through University of Toronto’s PGME and must be approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a process that takes up to six months. Thus, we set aside six months prior to your start date for this. At the same time, you will need to make travel and moving arrangements. To ensure the immigration process goes as smoothly as possible, please ensure you have a valid passport and copies of all the required documents when you accept your offer.

Once all approvals are in place and your registration is complete, you’ll be ready to start your year-long fellowship! To read more about registration, work permits, and approvals required to work in Canada, please see the Fellowship Resources tab on this site.

We review applications twice a year, once for each semi-annual recruitment cycle. Applications are accepted during a six-month period until one of the semi-annual deadlines is reached: on January 31 and July 31. If you apply just after one of the deadline dates, your application will be considered for the next round of hiring.

When an application deadline passes, all submitted applications from the preceding six-month period are reviewed by a panel. Our program attracts excellent candidates and is very competitive. Thus, in order to maintain the required degree of thoroughness, our review process takes several weeks.

Our two annual recruitment cycles for fellowships starting in July and January of each year correspond to the start of academic blocks 1 and 8 of University of Toronto’s, Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Academic Calendar.

In April and October, we will start inviting applicants to interview for the following January and July, respectively. Interviews are with a panel and take place via Zoom. Only applicants who are selected for an interview will be contacted. If you have not received an interview invitation and are wondering if the review panel has closed, you may contact our program coordinator, Kasia.Briegmann-Samson@uhn.ca, to inquire and confirm.

Because our program is very competitive, we typically interview dozens of candidates, each requiring an individual interview with members of our panel. This, again, extends our recruitment process by several weeks. Once interviews are completed, the panel confers to decide which candidates will receive offers.

Your application must be complete and include all the listed requirements to be considered for an interview. Past successful candidates held specialty certificates in areas such as Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, or other, had three, strong, up-to-date reference letters, and clearly explained their motivation for wanting to work within the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program at UHN/MSH in their personal statement. You may apply without a recent English language proficiency test score as there are many exemptions. We also recognize that a test score is not as important as the ability to apply communication skills in real-life, and often, high pressure situations. Past successful candidates demonstrated their proficiency in English communication in their interviews as well as by passing the mandatory Pre-Entry Assessment Program. However, PGME may request proof of language proficiency in order to proceed with your appointment, and you should be prepared to provide one on request.

We have fellowship alumni from across the globe, coming to us from both resource-rich and resource-scarce health care systems. We celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion and strive to uphold UHN’s values of care, discovery and learning.

If unsuccessful, you are invited to reapply for the next cycle.

Visas and work permits for foreign nationals wanting to undertake a fellowship in Canada take up to six months to approve through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). At the same time, work permit applications can not be submitted more than six months before starting work. As a result, we set aside a full six months prior to the start of a fellowship for individuals who have received offers from us to acquire their immigration approvals and work permits. The work permit approval process is facilitated through the University of Toronto’s Post Graduate Medical Education office (PGME).

No. Our program fills sub-specialty fellowship positions with fellows who have experience in critical care specifically at UHN/MSH, as the cases and environment here and the challenges they pose are specific and unique. Sub-specialty fellowships are extremely competitive and not open to general recruitment through our website. This applies to fellowships in ECMO/ECLS.

No. All of our fellowship offers are for a period of one year. Those interested in extending their fellowship for a longer period of time should let the education lead know their intention to apply for reappointment within the first six months, with a clear plan, identified supervisor, and two references. Their application will be reviewed at the same time of selection for first year fellows.

The critical care fellowship is not a pathway towards certification and licensure as a Canadian physician. Our program does not provide guidance around application for permanent residency or immigration. Please visit or contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) directly for information regarding the immigration process: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/immigration-citizenship.html

Your Curriculum Vitae should be 2-4 pages, must be in English, and should contain the following information: 

• • Date of birth 

• • Education and qualifications 

• • Professional history

• • Clinical experience, and specifically Critical Care Medicine experience

• • Research experience and publications
  • Teaching experience

You will be required to provide a copy of your medical degree along with a valid English or French translation.

You will be required to provide a copy of the original of your specialty certificate along with a valid English or French translation, if applicable.

For clinical fellows from the UK, recognition as a specialist means having the appropriate UK qualification (i.e. MRCP, FRCS, FRCA, FRCR or MRCOG) and having subsequently completed all or most of the higher training of the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training.

For clinical fellows from Australia, recognition as a specialist for the purpose of the requirement means having passed the fellowship examinations of the appropriate Australian specialist college (e.g. Royal Australasian College of Physicians) and having completed all but the “Provisional Fellowship Year” of the advanced training for admission to Australian Fellowship.

Your personal statement/letter of intent must be in English and contain the following:

• • The reason why you are applying for the fellowship
  • Personal interests
  • Career goals

Your reference letters must be written in English and on letterhead from the appropriate institution. One of these letters must be from your current supervisor(s).

Unless English is your native language, you will be expected to provide proof of English proficiency. Please refer to the list of acceptable tests, required grades, and exemptions.

English-Language Proficiency Testing

A photo is optional. You may upload a professional headshot.