A reference for the names, systems and student-life details you will encounter at UofT Medicine. Start with the glossary, then return whenever an unfamiliar acronym appears.
Start with what you need
You do not need to learn this page from top to bottom. Choose a route now, then use the glossary or search when a new term comes up.
The MD program has two broad phases: Foundations in Years 1 and 2, followed by Clerkship in Years 3 and 4. This is an orientation, not a replacement for the official curriculum or academic calendar.
Years 1–2
Years 3–4
Your JOINid is the temporary credential used before your permanent UTORid is activated. Your TCard is the physical student card. Fall students can currently begin the official process on May 1. Start with UofT's UTORid and TCard guide ↗ because document requirements and office information can change.
Your JOINid is a temporary credential UofT issues so you can start completing onboarding tasks before your full UTORid is provisioned. You'll receive instructions to enable it after accepting your offer.
Once your JOINid is enabled, upload your TCard photo and identity documents through the UofT online portal. The TCard site has a documentation tool that tells you exactly what's required based on your status.
UofT reviews the submitted photo and documents, then sends the outcome by email. Processing time varies, so submit early and make sure the email listed in ACORN is current.
After approval, follow the activation email to set up your permanent UTORid and UofT email. Use the official instructions in that message rather than relying on screenshots from another student.
Once your UTORid is activated, follow the current UofT instructions to collect your physical TCard. Confirm the location, hours and required original identification before leaving home.
Bring with you:
Downtown Toronto · St. George
800 Bay Street, 5th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3A9
Mon–Fri: 9:00 am – 4:45 pm
416-946-8047 · tcard.office@utoronto.ca
Closed on all statutory holidays
Mississauga Campus (UTM)
Communication, Culture & Technology Atrium
Information & Instructional Technology Services Help Desk (Room 0160A)
3359 Mississauga Road North
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
905-569-4300 · tcard.utm@utoronto.ca
If you can't wait in line due to a disability, tell TCard staff when you arrive. Hours and details may change. Always check the official site before going.
UofT's official guide: current hours, addresses, photo specs, and submission portal. Always check this before going in person.
Use the categories to narrow the list, or search an abbreviation directly. Open any entry for the short definition first, with additional context available when you need it.
Year 1
ITM→CPC 1→CPC 2
Alongside: CBL, MAPS, ICE: Clinical Skills, ICE: HC, ICE: CAP and Portfolio
Year 2
CPC 3
Alongside: continuing ICE and Portfolio, plus FMLE and preparation for Clerkship
Years 3–4
Core rotations→Electives
Later vocabulary includes CaRMS, ERAS and the MCCQE
Foundations
Pre-Clerkship
The first two years of the MD program. Classroom and CBL before full-time hospital rotations.
Foundations integrates basic and clinical sciences with clinical reasoning. Lectures, CBLs, anatomy, simulation labs, ICE (Integrated Clinical Experience), and Portfolio. The four courses inside Foundations are ITM (Introduction to Medicine), CPC1, CPC2, and CPC3 (Concepts, Patients & Communities).
Clerkship
Years 3 and 4
Full-time clinical rotations across core specialties.
The sequence includes core rotations, selectives and electives. Rotation structure and requirements belong in the current MD Academic Calendar and clerkship materials rather than a student summary.
CBL
Case-Based Learning
Small-group sessions structured around clinical cases.
CBL structure, group size, preparation and attendance expectations can vary by course and cohort. Use the current instructions in Elentra rather than an earlier cohort's routine.
ICE
Integrated Clinical Experience
The longitudinal clinical thread woven through all of Foundations.
ICE includes several streams that run alongside the course curriculum: Clinical Skills, Health in Community, Career Advising & Preparation, and in Year 2 the Family Medicine Longitudinal Experience. In the 2025–26 schedule, Year 1 ICE: Clinical Skills generally occupied Friday morning and Year 2 generally used Thursday morning. Always follow your current MedSIS timetable.
ICE: Clinical Skills
Clinical Skills stream
A recurring morning focused on history-taking, physical examination and clinical encounters.
Sessions may involve simulated or real patients and are organized through your academy. Expectations and locations vary by session, so check the current course material and MedSIS timetable. The clinical skills resource hub is at thehub.utoronto.ca/clinicalskills.
ICE: HC
Health in Community
Two-year community-engaged learning thread inside ICE.
Combines preparation, facilitated learning and experiences with community organizations. The placements are called Community Engaged Experiences (CEEs). Requirements should be taken from the current ICE: HC manual and your assigned course materials.
ICE: CAP
Career Advising and Preparation
Longitudinal mentorship + career advising thread.
Introduces career exploration, specialty information and practical planning. It also provides the program context for arranging and documenting approved shadowing experiences. Follow current ICE: CAP and MedSIS instructions because processes can change.
Portfolio
Reflective Practice
Small-group reflective practice with an Academy Scholar. Not shadowing.
Portfolio includes scheduled small-group sessions, reflective work, self-assessment and progress-review meetings. Dates and submission requirements vary by year. Use the current Portfolio handbook and the submission platform identified by the Faculty.
ICE: FMLE
Family Medicine Longitudinal Experience
Year 2 longitudinal placement in a family medicine practice.
Begins in second year. Pairs you with a family physician you visit periodically across the year, building continuity with a community-based practice. Different from EEE shadowing (which is shorter and self-initiated) and from ICE: HC placements (which are community-organization-based, not physician-based).
CEE
Community Engaged Experience
The actual placement visits inside ICE: HC.
The current ICE: HC manual describes the required CEE types, preparation, documentation and geographic rules. Because these requirements can change between cohorts, this guide explains the term but does not reproduce the checklist.
EEE
Enriching Educational Experiences
Self-initiated shadowing. Short observerships you arrange yourself.
An EEE is an approved opportunity to observe a physician or clinical setting. Students receive an orientation before participating. Registration, site approval and completion requirements must be confirmed in the current ICE: CAP materials before arranging an experience.
OSCE
Objective Structured Clinical Examination
Practical exam where you rotate through stations performing clinical tasks.
OSCE formats, station lengths and timing vary. Use the Faculty's assessment instructions for your year. Practising histories, examinations and communication with classmates can help you prepare.
Academy
Clinical Home Base
Your home base for clinical learning. For 3T0, U of T MD has four academies across St. George and Mississauga.
For the 3T0 entering class, the four academies are FitzGerald, Peters-Boyd, Wightman-Berris and the Mississauga Academy of Medicine. Scarborough Academy of Medicine opens for the following entering cycle, 3T1. Your academy helps organize clinical learning, Portfolio and community.
CaRMS
Canadian Resident Matching Service
The organization that administers residency matches in Canada.
CaRMS is most relevant later in medical school. Follow current Faculty advising and the official CaRMS guidance for application and match requirements.
Elentra
Curriculum System
The MD Program's curriculum management system.
Course pages, learning events and shared materials are commonly housed here. Your actual timetable is in MedSIS. The tools section below gives a clearer system-by-system breakdown.
ISAL
Integrated Summary and Application Lecture
A selective overview of important concepts identified by week leads and lecturers for the upcoming ME.
An ISAL is not a complete list of testable content. The format may be teaching, cases, questions or a mixture of these. Check the learning event for the session's specific expectations.
ERAS
Electronic Residency Application Service
The AAMC application service used by applicants to participating U.S. residency programs.
ERAS is an application system, not a matching service. Students considering U.S. residency should seek current advising early and verify requirements through the AAMC ERAS page and the relevant match organization.
MD+
Additional educational opportunities
The Faculty's collection of combined degrees, graduate credentials and other educational opportunities available alongside or integrated with the MD.
Programs differ in topic, workload, eligibility and deadline. Some recruit early in first year. See the Academics page's opportunity guide, then confirm details through the official MD Plus overview.
MCCQE
Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination
A national examination assessing knowledge and clinical decision-making at the level expected of a student completing a Canadian medical degree.
Eligible students can apply up to 15 months before their expected graduation date, with the eligibility window beginning 12 months before expected graduation. Use the MCC eligibility page for current rules, sessions and application instructions.
Your academy assignment is provided by the MD Program and anchors much of your clinical learning. Student-reported for 3T0: the incoming cohort was described as approximately 306 students across the four academies. Cohort and academy sizes vary by year.
Downtown core. Compact footprint. Both teaching hospitals are walking distance from each other and from MSB.
Primary hospitals
Student-reported: recent FitzGerald students describe many CBL and ICE sessions at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, with some groups at St. Joseph’s. Confirm every assigned location in MedSIS.
North Toronto, anchored at Sunnybrook. From MSB, the listed transit time is a conservative student planning estimate and varies by site, route and time of day.
Primary hospitals
The biggest hospital network of the four. UHN-anchored, with sites stretching from downtown to the east and west ends.
Primary hospitals (Y1–Y2)
Additional sites (Y3+)
Student-reported: Wightman-Berris students have used a dedicated lounge at Toronto General. Access and location should be confirmed with the academy.
Located at the UTM campus. Housing and commuting decisions differ substantially depending on whether a student chooses Mississauga, Toronto or another GTA location.
Primary hospitals
Academy & Campus Transfers
Your academy assignment is intended to remain your clinical home base. If significant circumstances affect your ability to continue in that assignment, contact the Office of Learner Affairs to ask about the current process and available support. Requests are considered individually; this guide cannot predict an outcome.
If you've been placed at the Mississauga Academy, your daily geography is different. This is the practical stuff: buildings, parking, and how to get downtown when you need to.
UTM is a big campus. For MAM students, the practical map is small: three buildings within a two-minute walk of each other, plus the hospitals.
Your home building. The big lecture room on the first floor is where your class meets; small-group rooms on the second floor are reserved for MD and OT students. The cadaver lab is on the fourth floor.
The second-floor lounge
Insider: The ping pong table was crowdfunded by the 2T9 MAMers. Recent addition. Late-night study sessions here are a thing.
The hub of UTM. Food court, coffee, and the gym you'll have access to (also where intramurals happen). When you need to leave TDHSC for a minute, you come here.
Houses the UTM Library (a nice change of scenery from TDHSC), plus a few food options and coffee. Prayer room on the second floor.
You won't have clinical skills sessions here, but you may shadow here. Some third-year clerkship rotations for MAM also take place at Queensway.
A few logistics that catch every new MAM cohort off guard.
Parking
Parking options, eligible lots, prices and permit dates can change each year. Watch for the MAM or UTM parking instructions sent to your cohort before purchasing a permit.
Check UTM's current student-permit page before buying. Parking at the hospitals works differently; follow the current hospital or academy instructions.
MiWay
Eligible MAM students paying the U-Pass fee receive a MiWay U-Pass. Eligibility is tied to current registration and the fee on your ACORN invoice. Confirm current routes in MiWay rather than relying on an older route number.
Inter-site shuttle
Student-reported from the recent MAMer's Guide: dedicated transportation was arranged between UTM, Mississauga Hospital and Credit Valley Hospital for Clinical Skills mornings. Confirm the current route, pickup time and whether personal transportation is needed through your MAM or Clinical Skills instructions.
You may need to travel downtown for O-Week and occasional events during the year. These are four commonly used options.
The UTM–St. George shuttle is often the simplest downtown option. Bring your TCard and check the official schedule before every trip because routes, stops and service hours can change by term.
Two things to know
Schedule: Always check utm.utoronto.ca/shuttle. Service changes between summer, term and exam periods.
Lakeshore West and Milton-line stations serve different parts of Mississauga. Compare the full door-to-door trip in a current transit planner, including the connection from Union Station to the Medical Sciences Building.
Before travelling
From downtown, travel west on Line 2 to Kipling, then connect to UTM using the current MiWay route or another ride. Check the full trip in a live transit planner because subway and bus service change by time and day.
A direct ride can be useful when transit service is limited. If travelling with classmates, coordinate the pickup point and confirm the fare before booking.
This student-compiled directory introduces councils, identity and faith communities, arts groups and specialty interest groups. Activities and contacts change with each student leadership team. Group representatives can submit or correct a description through Feedback.
Council · Per cohort
Your cohort's elected student representatives. Class Council advocates for year-specific needs with the Faculty, organizes community-building events, keeps students informed and helps connect the class with useful resources. The exact role mix changes as the class moves through the program. Full role breakdown below.
Council · School-wide
The overarching student government for U of T Medicine, connecting students across all years with the Faculty and administration. MedSoc funds student clubs and organizations, supports school-wide wellness initiatives and advocates for students at the Faculty and beyond. Class Presidents also sit on MedSoc so each cohort has a direct voice in school-wide discussions.
Faith
Prayer space coordination, Jummah on campus, Ramadan support and community events. See the prayer-space directory compiled by MMAC.
Faith
Fellowship, community, and faith integration for Christian medical students across denominations.
Faith
Community and cultural programming.
Cultural
Community, mentorship, and advocacy for Black medical students. Active across UofT and partners with peer organizations at other schools.
Cultural
Cultural community and mentorship.
Cultural
Cultural community spanning the South Asian diaspora.
Cultural · Annual Show
UofT Med's cultural fashion show. Student-run, celebrating the diversity of the cohort through fashion, performance, and storytelling.
Affinity
Community, advocacy, and mentorship for 2SLGBTQ+ students.
Arts · Annual Musical
UofT Med's annual musical production. Student-written, directed, and performed. Raises funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. Since its inception, Daffy has raised over $700,000 for cancer research and care.
Arts · Band
UofT Med's student band. Open to all instruments and skill levels.
Extracurricular
UofT Med's knitting and crochet club. A genuinely good way to decompress between blocks.
Class Council · Role Map
Roles are elected by the cohort and shift as the class moves through Foundations and into Clerkship. The first-year structure below follows the 2026 O-Week Class Council overview, with later-year additions noted separately.
Leadership
Internal Representatives
Academy Representatives
Academic Representatives · Year 1
Added in Year 2
Designated prayer rooms across the hospital network and on campus, compiled by MMAC. Anyone is welcome to use them. Share the locations forward when you find them.
Compiled by MMAC. If a room has moved or a code has changed, submit an update via Feedback.
Specialty-specific clubs run by upper-year students, with talks, panels, shadowing leads, and research connections.
Specialty interest groups offer talks, panels and other student-organized ways to explore fields before clerkship. Programming, activity level and available groups change each year.
Examples of groups that have been active in recent years
The list above reflects groups active in recent years, not a guaranteed current roster. Check class-wide announcements and the current MedSoc or student-group directory for this year's contacts.
Two organizations you'll hear about often: one for medical students, one for practicing physicians (with a student tier). Both come with practical perks beyond advocacy.
Ontario's provincial medical-student voice to the OMA. Students from each Ontario medical school elect representatives to its council.
The provincial association representing physicians, residents and medical students. Its medical-student membership page listed membership at $10 per year when checked in July 2026.
Academic, personal, accessibility and wellbeing support is available through the Faculty and University. You do not need to decide which office is perfect before reaching out; start with the official support pages below.
A practical first contact
The Office of Learner Affairs supports MD students with academic concerns, personal issues, wellbeing, accommodations and navigating available resources. Review its current privacy and service information directly, especially if you have questions about confidentiality or documentation.
Visit the OLA siteResource hub
The Faculty's curated directory of mental health and wellness resources for medical students: counselling services, urgent help, peer support, equity and identity-specific resources, and external partners. Bookmark this; the right resource depends on what you're navigating.
Browse the directoryAccommodations
The Faculty's official page explains how disability-related and religious accommodations are handled in the MD Program and where to begin. Start early when possible because documentation and implementation can take time.
Accommodation & AccessibilityThe confusing part is rarely logging in. It is knowing which system holds what. This is a practical orientation only; follow the platform named in the Faculty's current instructions when a task is due.
Curriculum hub
The MD Program's curriculum platform. Start here for course pages and learning-event material.
Student record
UofT's student information system, used across all faculties. Where you handle anything tied to your enrolment, fees, and official records. Most MD-specific academic content lives elsewhere; ACORN is for the bureaucracy.
Clinical / placements
The MD Program system where your actual timetable lives. Use it for session times and locations, plus the MD-specific tasks assigned to you there.
Portfolio
A submission system used for assigned MD Program work, including Portfolio submissions when directed. It is not your timetable.
Marks & progression
A learner-facing view used for assessment and progression information made available by the MD Program.
Quizzes & review
An assessment portal used when identified by the Faculty. Availability and review functions depend on the assessment.
Exam app
The secure application used for assessments when directed by the Faculty. Install and test the required version using the instructions sent for your cohort.
U of T central LMS
Quercus is U of T's central Canvas-based learning system. It is not the routine home for the core MD curriculum, which is organized through Elentra. Open Quercus when a Faculty or course organizer specifically directs you there.
Faculty index page
Start with the Faculty's official index. It is the best place to confirm current platform links as systems change.
Student Tools & eResources