PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Enhance your skills as a researcher, clinician, health practitioner, decision maker and shape your potential to lead and drive change to impact human health.
The Program
The Translational Research Program (TRP), is a graduate degree program developed at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, that has created a framework and curriculum to train highly skilled personnel who are able to generate new ideas; apply creative problem-solving; and navigate complexities and ambiguities associated with the translation of knowledge into patient-centric innovations that improve medicine, health and care.
[Picture Credit: Jean Chow]
The Mission
Our mission is to challenge people to think differently, so they will be inspired to lead and drive change in their communities.
Become a professional health translator by learning to apply scientific knowledge to improve medicine, health, and care.
Approach
WORK IN INTER-PROFESSIONAL TEAMS. SOLVE REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. Our course-based program is designed for students from diverse backgrounds who are strongly motivated to advance human-centric problem-solving in medical and health science contexts.
The TRP combines customizable coursework, team-based, real-world translational challenges, and extensive mentorship & networking. We facilitate learning through guidance, mentorship, feedback and support rather than didactic lecturing and summative evaluation.
Students gain experience, expertise, and practical insights into translational processes, regulatory frameworks, professional networks, and innovation strategies. We are a competency-focused program that helps facilitate self-directed collaborative and peer learning for students driven to advance their personal and professional goals.
Structure
Our curriculum is a combination of in-class seminars, workshops, and projects that provides direction for broader student initiatives as part of their own self-directed learning in the community. Classes are designed as a rallying point for discussions, peer learning and facilitation as students network and engage in real-world problems through their co-curricular activities and professional activities.
Core Competencies
Working and networking directly with researchers, experts, industry and government stakeholders, you will develop core (life) skills that will help you throughout your career, including:
- Adaptable
- Creative Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Effective Communication
- Initiative
- Leadership
- Learn Continuously
- Manage & Resolve Conflict
- Manage Risk
- Integrity
- Relationship Management
- Team Collaboration
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of each year students should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
- Question assumptions
- Expand your perspectives & accept new ideas
- Identify & address stakeholder needs
- Analyze specific problem & apply knowledge
- Recognize opportunities
- Set realistic goals and priorities
- Collaborate productively with others
- Communicate clearly and persuasively
- Learn from failure & apply iterative thinking
- Try new approaches and methods
- Apply the Translational Thinking framework
- Focus on unmet medical needs
- Establish & maintain networks & partnerships
- Lead effectively
- Foster open-mindedness
- Promote trust, teamwork, and collaboration
- Negotiate effectively to resolve conflicts
- Navigate uncertainty
- Problem-solve creatively
- Show broad range of skills and knowledge
- Encourage & experiment with new ideas
- Identify and manage risk
- Learn from experiences to mitigate future risk
- Recognize & reward success
PROGRAM PATHWAY
The TRP is a two-year (five-term) course-based professional degree program that requires 8.0 full course equivalents (FCE). To complete the TRP in five terms, students are encouraged to follow the Typical Program Pathway.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | |||
| Term1 | Term2 | Term3 | Term 4 | Term5 |
| Foundations in TR | ||||
| Rhetoric of Science | ||||
| Practices & Contexts | ||||
| Projects in TR | ||||
| Capstone Project in TR | ||||
| Modules in TR | ||||
| Elective | Elective | |||
CLASS TIMETABLE
The program is designed to be modular to accommodate working professionals.
- Terms 1 – 2: Core courses on Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Terms 3 – 5: Majority of required activities will be on Tuesday and Thursdays
Please note: modules may be offered outside of the core teaching times.