The Ontario Training Centre in Health Services and Policy Research (OTC) admitted three Bloomberg PhD students to U of T’s collaborative graduate program. Students will work in close collaboration with their Faculty mentor to meet all required competencies and successfully complete the program.
Congratulations to Kate Leslie, who will be supervised by Dean Sioban Nelson; Stacey Johnson, who will be supervised by Linda McGillis Hall; and Heather Thomson, who will be supervised by Ann Tourangeau.
The program is open to students enrolled in a designated research-focused graduate degree program at the master’s or PhD levels in one of six OTC partner universities. The program has three specific objectives:
- To provide training in health services research for graduate students.
- To enhance the quality and breadth of trans-disciplinary training in health services research.
- To include decision makers as active partners in teaching, program and curriculum planning, and the provision of field placements for students.
The OTC program is a competency-based one that offers research training, conceptual learning and skills development opportunities to round out the graduate education experiences of students interested in careers as health services and policy researchers. Each student is mentored by an OTC faculty member who assists the student in developing a learning plan that focuses on the set of competencies considered essential for the profession:
- Understanding the Canadian health care system.
- Ability to carry out health services research.
- Understanding theories regarding how the health of populations is produced.
- Understanding theories of health and health services knowledge production.
- Knowledge exchange and development of research partnerships.
In addition, OTC program students attend a summer institute – a one week learning event held at one of the six universities. These institutes bring students together from all participating universities to meet and discuss important issues in health services research with distinguished faculty and policy makers.