Sharing our knowledge
The Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health trains fellows in neonatal-perinatal medicine and is built upon a collaborative partnership between four Neonatal Intensive Care Units – The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Mount Sinai Hospital (MSH), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC) and St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH). Read more about our accredited training program and our advanced training program below.
Royal College Accredited Neonatal-Perinatal Training Program
This integrated training program was founded in 1999 and provides excellent clinical and research training for Clinical and Academic Neonatologists. This program is one of the largest training programs in North America and we are proud to attract trainees from around the world. Trainees work in an inter-professional team environment to deliver excellence in clinical care, education, research, and quality improvement.
Core Neonatal Training
Core clinical training comprises two years of training with rotations in MSH, SHSC and SickKids. Faculty includes thirty-four full-time hospital-based neonatologists, as well as basic scientists and specialists from paediatric, surgical and obstetrical disciplines. In keeping with Royal College objectives of training, two years of training is provided with graduated experience in neonatal intensive care, delivery room resuscitation and stabilization, management of infants with surgical and cardiac problems, neonatal transport and neonatal follow-up. Formal electives are also offered at St. Michael’s Hospital, a downtown level II NICU. One month during the two year training may also be taken in an approved off-site elective. Six months of the fellowship training is dedicated to completing a scholarly activity and/or research. Numerous opportunities for research exist within the Division including basic science, clinical, quality improvement and educational research. In addition, opportunities exist to collaborate with other divisions and departments at the University of Toronto. The program is approved for subspecialty training by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and by the American Board of Paediatrics.
Mount Sinai Hospital has over 7500 deliveries per year with over 1100 NICU admissions per year of which over 70 are < 26 weeks. The NICU is a 62 bed unit and trainees have the opportunity to work with a team of paediatric residents, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, dieticians and pharmacists. Mount Sinai Hospital has Canada’s largest fetal therapy program and trainees gain extensive experience in antenatal counselling and perinatal care of infants born with congenital anomalies or requiring in-utero fetal procedures. Mount Sinai Hospital Neonatal Developmental Follow-Up Clinic enrolls approximately 300 infants per year who have been admitted to the NICU, had in-utero fetal therapy or congenital diaphragmatic repair or are participating in research studies.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre has over 4000 deliveries and over 700 NICU admissions per year. The NICU is a 42 bed unit and trainees again have the opportunity to work with a highly skilled interprofessional team including nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, dieticians and pharmacists. SHSC NICU’s area of clinical focus is in the management of extremely low birth weight infants. The SHSC NICU provides care to over 70 infants < 26 weeks per year. The SHSC Follow-Up Clinic enrolls approximately 225 infants per year, and has a volume of over 2000 visits annually. The clinic follows children to six years of age with clinicians trained in both neonatal follow-up and developmental paediatrics.
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is a tertiary/quaternary referral center for newborns and provides care for infants with severe hypoxaemic respiratory failure; hypoxaemic-ischaemic encephalopathy, seizures, stroke; sepsis; and a variety of surgical conditions, many of which require urgent surgery, and congenital malformations. Approximately 800 infants are admitted to the NICU each year: almost 30% are preterm, 25% have a primary neurological problem and 40% have a surgical problem. SickKids has an outstanding multidisciplinary team including nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, dieticians and pharmacists. Fellows will provide supervision and teaching for residents and other physicians working within the NICU. The majority of infants admitted to SickKids are transported by the Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS) team comprised of nurses and respiratory therapists. ACTS also transports extremely immature infants to and between the other tertiary perinatal centers. ACTS provides an advice and consultation line also to support community physicians in providing resuscitation, stabilization, and where possible admission to their local NICU. The SickKids Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Clinic enrolls approximately 400 high risk patients from the NICU and the Cardiac Critical Care Unit. Children are followed to three years of age by an interdisciplinary team with expertise in neurodevelopmental assessment and therapy. There are combined clinics with Neurology to optimize coordination of care.
Within the program, options for electives are available at community hospitals.
North York General Hospital (NYGH) is a large regional paediatric centre in the Greater Toronto Area. It has a busy obstetrical service with close to 6000 deliveries per year. High risk pregnancies are supported by the Maternal Fetal Medicine physician and in-house Genetics team. The 24-bed Level 2C NICU has the ability to manage invasive and non-invasive ventilation and central lines. The interprofessional team consists of a neonatologist, neonatal nurses, dietician, occupational therapist, lactation consultant, pharmacist, respiratory therapist and social worker. Paediatric subspecialty support includes cardiology, respirology, neurology, endocrinology, infectious disease and hematology. The Neonatal service includes NICU coverage and attendance at high-risk deliveries. Opportunities are available for newborn coverage on the Mother Baby Unit and participation in Antenatal Consultation Clinic and Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-up Clinic. North York General Hospital is a large teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto which offers opportunities to supervise and teach junior trainees. Inpatient and outpatient paediatric medicine opportunities are also available upon request.
To inquire about an elective at NYGH contact Dr. Shaheen Doctor at shaheen.doctor@nygh.on.ca.
Opportunities exist for a third year of training for those seeking an academic career trajectory. This year comprises 10 Research/Elective months and two clinical months of which one is at the level of a Junior Staff. Fellows are invited to submit an application during their second year of training with position awarded based on merit of the application. Examples of potential scholarly pursuits include acceptance in Masters’/PhD Programs or clinical research projects with potential for significant impact.
Eligibility
- You must be a Paediatrician to be eligible for this program
- Canadian and International Trainees
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees who complete the 2 year program will receive a certificate of completion
- Only trainees who have attained Royal College certification in paediatrics are eligible to write the Royal College Certification Exam upon completion of training
Application Process
The next entrance for the University of Toronto Integrated Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program will be July 2021. The fellowship online application will open on January 1, 2020 and close on April 30, 2020.
Advanced Neonatal Training
Read more about our additional advanced fellowship opportunities:
SickKids Neonatal Neurology Fellowship
SickKids Transport Fellowship Program
Transport Fellows join a diverse team in this clinical fellowship, where they will provide medical coverage for SickKids’ Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS) team, which stabilizes and retrieves patients 0-18 years of age in a heavily-populated region within Ontario. The Hospital for Sick Children is a busy quaternary referral centre which serves a large population base and cares for the most complex neonatal and paediatric medical and surgical patients in the province. ACTS transports around 1400 patients annually (60% neonatal and 40% paediatric) by road (in dedicated ambulances), rotor, and fixed-wing aircraft, in addition to staffing telephone and video advice calls. Your training will include all aspects of transport medicine, including rotations in each of our hospital’s three intensive care units (neonatal, paediatric, and cardiac), and two months in research/electives. Transport Fellows provide phone and video guidance to the RN and RT clinicians on the ACTS team, accompany the team on critical and complex interfacility transports, attend high-risk deliveries, and provide neonatal consultations to community-based physicians. This fellowship is ideal for those with neonatal and/or pediatric ICU background who wish to build experience and expertise in pediatric transport medicine.
Of note, this program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The fellowship is generally for a one year term, although extensions are occasionally possible. Sub-specialization within this transport fellowship is feasible for a limited number of trainees who have a particular interest in Hemodynamics, Neurocritical care, or Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS).
Eligibility
- Canadian and International trainees
- Positions are open to those who have completed subspecialty training in Neo-perinatal Medicine, Paediatric ICU, Paediatric Emergency Medicine or Anaesthesiology.
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees will receive a certificate of completion
Application Process
Entrance to the SickKids Transport Fellowship Program is annually in July. Rarely a January start date is feasible. The Fellowship Online Application will open September 1, 2022 and close May 31, 2023.
Neonatal Hemodynamics Subspecialty Fellowship
Each fellowship position will be of a minimum duration of 1 year and may be extendable to 2 years, depending on the individual’s career ambitions. These positions are fully funded at the level of a clinical fellow through the contributions of the participating neonatal units. The selected trainees will be expected to perform clinical duties as a departmental fellow in the allocated neonatal unit throughout the course of their hemodynamics fellowship. Each fellowship year, however, will entail 3 months of protected elective time. The NHSF program will include a minimum training period of 3 months in Pediatric Echocardiography Lab and 9 months in one of the participating NICU under direct supervision of the site TNE director. During training the candidates can expect to achieve the following goals: a) obtain basic and advanced training in performing TNE; b) receive training in the clinical integration of the acquired information and develop an understanding in managing common acute and chronic cardiopulmonary disorders encountered in tertiary neonatal clinical practice; c) gain experience in running a hemodynamic consultation clinical service on a day-to-day basis; d) complete at least 1 primary research project in the field of neonatal cardiovascular medicine; and e) acquire basic (1 year fellowship) or advanced (2 year fellowship) academic training in cardiopulmonary physiology and epidemiology principles. Eligibility criteria: At the time of the start of the NHSF training, candidate must have: 1. Completed fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine from an accredited Canadian program or equivalent. 2. Eligible for licensure from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). 3. Applications are also welcome from candidates who have completed pediatric cardiology or pediatric intensive care fellowships, however, such applicants may be required to secure own funding source.
Neonatal Neurology Fellowship
Applicants selected for this competitive fellowship will participate in the clinical care of newborns at SickKids with neurological diseases, develop enhanced skills in neonatal and paediatric neurology subspecialties, and conduct clinical/translational and basic research related to Neonatal Neurology. Applicants should be physicians who have completed subspecialty training in either Paediatric Neurology or Neonatology. Fellows who complete this 1-2 year Neonatal-Neurology training program will have advanced competencies in the neurological assessment and clinical management of newborn infants with complex neurological disorders. Moreover, the fellow will have the training to determine the utility of bedside monitoring tools (e.g. aEEG and continuous EEG) and advanced MRI techniques to enhance assessment and management. Clinical and research experience during this advanced fellowship is tailored to the career needs of the applicant, but each trainee is expected to complete a potentially high impact clinical/translational or basic research project by the end of the training.
To apply please email Dr. Emily Tam at emily.tam@sickkids.ca and Dr. Amr El Shahed at amr.elshahed@sickkids.ca.
Additional Training Opportunities
Take a look at our additional training opportunities for general paediatricians looking to expand their neonatal clinical skills, going to work in a mixed paediatric and neonatal unit, or looking for more experience before beginning our accredited program fellowship.
SickKids Advanced Clinical Support and Research Fellowship
SickKids Advanced Clinical Support and Research Fellowship
The Division of Neonatology at SickKids has 3 newly created positions starting July 1, 2019 – Advanced Clinical Support and Research Fellows – with ~60% protected time for research and 40% clinical service in the NICU or follow-up clinic at SickKids. This is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year, but extensions are occasionally possible. The clinical responsibilities would include direct front-line patient care with day-time, night-time and weekend call.
Eligibility
- Candidates should have 2-4 years of clinical training in neonatology or pediatric intensive care, in addition to 1 year of training in either: advanced critical care transport (ACTS), neonatal-neurology, TnEcho fellow or as a departmental fellow at SickKids
- At least one first author publication or submission of a publication in a peer review journal
- Canadian and International Trainees
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees will receive a certificate of completion
The online application form for the SickKids Advanced Clinical Support and Research Fellowship is presently closed.
Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health Clinical Fellowship Program
The Toronto Center for Neonatal Health (TCNH) is offering a Clinical Fellowship beginning in July 2020. This is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions will be available annually across some of the NICUs who are part of the TCNH. Each fellow appointed may rotate between the tertiary NICUs, which include The Sinai Health System, The Hospital for Sick Children and Sunnybrook Health Science Centres, with elective rotations in community hospital NICUs. This 1 year program offers some flexibility and the opportunity to enhance clinical competencies in neonatology, with cognitive and technical skills focused on both perinatal resuscitation and newborn intensive care. Electives may also be taken in the Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS), Neonatal Follow-Up Program or other clinically relevant areas. This competency based neonatal training program will help develop the necessary competencies to practice in level 2c or modified level 3 NICUs. Night-time and weekend call will follow the PARO guidelines.
Eligibility
- You must have completed a Canadian Residency Training Program in Paediatrics
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees will receive a certificate of completion
The next entrance for the Toronto Centre for Neonatal Health Clinical Fellowship Program will be July 2021. The fellowship online application will open on January 1, 2020 and close on April 30, 2020.
Dr. Karen Pape Fellowship in Neuroplasticity
This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This is a three-year fellowship program combining both clinical and research training in the field of neuroplasticity, specifically early brain repair. Individuals with an interest in developing their research skills and clinical expertise in early child development and neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up should apply.
Eligibility
- Paediatrician (MD or equivalent) with clinical training in neonatology, neonatal neurology or developmental paediatrics
- Canadian and International Trainees
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees will receive a certificate of completion.
Application Process
The next entrance for the Dr. Karen Pape Fellowship in Neuroplasticity will be July 2020. The fellowship online application is currently open and will close on November 29, 2019.
Departmental Fellowship in Neonatology
This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year but extensions are occasionally possible.
SickKids Department of Paediatrics Fellowship
St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Paediatrics Fellowship
Mount Sinai Department of Paediatrics Fellowship
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Department of Paediatrics Fellowship
St. Michael’s Hospital Department of Pediatrics Clinical Fellowship (One Year program)
St Michael’s Hospital (SMH) is an academic urban hospital with specialized expertise in inner city health, including perinatal exposures and infections. There are 3000 deliveries per year with a busy perinatal-neonatal service. The 20-bed advanced level II NICU has the ability to manage short-term ventilation and CPAP. St. Michael’s Hospital offers a one year clinical fellowship program for enhancement of clinical skills in neonatology and consultant pediatrics. There is a strong academic focus with opportunities for simulation-based training and supervision of junior trainees. Outpatient ambulatory pediatric clinic opportunities are also available, including a regional neonatal follow up clinic, general and subspecialty pediatric consultation clinics, and outreach clinics in family health and school based clinic.
This fully funded non-accredited fellowship program is available to graduating pediatrics residents who are interested in pursuing a community-based practice. There will be opportunity for level 3 NICU experience at an affiliated site (SickKids, Mount Sinai or Sunnybrook).
SickKids Paediatric Departmental Fellowship
This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year but extensions are occasionally possible. Departmental Fellows may spend two months on the transport service and two months in research/electives. The NICU at the Hospital for Sick Children is a busy out born referral centre which services a large population base and cares for the most complex neonatal medical and surgical patients. Departmental Fellow positions enable individuals to gain valuable clinical experience. For someone with predominantly previous inborn perinatal experience, this unit provides a unique opportunity to see a different spectrum of conditions. It also allows exposure and experience to a highly functional regionalized transport service. Positions are for individuals who have completed their pediatric training, have at least six months of neonatal experience and are interested in pursuing a career in academic neonatology or pediatrics with a significant neonatal component to their practice.
Eligibility
- You must be a Paediatrician with neonatal experience to be eligible for this program
- Canadians and International Trainees
Upon Completion of Program
- All trainees will receive a certificate of completion
Application Process
The next entrance for the SickKids Paediatric Departmental Fellowship will be January 2021. The fellowship online application is currently open.
Mount Sinai Department of Paediatrics Fellowship
Mount Sinai Hospital offers a Neonatology Departmental Fellowship program for Canadian-trained or internationally-trained pediatricians who are looking for additional training in Neonatology. The NICU at Mount Sinai Hospital consists of a 62-bed unit specializing in Level III neonatal care. The NICU provides care for newborn infants who require assisted ventilation, intravenous nutrition, intensive cardio-respiratory monitoring and / or close nursing and medical care. The Department of Paediatrics also provides coverage to an inpatient Level I Nursery, a Neonatal Follow-up clinic and a Neonatal Ambulatory Clinic. The Labour and Delivery department averages 7500 deliveries per year and the NICU has over 1100 admissions per year: about 300 of these admissions are for newborns less than 1500g. The number of admissions and turnover of patients facilitate the exposure to multiple neonatal diagnoses for the training of physicians. Our proximity to the Hospital for Sick Children makes us a dedicated hospital for deliveries of patients with complex congenital anomalies: the NICU team at Mount Sinai Hospital has developed tremendous experience in the resuscitation of such newborns. All of this has created an excellent opportunity for physicians requiring additional clinical training in neonatology. Departmental fellow positions are guaranteed for at least one year. Internationally-trained physicians may be required to undergo a PEAP (Pre-Entry Assessment Program) evaluation after 3 months of fellowship. The fellowship program could be extended for another year based on our assessment of the performance of the fellow during the first year. The positions are based at Mount Sinai Hospital and are primarily clinical with work in our NICU in both junior and senior capacities depending on the departmental fellow’s skills. The departmental fellow will also provide some Labour and Delivery Room/Neonatal Resuscitation coverage, as well as on-call coverage under the supervision of an attending staff neonatologist. Our service also includes some coverage in the Level I nursery and Neonatal Ambulatory Clinic. A month of elective can be arranged for other areas of interest. The Neonatology Departmental Fellowship Program at Mount Sinai Hospital is not an accredited program. However, a certificate will be provided to the departmental fellows at the end of his training stating that the physician has completed the program in which he/she was enrolled.
If you are interested in pursuing a Neonatology Departmental Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital, please complete our application form found here, and email it to mshpeds.fellowship@sinaihealthsystem.ca.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Paediatric Departmental Fellowship
This program is not an accredited program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Positions are generally for one year but extensions are occasionally possible. The NICU at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is a busy inborn, perinatal unit which services a large population base. Departmental Fellow positions enable individuals to gain valuable clinical experience. Positions are for individuals who have completed their pediatric training, have at least six months of neonatal experience and are interested in pursuing a career in academic neonatology or pediatrics with a significant neonatal component to their practice.
Eligibility
- You must be a Paediatrician with neonatal experience to be eligible for this program
- Canadians and International Trainees
To apply, please email Dr. Eugene Ng at eugene.ng@sunnybrook.ca.
Advanced Neonatal Training Summary Chart
| Type of Programs | Royal College Neonatal-Perinatal Accredited Fellowship | Clinical training in Neonatology: Departmental Fellowship | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site | Rotations between MSH, SHSN, SickKids |
SickKids | Mount Sinai (MSH) | Sunnybrook (SHSN) | St. Michael’s | |
| Length of Training Program | 2 years | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | |
| Funded Positions/year | 14 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 ** | |
| Deadline | Jan-Apr for July of following year entry |
Jan-Apr for July of following year entry |
Jan-Apr for July of following year entry |
Jan-Apr for July of following year entry |
Sept for next year | |
| Royal College Accredited | ||||||
| Research | 7 months over 2 years | 1 month | ||||
| Vacation | 4 weeks/year | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 5 weeks | |
| Professional Leave: Conference/Study | 1 week/year | 1 week | 1 week | 2 weeks | 2 weeks | |
| Level of Care III | ||||||
| Level of Care II | ||||||
| Yearly Admissions | See each site | 800 | 1100 | 700 | 600 | |
| NICU Bed Capacity | See each site | 40 | 62 | 42 | 20 | |
| Inborn | See each site | |||||
| Annual Deliveries | See each site | 7500 | 4000 | 3000 | ||
| Outborn only | See each site | |||||
| Complex Medical | ||||||
| Extremely low gestational age infants | ||||||
| Surgical | See each site | |||||
| Antenatal Consult | See each site | |||||
| Transport Rotation | See each site | |||||
| Research/Elective | See each site | avail on request | ||||
| ECMO1 | See each site | |||||
| Cardiac Surgery2 | See each site | |||||
| Neurodevelopment follow-up clinic | See each site | |||||
| To apply | click | click | click | click | click | |
| Advanced Training Opportunities: Post-Neonatology Fellowship Training | ||||||
| Targeted Neonatology Echocardiography | see advanced training description above | |||||
| Neonatal Neurology Fellowship | see advanced training description above | |||||
| Transport Fellowship | see advanced training description above | |||||
1. Rotation in SickKids’ PICU
2. Rotation in SickKids’ CCCU
** self funded must be RCPSC + CPSO approved