Temerty Faculty of Medicine
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Equity, Diversity, Indigeneity, Inclusion, Accessibility (EDIIA)

We will make inclusion and equity essential components of how we define and foster excellence in scholarship, practice and health outcomes.
Temerty Faculty of Medicine's Diversity Statement

Community of Support (COS)

The COS program is a collaborative and longitudinal initiative that supports prospective students at every stage of their journey to physical therapy school. 

What is our mission? Our goal is to increase diversity in healthcare by supporting students who are underrepresented in healthcare fields. 

Who is eligible? The COS program supports prospective health professions students who are Indigenous, Black, Filipino, 2SLGBTQ+, financially disadvantaged, disabled, and/or self-identify with other historically marginalized social groups.

Click here for our brochure.

Mentor Sign-Up

If you would like to be a mentor for COS please sign up here.

Student Sign-Up

If you are a student and would like to join please sign up here.

Programs & Services

Here are some of the services we offer.

Admission Events

Prior to each application cycle, Community of Support (COS) will hold webinars focused on the admission process, student life, what the COS program can do for you, application advice, and demystifying the Computer Administered Profile (CAP). Potential applicants will have the opportunity to ask questions of our panelists which will include administrators, current students, and physiotherapists.  

Applicant Mentorship

In collaboration with the MScPT program at the University of Toronto, Black PT Association, and the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program Alumni Association, this prospective student mentorship program provides COS members applying to the physical therapy program with a mentor to guide the application process and provide feedback before it is submitted. The following assistance will be provided, depending on mentor availability:  

  • sharing information on career paths
  • providing guidance, motivation, and role modeling

RASI 

Research Application Support Initiative (RASI) is a program designed to help COS members with research interests through: 

  • providing information/workshops on how to create a good academic CV, professionalism in communicating with principal investigators, characteristics of a good refer, etc.
  • one –to-one mentorship to help them develop research CVs and apply for research roles, graduate applications, and applications for thesis
  • a limited number of paid research roles

Job Shadowing

This program provides Community of Support (COS) students with early exposure to a range of PT settings.  

The program includes:  

  • a 1-2-hour virtual assessment and/or treatment session  
  • an opportunity to debrief with a physiotherapist following the session
  • a discussion about practice, practice setting, and the PT journey

Additional Resources

Office of Inclusion & Diversity

This shows some of the ways the Faculty upholds its commitment to excellence in the area of equity, inclusion and diversity.

Centre for Faculty Development Resource Hub

This contains resources related to many topics of interest in health profession education.

RSS Diversity Mentorship Program (DMP)

The Rehabilitation Sciences Sector (RSS) recognizes that current learners in MScOT, MScPT and MHSc-SLP programs who come from social, cultural and/or economically diverse communities face increased barriers in their academic and career journeys.

The RSS DMP aims to address these needs for connection. Current learners can apply to be matched with a clinician mentor who is able to support in their educational and professional development.

Office of Access and Outreach