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Family Medicine-Enhanced Skills: Addiction Medicine

A Black female doctor stands in a hospital room

Virtual Information Sessions: the Family Medicine Enhanced Skills Addiction Medicine program invites you to attend one of our upcoming virtual info sessions to learn more about the program and answer any questions that you may have. The info sessions will be approximately 30-45 minutes and will be held on the following dates:

Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.

Program Highlights
Curriculum
Requirements
How to Apply

Program information

TMU’s one-year Family Medicine-Enhanced Skills (FM-ES): Addiction Medicine residency enables family physicians to provide high-quality, evidence-based care for patients living with substance use disorders. Working in both inpatient and outpatient settings, residents will gain experience caring for patients with concurrent disorders and incorporating psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and mindfulness into their practice.

This program is accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Faculty:
School of Medicine

Program Format:
Full Time: 1 year

Program Director:
Dr. Sheema Sharieff

Board Eligibility:
Certificate of Added Competence in Addiction Medicine

Accreditation:
CFPC (October 2024)

Application Deadline:
9 September 2025 at 12:00 (noon) ET

  • Opportunities to perform inpatient assessments, manage patients with acute withdrawal and concurrent disorders, and transition patients to outpatient settings
  • Electives available in rural areas and areas of interest including hepatology/hepatitis C clinic, pregnancy and substance use disorders and sexual health clinics
  • Experience caring for patients with chronic pain
  • Unique Leadership, Education, Advocacy, Research, and Non-Clinical (LEARN) Time program enables residents to tailor their learning experiences and launch their careers

Sample Rotation Schedule

Transition to Addiction Medicine

  • 3 Blocks: Inpatient Consultations
  • 2 Blocks: Medical Detox

Core Addiction Medicine

  • 1 Block: Emergency Department Consultations
  • 2 Blocks: RAAM/ outpatient assessments
  • 1 Block: Block 7 Elective
  • 1 Block: Specialty Clinic: Hepatitis C, Sexual Health Clinic, Residential Treatment facility RAAM/ outpatient assessments

Transition to Practice

  • 1 Block: Chronic Pain Clinic - outpatient 
  • 1 Block: Rural Community 
  • 1 Block: Specialty Clinic: Hepatitis C, Sexual Health Clinic, Residential Treatment facility RAAM/ outpatient assessments

Foundational Curriculum

Our comprehensive, competency-based Foundational Curriculum covers diverse areas including equity, diversity and inclusion in medical care, research strategies, communication skills and patient safety. Our unique LEARN Time program also offers individualized time, space and resources for residents to focus on areas of specialized interest.

Candidates must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and meet both the basic criteria (external link)  and the Ontario-specific criteria (external link)  in order to apply to the FM-ES: Addiction Medicine program.

Residents who complete TMU’s FM-ES: Addiction Medicine program will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Added Competence in Addiction Medicine.

The TMU School of Medicine currently has clinical partnerships with multiple major training sites: 

Residency training will leverage a distributed model which may include training at any of these sites for learning in environments, which include community and clinical settings, urban and rural environments, and inpatient and outpatient settings. While the majority of resident training will be focused in Peel and surrounding communities, additional learning experiences may take place at other training sites within Canada through Inter-University Affiliation Agreements. These agreements are subject to change and result in training at sites other than those that are listed above.


Travel to various locations will be required. Access to a personal vehicle will be beneficial; however, anyone with access to a reliable means of transportation is also encouraged to consider this program.

How to Apply

Applications to the FM-ES: Addiction Medicine program at TMU are only accepted through CaRMS. Visit our program description page (external link)  for detailed application requirements and to apply. All applicants will be notified through CaRMS Online and TMU will send email invitations directly to applicants selected for an interview.

Note that three reference letters are required with your application:

  • One from your current family medicine program director or site director
  • One from a physician/preceptor
  • One from an interdisciplinary staff/faculty member who has observed the applicant in a clinical capacity
Learn more and apply  (external link)