Stroke - SMH

Fellowship Title:

Stroke

Division:

Neurology

Fellowship Type:

Clinical

Supervisors:

Dr. Atif Zafar
Dr. Gustavo Saposnik

Duration:

1-2 Years

Application Open and Close Date:

1 Year prior to start of fellowship

Anticipated Start Date(s):

July 1

Number of position(s) per year:

1 depending on funding

Description:

The Stroke & Cerebrovascular Medicine Fellowship Program at the St. Michael’s Hospital's Comprehensive Stroke Center has availability for one to two stroke fellows per year. The goal of the fellowship is to train future neurologists who can offer highly specialized care to patients with cerebrovascular diseases, especially ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. 

Core training will include stroke inpatient and outpatient evidence-based-management, acute and hyper-acute stroke care of patients in the emergency room and critical care units, along with opportunities to participate in electives: Interventional neuroradiology, neuroradiology, Trauma-Neurocritical ICU, Neuro-ophthalmology, CNS demyelination clinic, Rehabilitation rotation, and Carotid US lab. Opportunity to spend some time in community hospitals with stroke units may also be arranged with our partners in the GTA area. 

Research participation is encouraged. St. Michael's Hospital and Li Ka Shing Research Institute have exceptional research opportunities available. Led by the director of stroke research, Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, who is the Editor in Chief of World Stroke Academy and among the board of directors of World Stroke Organization, the stroke fellowship at SMH and University of Toronto will allow the trainee to get exposure to world-class research. Areas of high impact include equity in stroke care, stroke outcome research, stroke economics, AI in stroke, brain-heart interaction, stroke neuroimaging, quality improvement projects in stroke, stroke robotics among other avenues to get exposure in state of the art research initiatives.

The SMH stroke program aims to create future leaders in stroke. The trainees will have the opportunity to get exposure and training in development of protocols, stroke systems of care models, understanding equity in stroke care, basics of health economics, business and operations planning and other avenues that impact patient care in stroke programs. The trainee will have the opportunity to work with various faculty including Atif Zafar, MD who is the medical director of the stroke program at SMH.

This is a busy fellowship where fellows will be expected to supervise residents on service. Inhouse alteplase and EVT attendance is required as part of training for fellows during and after hours when on call (fellows take home calls), among other clinical duties. Protected research and elective time will also be guaranteed. 

Main highlights

• St. Michael's Hospital, based in downtown Toronto is one of the three academic comprehensive stroke centers of the University of Toronto.
• Equity in Stroke Care is a critical element of the stroke program at St. Mike's. Fellows will have exposure to diverse patient population including patients from different socioeconomic and racial background.
• Faculty with varying training and expertise (QI, education, research, teaching, innovation, entrepreneurial, clinical) will allow the fellow to experience various career pathways for a stroke staff. 
• The stroke program at SMH is rapidly growing. Being the regional leader and main site for complex stroke care in the South East Toronto Stroke Network, we cater to a range of cerebrovascular patients.
• Weekly and/or monthly teaching sessions ranging from journal clubs, stroke teaching, mortality rounds, joint neuroradiology case discussions.
• Active research and QI faculty with diverse interests as discussed above.
• Strong collaboration of stroke program with our world-class and busy interventional neuroradiology and cardiothoracic programs provides interdisciplinary approach of care to trainees. 
• Past fellows have published in prestigious journals like NEJM and JAMA Neurology during their fellowship.
• SMH fellows will be eligible to sit for CSC (Canadian Stroke Consortium) fellowship exams during the last months of training.

Eligibility: Applicants with excellent academic accomplishments, fluency in English language, and who have completed postgraduate (residency) training in Neurology are considered for interviews. We also consider applications from Emergency Medicine physicians and Internists for the 6 months mini-fellowship or a full year program. Once accepted, we will help coordinate training registration as a fellow in Ontario and visa sponsorship, if needed.

Applications should include:

1. A curriculum vitae
2. A cover letter outlining learning goals for the fellowship and future career goals and please specify requested duration of fellowship, one or two years.
3. Three Letters of Recommendation

Please e-mail applications to: Atif.Zafar@Unityhealth.to or Gustavo.Saposnik@Unityhealth.to

Contact Name:

Dr. Atif Zafar

Role:

Program Director

Telephone:

(416) 364-8084

E-mail:

Atif.Zafar@Unityhealth.to

Mailing Address:

Dr. Atif Zafar, 30 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8

Contact Name:

Dr. Gustavo Saposnik

Role:

Program Director

Telephone:

(416) 864-5155

E-mail:

Gustavo.Saposnik@unityhealth.to

Mailing Address:

Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, 55 Queen St E- Suite 931, Toronto, ON M5C 1R6