




INTERNATIONAL PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE ELECTIVE
(Virtual until Further Notice due to Pandemic Restrictions in Canada- We hope to resume in-person in the Summer of 2025)
The Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO) In partnership with: The Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children, The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, The Dalla Lana School of Public Health at The University of Toronto, The Department of Emergency Medicine at McMaster University, and Mount Sinai Hospital Invite applicants to the:
International Pediatric Emergency Medicine Elective (IPEME)
Date to Be Determined
Toronto, Ontario Canada
This is a four-week summer elective course in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Global Health and Leadership, for qualifying medical students. It brings together 12 Canadian, Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian medical students (three from each region) to enhance cross-border understanding, trust, and cooperation among future physician leaders.
OBJECTIVES
PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND GLOBAL HEALTH
- Understand some of the individual, organizational and global contexts of common pediatric emergency health issues;
- Consider barriers to health and the ways in which cross-border cooperation might serve as a means to address them;
- Demonstrate an understanding of common pediatric emergency medicine presentations – their pathophysiology, symptomatology, general approach and management considerations;
- Apply the CANMEDS competencies to Global Health Issues and Case Studies
CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION, CULTURAL HUMILITY,AND Interpersonal COMPETENCIES
- Engage in respectful dialogue and meaningful cooperation with colleagues from different regions;
- Demonstrate academic cooperation, using health care as the vehicle, by developing a cross-border public health initiative to address local needs.
COMMUNICATION AND ETHIcs DEVELOPMENT
- Critically examine challenging scenarios commonly encountered in the practice of pediatric emergency medicine;
- Use effective interpersonal and communication skills to interact positively with patients and colleagues.
IPEME is an Accredited non-clinical undergraduate medical elective at the University of Toronto
Learning Format
- Mandatory Pre-course assignment
- Small group teaching sessions and discussion forums
- Hands-on clinical skills workshops
- Clinical or Observer shifts in Sick Kids Hospital Pediatric emergency department.
- Group projects (to be done during the course)
- Time is set aside for students to work in assigned groups to identify, plan and develop a small-scale cross-border public health project
- Groups will present their project proposals at the end of the course and have the opportunity for it to be selected by the IPEME program team for CISEPO to support and help implement.
- Team Building Exercises and group excursions.
“We provide an umbrella and a sense of ethics and values so that we can demonstrate how you can influence things for good.”
Dr. Arnold M. Noyek
GENERAL TIMETABLE
● Sessions occur daily from Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
● The program starts on Monday July 4th and ends on Friday July 29th
● There are planned teambuilding and group social events.
● There are mandatory weekday evening and weekend pediatric emergency medicine shifts (approximately 3-4 shifts for each student in total).
Please note: The number of shifts are not high as this elective does not have a substantial clinical component.
Please note: The academic schedules of students from all relevant regions are reviewed. Best efforts to accommodate all students’ schedule requirements are made in the program scheduling.
Expectations
We require attendance and active participation in ALL aspects of the course.
Evaluations are based on:
● Participation in classroom discussions and workshops;
● Supervisor evaluations in clinical shifts; and
● The development of a team-based global health proposal with the chance to obtain funding to implement the project through a cohort Hackathon
Successful participants will receive a certificate of completion as well as a letter of recommendation outlining their accomplishments throughout the course.
Post course
We encourage ongoing interaction among participants through our IPEME Alum Community of Practice and CISEPO events, and strive to build a sustainable network for peaceful and professional dialogue and collaboration. Every effort will be made to help implement and support project proposals developed through the IPEME elective.
Applications for the 2025 Summer Program will be open in February. We have not yet returned from the virtual delivery of IPEME but hope to do so soon. Please apply through the online application and read the directions below carefully. We encourage you to reach out to us with questions at ipeme@cisepo.ca
This program is open to all Canadian, Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian medical students studying in their home countries and REGISTERED in their LAST TWO years of medical studies at time of application. Eligible Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian students should be registered in their 5th or 6th year of medical studies as of July 2025. If entering an internship program, a Letter from the Dean or designate should be sent together with the Application Form.
- Proof of completion of core rotations taken before July 2025 is required on the Portal Application Form.
Upon acceptance into the program, participants should present a letter from their school registrar stating that they are in good standing, are in their final 2 years of medical studies, and that they are expected to graduate in 2027 or sooner.
Students will be selected based on:
- Interest in cross-border cooperation, global health, and pediatric emergency medicine;
- Demonstrated maturity, leadership skills and communication skills;
- Academic ability and motivation;
- Proficiency in English (read, written and spoken);
- Adaptability and commitment to continued academic partnership;
- Experience working in small group environments.
We are seeking the most exceptional students regardless of financial circumstances. Financial restrictions should not be an impediment to participation.
As part of the program, ALL selected participants will receive or claim for reimbursement:
- Visa application fee*
- Accommodation at Student Residences for the length of the program with breakfast and dinner included;
- Basic health insurance from arrival date to departure date;
- All course materials and course-related local travel.
Accepted participants will be living in air-conditioned, separate rooms in a University of Toronto residence located in downtown Toronto in close proximity to teaching facilities, the Hospital for Sick Children and Mt Sinai Hospital.
Notes:
- Participants are expected to arrive in Toronto 1 or 2 days in advance of the program start day and stay for the entire duration of the program.
- ALL incidental costs not indicated in the above specifications are to be covered by the participants
Application Process
The Application to IPEME is processed in 2 phases: the CISEPO-IPEME phase (included here) and the University of Toronto phase
(portal system – details to be sent to selected participants after IPEME’s selection process is completed).
Required Documents:
1. Completed application form
Please complete the Online Application (OPEN OCTOBER 2019) and send in additional documents to ipeme@cisepo.ca
2. Additional Documents
a. Curriculum Vitae
Please send CV to ipeme@cisepo.ca with the subject line “STUDENT NAME CV”
b. Letters of Reference ( 2 Required)
References should be from professionals who know you personally and can comment upon your suitability for the program based on the above listed criteria.
At least one of these letters should be from an academic faculty member at your home institution
Letters should be submitted directly from the referees to ipeme@cisepo.ca with the subject line: “Student Name reference” (e.g. “Jane Doe reference”).
PLEASE NOTE: The Referees/Verifiers should only use university email id’s. Personal email id’s will not be accepted by the portal online application system.
Completed program application form and supporting documents must be submitted no later than March 15th, 2021 at 23:59 EST.
LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Notification of Acceptance:
Successful applicants will be notified of their acceptance on or before March 15th, 2020.
Thank you for your interest in the 2021 International Pediatric Emergency Medicine Elective.
If you have questions about the application or the program in general, please do not hesitate to contact the IPEME team at ipeme@cisepo.ca
Success Stories
Hear what our past students are saying about the IPEME elective.
“The IPEME elective has lead me to spend time in the Middle East both as a visitor and professionally. During my emergency medicine residency, I had the opportunity to teach in Gaza. Following that experience, I completed a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Health in Crisis and Humanitarian Assistance. I am now working as an ED doc in downtown Toronto, and am looking forward to another mission in the Middle East with Medicins Sans Frontieres.”
Kate, IPEME Alumni 2008“It was a great experience that had a positive impact on broadening my horizons regarding my future career choices, I gained many clinical skills and knowledge that were of great benefit in my senior year. Global health seminars made us aware of many problems we may
“In simple words, IPEME was a life-changing experience for me, it affected my whole life in all aspects. After IPEME I started to think with more open mind, more passionate and more ambitious. It was literary an adventure of a life time, I became more confident, more dedicated and more committed to do my best in my career, my community and global interests. I will always be an IPEME ambassador and spread IPEME’s message throughout the world.”
Nader, IPEME Alumni 2016IPEME Gold Sponsor
Knightstone Capital Management Inc.