The innovative Michener Institute is one of the top health care educators in the country, generating professionals in important medical positions.
Often the heroes behind the curtain, applied health science professionals, function throughout the health care system to prevent, diagnose, and heal patients. Now more than ever, their roles are paramount. For over 60 years, The Michener Institute of Education at UHN has been the sole post-secondary institution in Canada that focuses on only applied health sciences, providing a variety of diploma, certificate, and continuing education programs.
Courses are available in part-time, full-time, post-certification, and bridging programs — providing unmatched flexibility for students. It offers 14 academic programs including medical radiation sciences and imaging, critical and primary care, and medical laboratory sciences.
But what truly sets Michener apart is its connection to Toronto’s top hospitals as part of the University Health Network (UHN). The institute has established exclusive connections with clinical partners and field professionals, offering students an immersive, unique educational experience.
Playing a vital role
The Michener Institute aligns its curriculum with the needs of the health care system and is dedicated to evolving with and responding to the sector’s ever-changing priorities. As the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, applied health science roles such as respiratory therapists and medical laboratory technologists play a vital role in diagnosis and critical care.
Michener’s Alumni Board Chair Ruvette Coelho knows this firsthand. “A lot of the graduates and clinicians were on the front lines when COVID-19 hit,” she says. “They were the ones processing all the samples and with critical care patients. Michener answered the call for that.”
Coelho graduated from the radiation therapy program and now treats cancer patients. “A lot of these programs, they train you to go into the clinical environment. With two years didactic and one year in critical placement, you’re ready for the field,” she says.
Classes are conducted in state-of-the-art facilities, in simulation-based learning centres, and with leading clinical partners. Plus, students are offered opportunities for team-based interprofessional collaborations throughout their education.
Bridging the gap
Medical laboratory technologist and alumni Eryl Fraser were also on the front lines during the pandemic, processing blood products from COVID-19 patients in clinical trials. “You’re presented with a mystery and must solve it,” she says. “The time Michener took with the simulated portion and laboratory skills, they prepare and teach you to be flexible. You can’t learn this from a textbook — you learn it by doing the work.”
The institute’s grads are indispensable — Canada’s health care system runs smoothly and successfully because of their contributions. “Michener is the place that gave me meaning in terms of my professional life,” says Coelho. “All alumni attest to that.”
Being associated with UHN allows the institute to adapt to changes in health care in real time. “They’re responsive to what’s happening on the ground all the time,” Coelho says. “Michener bridges the gap between health care and education.”
A meaningful career
With over 15,000 graduates, The Michener Institute is a well-known leader in the field of applied health education. It’s advancing the health care sector by offering cutting-edge, relevant programming. By doing so, its grads become experts in their fields and are prepared to navigate the ever-changing health care sphere.
To learn more about The Michener Institute of Education at UHN and the key roles their graduates’ play in health care, visit michener.ca/discover-michener/michener-advantage/
