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Thread Lead, Indigenous Health and Ways of Knowing

Department: School of Medicine
Position supervisor: Indigenous Health Lead and Assistant Dean, Curricular Innovation
Contract length: 1 year 
Hours of work per week: 7.25 or 0.20 FTCE
Position type: Clinical Faculty 

About the School of Medicine

It’s time to transform medical education. Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine is being designed to shift the paradigm of healthcare delivery and improve the well-being of individuals, families and communities. With a community-driven, intentionally inclusive approach, the new school will train doctors whose cultural awareness and humility are as crucial as their medical skills.

Led by Dr. Teresa M. Chan, a forward-thinking educational leader, TMU’s School of Medicine will draw on the university’s commitment to community, equity, and innovation to address rapidly changing healthcare needs. The school will train a new generation of physicians who are ready to learn, to adapt, and ultimately to be agents of change.

Work across the School of Medicine will be supported by its Section of Community, Culture and Belonging to ensure a focus on Black community health, Indigenous community health, anti-racism (including anti-Black racism, anti-Asian racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia), anti-ableism, disability inclusion and universal design, anti-homophobia and transphobia, to create a positive health environment for LGBTQ2SI+, and to serve and work in partnership with historically under-represented and under-served communities as a positive space.

Brampton/Peel and its surrounding communities, are part of the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit.  We acknowledge that these lands are also the shared space of Anishinabek, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, Ojibway/Chippewa and Métis peoples.

We honour the Indigenous peoples who cared for this land for thousands of years before us, and commit to valuing the Two Row Wampum. This Living Treaty represents settlers and Indigenous peoples moving forward together, in parallel, respecting each other’s ways of being, knowing and doing.

We honour the Dish with One Spoon Treaty, and in this spirit we strive to treat the land and people of our community with mutual respect, taking only what we need and sharing what is available to ensure sustainability for those that follow us.

The opportunity

The Thread Lead, Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing, plays a key role in the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Medicine Doctor of Medicine Program at the School of Medicine. The incumbent collaborates with other undergraduate medical education (UGME) leaders to support the development and integration of specific thread-related content within the four (4) year MD curriculum.

The Thread Lead, Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing is responsible for delivering subject matter expertise, knowledge and skills in indigenous history, health, culture, and practices to facilitate effective learning and assessment for students in the MD program. This includes developing a comprehensive blueprint for integration of learning for the identified role within cases and other learning modalities of the Program; and overseeing and engaging in curriculum creation, delivery, assessment, and ongoing improvement across all Program years. The Thread Lead, Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing ensures medical student education meets the vision of the TMU School of Medicine and the education principles of our university.

Qualifications

  • Completion of a Doctor of Medicine or equivalent (i.e. MBBS), in an area aligned with medical education and/or Indigenous Health.
  • Must have or be eligible for an appointment to the TMU Clinical Faculty.
  • Must be eligible to hold an appointment at a TMU School of Medicine affiliated clinical partner institution or academic health centre.
  • Physician in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and active membership with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or equivalent.
  • At least five (5) years of experience (including lived experiences) in Indigenous pedagogy or health education in a post-secondary setting, with direct experience in curriculum design and delivery in medical education or Indigenous studies.
  • Preferred experience teaching in higher education and/or undergraduate or postgraduate level.
  • Experience with innovative student-centered Indigenous pedagogical approaches to learning.
  • Experience with embedding EDIAA-RDIR into administrative activities and leadership practices and insights on integrating these values into the Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing curriculum.
  • Knowledge of and understanding of implementation of competency-based education.
  • Extensive knowledge of Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing area to lead in and enable design and delivery within and across the UGME curriculum.
  • Ability to construct and lead innovative assessment practices for the Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing area.
  • Knowledge across the diversity of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. 
  • Demonstrated ability to integrate Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing into curricula using a strengths-based approach.
  • Demonstrated success working in collaborative in-person and virtual teams
  • Strong commitment and focus to principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism & reconciliation, decolonization, and indigenous resurgence (EDIAA-RDIR) in learning, patient care and leadership, with a track record of advancing EDIAA-RDIR and decolonization.
  • Record of educational research, and publication/presentations for peer review.
  • Strong leadership, communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to meet pressured and tight deadlines and outcomes.

In addition to the above, the following TMU Leadership Competencies are required:

  • Acts with Integrity: Demonstrates behaviours aligned with high ethical standards and personal integrity and acts in accordance with TMU values
  • Builds Relationships of Trust and Collaboration: Actively builds a culture of trust and fosters meaningful relationships.
  • Leads Inclusively: Creates an inclusive environment where everyone is respected, recognized, empowered to achieve their potential and valued for their differences.
  • Demonstrates Organisational Acumen: Understands and respectfully navigates complex internal and external environments by using sound judgment, diplomacy and tact.
  • Drives Vision & Results: Creates and implements a vision grounded in sound decision-making to achieve desired outcomes

How to apply - Deadline to Apply October 31, 2024

The preference is for applications to be submitted online through the Google form available  (google form) HERE (external link) .  If a candidate does not have access to a Google account, applications may be submitted via email to medicine@torontomu.ca. Applications submitted by email should include:

  • The position the applicant is applying for
  • The applicant’s name and contact information
  • Whether the applicant is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

All applications should include the following components as separate attachments:

Curriculum Vitae (CV):

Please provide a detailed curriculum vitae highlighting your relevant education, work experience, skills, and accomplishments.

Cover Letter:

Please provide a brief cover letter introducing yourself and explaining why you are interested in the Thread Lead, Indigenous Health and Ways of Knowing. Be sure to comment specifically on your background and experiences, as noted in the section “Qualifications” above, within medical education and any current or past involvement with the institutions providing healthcare in Brampton and surrounding areas.

Response to Application Question:

  1. In 500 words or less - Outline your strategy in developing and executing effective learning and assessment for the Thread Lead, Indigenous Health & Ways of Knowing position for the Undergraduate Program at the School of Medicine.
  2. In 500 words or less - Describe how your strategy aligns with TMU School of Medicine’s mission and ensures principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism & reconciliation, decolonization, and indigenous resurgence (EDIAA-RDIR) are adapted in the delivery of the curriculum.

Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority, in accordance with Canadian immigration regulations. Candidates must therefore indicate in their application if they are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

Serving a highly diverse student population of over 45,000, with 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning and distinguished by a professionally focussed curriculum with a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and creative activities, TMU is a vibrant, urban university known for its culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, community engagement and city-building through its award-winning architecture.

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current Academic Plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

TMU welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of “Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, Anti-Racism & Reconciliation, Decolonization, and Indigenous Resurgence (EDIAA-RDIR)and will assist us in realizing the benefits of embedding these values into the work at every level and in every unit of the university. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada and to bring lived experiences to the work, we encourage applications from members of equity deserving groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples in Canada, First Nations Peoples in the United States, racialized people, Black people, persons with disabilities, women, and  2SLGBTQ+ people.

In April 2022, the university announced our new name of Toronto Metropolitan University, which will be implemented in a phased approach. Learn more about our next chapter.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

  • We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at james13@torontomu.ca.