Transfusion Medicine
The AFC Diploma Program in Transfusion Medicine is based at the University of Toronto affiliated hospitals, as well as Canadian Blood Services.
Trainees with a background in Internal Medicine, Hematology, Pediatrics, Hematological Pathology, Anaesthesiology or General Pathology will develop the required skills and competencies to practice all aspects of Transfusion Medicine, including its foundations in the sciences and research
Program structure
The fellowship provides training in:
- the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of immunohematology, apheresis, histocompatibility, and related molecular biology and biotechnology
- management of the medical laboratory and blood centre, including quality, safety and regulatory aspects
- ensuring the appropriate use of blood
- ensuring the adequacy of supply for the blood system
- supervising the provision of a safe and effective blood supply
- supervising the banking and provision of cell therapy products and human tissues for transplantation purposes
- engaging governments, other physicians and other health professionals in Transfusion Medicine
- advancing the discipline through basic scientific and clinically applied research
Supported through:
- >120,000 whole blood donations, >6000 apheresis donations per year
- >350,000 blood products transfused per year
- >50,000 red cell antibody investigation cases per year
- >700 transfusion reaction investigations per year
- >400 bone marrow transplants
- >700 solid organ transplants per year
How you are assessed
- Complex transfusion cases
- Antibody lab reports
- In-training examinations (written, oral)
- Documented training assignments (consultation, quality projects etc.)
- Documented contribution to clinical and educational rounds/seminars
- Evidence of scholarly activity
You will submit your completed training portfolio to the RCPSC for assessment and, if successful, will obtain a diploma in official recognition of your subspecialty training.
Eligibility and how to apply
To be eligible, you must have Royal College certification in (or enrolment in a Royal College accredited residency program in these areas):
- Internal Medicine
- Hematology
- Pediatrics
- Hematological Pathology
- Anesthesiology
- General Pathology
You must be certified in your primary specialty in order to be eligible for the Royal College certification portfolio in Transfusion Medicine.
Application process
Application deadline for July start: September 1 of the prior year (for example, September 1, 2020 application deadline for July 2021 start date).
To apply, follow the same process for Clinical and Research Fellowships.
Funding
Funding is supported by Canadian Blood Services. You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to be eligible for funding.
Our graduates
All our trainees now work in centres across Canada. See below for what some of our graduates are doing now.
| Name and designations | Year completed training | Now working in Transfusion Medicine in… |
|---|---|---|
| Marc Bienz, MD, MSc, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2024 | Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec |
| Heather VanderMeulen, MD, FRCPC, MSc, DRCPSC | 2023 | Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Catherine Dube, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2022 | Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne, Centre désigné des activités transfusionnelles de la Montérégie, Greenfield Park, QC Affiliated with Université de Sherbrooke |
| Bryan Tordon, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2022 | Alberta Precision Laboratories, University of Calgary |
| Rachel Jug, MB BCh BAO, DRCPSC | 2021 | University of Cincinnati Medical Center |
| Aditi Khandelwal, BSc Hons, MDCM, MSc, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2020 | Canadian Blood Services, Unity Health-St. Michael's Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre |
| Matthew Yan MD FRCPC DRCPSC MSc | 2018 | Canadian Blood Services Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia |
| Anne-Sophie Lemay, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2016 | Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec |
| Asim Alam, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC | 2014 | Medical Director of Utilization Services, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, ON |
