Communication in Healthcare

Empowering international healthcare professionals

*In Toronto, this program is considered non-vocational.

Develop functional language skills for effective communication with patients and other healthcare professionals.

The Communication in Healthcare course is designed for international healthcare professionals and students. This program combines three weeks of intensive study of terminology and case studies, targeted to help you build crucial healthcare vocabulary in anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, with an optional one-week Observership at SickKids Children’s Hospital in Toronto that will allow you to see the language in action within a Canadian healthcare context.

Throughout the program, your learning will be enhanced through technical visits and talks with leading Canadian healthcare organizations such as March of Dimes and The Michener Institute of Education, with around six visits or talks per program.

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Why Choose Communication in Healthcare.

Master crucial healthcare vocabulary in anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology and enhance your ability to decode medical terms through affixes, word roots, and contextual meaning.
Develop functional language skills for effective communication with patients and healthcare professionals.
Improve your fluency through presentations, class discussions, and extensive listening on healthcare topics.
Learn from technical visits and talks with leading Canadian healthcare organizations.
Build knowledge and experience through an Observership with the International Learner Program at SickKids Children’s hospital in Toronto (applicable for 4 week package bookings only)

The Observership Experience

Program participants will have the exclusive opportunity to engage in observation through the International Learner Program at SickKids, launched in 2009. Designed for international healthcare professionals, the Observership will allow you to further develop your paediatric expertise.

Apply the knowledge you gain at SickKids to enhance your practice in your home country and advance your professional expertise.

*NOTE: Participants can only observe specific procedures and/or processes on site at SickKids for knowledge acquisition. Healthcare professionals are not permitted to provide direct or indirect patient care or have independent access to patient information and other related medical information and/or operating systems.

Key features of the Observership include:

A customized learning plan
Access to policies, procedures, and educational materials
Participation in patient and clinical activities
Mentorship from expert staff
One-on-one knowledge translation coaching
A Certificate of Completion

CAMPUS AVAILABLE

Toronto

PROGRAM LENGTH

ACADEMIC

Weekday 3 weeks

Academic only: 3 weeks
With Observership: 4 weeks*

*Due to the popularity of the program and limited number of available spots, observerships are awarded based on the order the applications have been received.

START DATES

- Weekday
- - - Toronto:
    - - 2025: Jul 07
      - 2026: Jan 05, Jul 06
  - Show Dates

Start dates are dependent on enrolment and are subject to change

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

ILSC University Pathway : minimum level I2
- IELTS Academic/IELTS General Training/IELTS One Skill Retake: minimum overall score of 5
- TOEFL IBT: minimum overall score of 35
- CELPIP: minimum score of 6
- Duolingo: minimum score of 80
- PTE Academic/PTE Core: minimum overall score of 41
- Cambridge Main Suite Exams: B1 Preliminary – grade B

OTHER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Students should refer to our Admissions Page for full Admission Requirements for Toronto.

This program also requires Academic and/or professional experience in healthcare. Prospective students must provide:

A Curriculum Vitae in English (For 4-week students only).
A letter from a supervisor in the healthcare sector in English (For 4-week students only).
Students should also bring a tablet or laptop computer to access digital material in class.

Study Schedules

Study schedules apply to all academic parts of your program.

Select Campus:

Toronto

Weekday

Mon-Fri
8:30 AM - 11:15 AM
11:45 AM - 13:00 PM
CLASS

Total weekly study hours = 20

Observership Schedule

Week 4 of the program, if applicable
Schedule may vary depending on available activities at SickKids at the time of the observership.

Communication in Healthcare

Empowering international healthcare professionals

Develop functional language skills for effective communication with patients and other healthcare professionals.

Why Choose Communication in Healthcare.