An initiative of
Dr. Shazia Ambreen
Program Director
Justin van Lieshout & Matthew Armour
TMU Family Practice Anesthesia Program Highlights
The TMU Family Practice Anesthesia (FPA) Program offers a truly immersive and innovative training experience that prepares residents for excellence in both urban and rural settings. What sets TMU apart is the diversity of its clinical exposure, progressive teaching methods, and a collaborative learning model alongside Royal College anesthesia residents.
Our residents train in a wide range of high-volume surgical environments, including dentistry, endoscopy, general surgery, ENT, gynecology, obstetrics, orthopedics, pediatrics, urology and plastic surgery. This broad clinical experience is further enriched by unique opportunities such as regional anesthesia, out-of-hospital surgeries, ICU rotations, and tracheostomy management for complex patient populations, reflecting the diversity of the communities served by our clinical partners.
TMU’s strong network of training sites, including William Osler Health System, Trillium Health Partners, Headwaters Health Care Centre, and Halton Healthcare, ensures exposure to both tertiary care and community-based anesthesia practice.
At the heart of our program is an innovative curriculum design. Residents participate in a highly integrated Anesthesia Boot Camp alongside Royal College trainees, engaging in advanced case-based learning, hands-on skills workshops, and high-fidelity simulation sessions that prepare them for both common and rare perioperative emergencies. Additional POCUS Boot Camp is tailored to individual skill levels, offering personalized learning tracks. These sessions feature multiple live models and instruction by certified faculty, providing an unparalleled hands-on experience.
We place a strong emphasis on continuity of care by encouraging residents to follow select patients throughout their perioperative journey from preoperative assessment through intraoperative management to postoperative follow-up. This approach fosters ownership, accountability, and reflective practice.
Residents are also supported through protected Academic Half Days, delivered in collaboration with McMaster and Royal College anesthesia faculty. These sessions provide high-yield, exam-focused content while promoting team-based, interdisciplinary learning.
TMU residents benefit from the flexibility to personalize their training, pursue scholarly work, and explore areas of interest that shape their future careers. They also develop critical appraisal and research skills through projects relevant to rural and community anesthesia practice.
Above all, TMU offers a supportive, collegial, and forward-thinking faculty team that values mentorship and innovation. With access to simulation, cutting-edge educational tools, and collaborative academic opportunities, residents are empowered to maximize their learning while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
By joining TMU, you will gain not only exceptional clinical training but also the leadership, adaptability, and innovative mindset needed to excel in any anesthesia practice environment.
The TMU School of Medicine currently has clinical partnerships with multiple major training sites:
Residency training will utilize a distributed model, which may involve training at any of these sites, allowing for learning in various environments, including community and clinical settings, urban and rural areas, and inpatient and outpatient settings. While the majority of resident training will be focused in Peel and surrounding communities, additional learning experiences may take place at other training sites within Canada through Inter-University Affiliation Agreements. These agreements are subject to change and may result in training at sites other than those listed above.
Travel to various locations will be required. Access to a personal vehicle will be beneficial; however, anyone with access to a reliable means of transportation is also encouraged to consider this program.
