Partner with the University of Toronto’s Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program to advance a meaningful project while supporting the development of a future health informatics professional.
Ready to learn more or get started?
Connect with Abbas Zavar or Dora Mugambi, the MHI practicum course instructors, to discuss becoming a preceptor and involving your department or organization in the process.
MHI Practicum at a Glance
- Course: MHI2005Y Health Informatics Practicum
- Timing: Normally May to August
- Commitment: 600 hours over approximately 16 weeks
- Schedule: Full-time, normally 37.5 hours per week
- Experience: Meaningful health informatics work with regular supervision, agreed learning objectives and performance feedback
| What Can an MHI Student Contribute? | What Does a Host Organization Provide? |
|---|---|
| Depending on their background and your organization’s needs, students may support: · Digital health and clinical information-system projects · Workflow, process and requirements analysis · Data analysis, business intelligence and evaluation · Product, program or project implementation · Change management and technology adoption · Knowledge management, reporting and communication | The host organization is expected to: · Participate in the recruitment and required agreement processes · Work with the student to establish responsibilities and learning objectives · Provide meaningful work and sufficient activities for 600 hours · Assign a preceptor who can supervise the student and meet with them regularly · Provide the systems, access, equipment and resources needed for the role · Complete the interim and final performance evaluations · Promptly report concerns or important changes to the placement |
Interested in Hosting an MHI Student?
- Submit your opportunity
- Please complete the Practicum Preceptor Interest Form. For questions or help developing the opportunity contact course instructors Abbas Zavar or Dora Mugambi.
- Position review and posting
- The MHI team will review the proposed position. Once approved, it will be shared with students through Quercus, the University’s learning platform.
- Student applications
- Students will apply by the stated deadline. After the deadline, IHPME will send the application packages to the host organization.
- Host selection
- The host reviews the applications, invites selected candidates for interviews, selects a student and completes its recruitment process. Recruitment should be finalized before May 2027. All required University placement documentation must be completed before the student begins.
- During the practicum
- The preceptor provides regular supervision, supports the student’s learning objectives, and completes the interim and final performance evaluations.
Practicum Timeline
| Phase 1 – Recruiting | |
|---|---|
| Job postings submitted | November 2, 2026 to January 15, 2027 |
| Job postings live to students | January 20, 2027 |
| Student applications sent to employers | February 3, 2027 |
| Interview period | February 16 to 27, 2027 |
| Release of job offers and practicum contracts | by March 5, 2027 |
| Practicum placements begin (contract dependent) | May 3, 2027 |
| Phase 2 – Continuous | |
|---|---|
| Job postings to be submitted | January 15, 2027 onwards |
| Student applications forwarded to employers | Rolling |
| Interview period | Rolling (March to April) |
| Practicum placements begin (contract dependent) | May 3, 2027 |
Opportunities received after January may be considered through the rolling process. Applications and interviews will generally take place from March to April, depending on timing and student availability.
Ready to get started?
Submit the MHI Practicum Preceptor Interest Form
For questions, contact Abbas Zavar or Dora Akinyi Mugambi.
FAQ’s
The practicum is the applied-learning component of the MHI program. Students complete 600 hours of supervised work and apply their graduate learning to a meaningful health informatics role or project.
MHI students come from varied healthcare, technology, analytics, business and information-management backgrounds. Before beginning their practicum, they complete graduate coursework, workshops and applied projects in health informatics.
Students may contribute to digital health implementation, workflow improvement, requirements analysis, data and business intelligence, evaluation, project coordination, change management and knowledge management. Responsibilities should be appropriately scoped and connected to health informatics learning.
Potential hosts include healthcare organizations, government and public agencies, research organizations, consulting firms, technology vendors, pharmaceutical and medical-device organizations, planning bodies and community agencies.
The most important considerations are meaningful health informatics work, sufficient activities for 600 hours, regular supervision and a supportive learning environment.
The preceptor is the student’s primary supervisor and the host’s main contact with the MHI program. The preceptor helps establish responsibilities and learning objectives, provides regular guidance and feedback, supports access to appropriate people and resources, completes the required evaluations and raises concerns promptly.
The preceptor works with the student to complete:
- The course-specific Placement Agreement during the first week
- The Learning Contract during the first week
- The Interim Performance Evaluation around the midpoint
- The Final Performance Evaluation during the final week
Students are responsible for their biweekly updates and final report.
Yes. The course instructors can help refine the proposed responsibilities, scope, learning value and expected activities. You may contact the instructors before submitting the Interest Form or submit an early project idea for discussion.
- Our goal is for every MHI student to complete a paid practicum placement.
- The recommended salary is $25–$30 per hour, or an equivalent stipend.
- The practicum includes 600 hours of full-time work, normally completed over 16 weeks at 37.5 hours per week from May to August.
- Start and end dates may be arranged with the student, provided the placement is completed before the fall term.
The student may begin only after the Student Placement Coordinator confirms that the institutional Student Placement Agreement and all required pre-start documentation are complete.
The institutional agreement is separate from the course Placement Agreement and Learning Contract completed during the first week.
Students submit brief updates every two weeks about their completed hours, activities, progress toward learning objectives, meetings with their preceptor and any concerns. Preceptors provide regular feedback and complete the interim and final evaluations.
The host may contact the course instructors at any time if questions or concerns arise.
A student may be eligible for the separate MHI2010H Practicum Extension elective after completing all MHI2005Y requirements or receiving a formal waiver.
An extension is not automatic. It must be reviewed and approved before the student and host make a commitment or begin extension activities. MHI2010H cannot be used to make up incomplete MHI2005Y hours.
In the Words of Our Preceptors
As integral members of the team, MHI students bring a fresh perspective to the table. The students contribute ideas and solutions that are based in best practice, proven strategies and real-life scenarios.”
Giuseppe Cammisa
Director, Project Management Office
Unity Health Toronto
The students I have mentored from the MHI Program have been outstanding and have contributed significantly to the successful completion of a number of our IM/IT projects.
Jan Walker
VP Strategy, Innovation and CIO
West Park Healthcare Centre