Pathways Beyond Med School: The Michener Institute

5 min readMar 30, 2024

It’s easy to think that medical school is the only viable path for those interested in the healthcare field — but that’s far from the truth! There are countless ways for you to get involved in the field and make a meaningful impact in patients’ lives. One way to do this is through the Michener Institute of Education, a post-secondary institute located in downtown Toronto.

The Michener Institute is also part of the University Health Network (UHN), the largest research hospital in Canada, which gives students access to stellar training and state-of-the-art facilities. Additionally, some of the programs at Michener are offered in collaboration with the University of Toronto.

What Will I Learn (& How Much Will I Pay)?

There are many programs offered through Michener that will help you learn about various aspects of the healthcare field from medical imaging to laboratory sciences (more on the specific programs in the next section). Many of the programs include both in-person and online components. All the programs explored below are two- or three-year programs.

The programs also include both theoretical and hands-on learning to best prepare students for the workforce. In addition, there’s a focus on teaching students how to best interact with patients.

In terms of tuition, the programs (for the entirety of the two or three years) cost between $20,000 to $30,000 for domestic students. Learn more here.

Programs and Requirements

The Michener Institute has a myriad of healthcare programs — such as Medical Laboratory Science and Medical Resonance Imaging — with various options for how to apply to the program. Several programs have direct-entry pathways, meaning you can apply straight out of high school, while others require some university experience or a completed bachelor’s degree. We’ll be focusing on full-time direct-entry programs and ones that you can apply to midway through university, which include:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (First Discipline): Direct Entry (as well as option for post-secondary students)
Medical Laboratory Science: Direct Entry
Respiratory Therapy: Direct Entry
Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology: University of Toronto Joint Program
Radiation Therapy: University of Toronto Joint Program
Radiological Technology: University of Toronto Joint Program

All of the programs involve the same few basic steps for application:

Apply online. This may be through Ontario Colleges Application Service (OCAS), the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), or Michener Self-Service depending on the type of program — which we’ll talk more about soon.
Complete the Computer Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer).
Submit necessary documents. These may include reference letters, letters of intent, and more — which we’ll again explore further below.

Let’s now take a look at the specific requirements for each program.

Direct Entry Programs

Medical Laboratory Science and Respiratory Therapy are both programs that are open to students who have completed their high school education. They also have very similar requirements in terms of required grades and courses:

Minimum average of 75%
A minimum in 70% in the following courses:
English: ENG4U
Math: Any 4U level course
Chemistry: SCH4U
Biology: SBI4U
Physics: SPH3U or SPH4U*
One or two additional*

*With regards to biology and physics, the two programs differ somewhat. Medical Laboratory Science requires either biology or physics (though biology is strongly recommended). Meanwhile, Respiratory Therapy requires both. Apart from these, Medical Laboratory Science requires two additional 4M or 4U credits while Respiratory Therapy requires one.

Also noteworthy is that the Michener website says that both SPH3U or SPH4U are accepted while a recent webinar only listed SPH4U. If you’re considering applying, you may want to contact the Institute about this.

If you don’t meet the course requirements, courses from university may also be accepted if you have a 65% the course and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 70%.

Lastly, as with all Michener programs, you must complete CASPer. No other documents are needed, and applications take place through OCAS.

As for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging program, there is a lot of flexibility. You may apply straight out of high school, after one year of university, or have a diploma or college degree in a healthcare field.

For those applying after obtaining their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, you’ll need an 85% average on your top 6 courses and an 85% in ENG4U, SBI4U, and any 4U math. We’ll explore the requirements for post-secondary students in the next section.

Mid-Post-Secondary Programs

Continuing with the Magnetic Resonance Imaging program, for those who’ve completed a year of university, you’ll need the following:

Minimum 70% average on a full year of courses
One semester of first-year biology
One semester of first-year math (any math course works)

Now onto the joint U of T programs: Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology, Radiation Therapy, and Radiological Technology.

They all have similar admission requirements:

Minimum CGPA of 2.70 (B-) and one year of university education
One semester of biology
One semester of math (a course with a focus on algebra or calculus)
One semester of physics
One semester of social sciences (sociology, economics, social geography, political science, anthropology, women’s studies, criminology, possibly psychology courses)
CASPer

Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology specifically requires some chemistry, though a 4U chemistry credit from high school is sufficient.

For more information about specific courses from various universities that qualify, take a look at this website and email mrs.admissions@utoronto.ca if you have any questions.

This application process also includes an interview.

What Comes After?

The programs at Michener prepare students for the workforce very well and most are able to get a job straight after graduating. In 2022/2023, 84.5% of students were satisfied with the program. In 2020/21 (the latest year with available data), 79.4% of graduates were employed.

The programs also prepare graduates to receive credentials such as those from the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists and the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences after writing the appropriate tests, which can help with employability.

Overall, the Michener Institute can be a great option for those interested in a variety of healthcare pathways. (If you’re considering applying, this webinar is another great place to get information). Good luck to any who decide to apply!

About the Author

Parmin Sedigh is a stem cell and science communications enthusiast. She’s also a first-year student at the University of Toronto, studying life sciences. You can usually find her on her computer following her curiosity. Connect with her on LinkedIn.