Musculoskeletal Imaging

Photograph of Dr. Lawrence White

Dr. Lawrence White - Divisional Head

The University of Toronto MSK Imaging division is currently composed of 15 full-time faculty staff radiologists across the fully affiliated TAHSN hospitals, and MSK fellowship-trained affiliate faculty working in community-based TAHSN affiliate hospital practices.  The division is one the smallest divisions as far as faculty numbers, with its faculty highly engaged and involved in academic activities related to MSK medical imaging at the University.   

The MSK imaging training fellowship program at the University of Toronto, has grown to become internationally renowned with over 100 international applications received annually for one of 5 annual fellowship training positions.   The MSK imaging fellowship is a true cross-institutional unified UofT training program, with all fellows rotating through clinical placements at Sick Kids, St Michael’s, University Health Network, Sinai Health System and Women’s College Hospitals.   Through the fellowship program, the division has trained and developed a network of alumni currently working in academic and non-academic settings internationally including; N. America, Europe, S. America, Middle East and Australasia. 

Excellence in teaching and trainee education has continued to be a core attribute and strength of the division, with divisional faculty involved in coordination and teaching across undergraduate, residency and fellowship training programs, as well as teaching for cross-disciplinary trainees in Orthopedic surgery, Sports Medicine, Physiatry, Oncology and Rheumatology.  Divisional faculty excellence in trainee teaching is most readily demonstrated by MSK faculty being recognized annually for excellence in resident and fellow teaching, as well as numerous MSK faculty who have been awarded the E.L. Landsdown award in-recognition of the single best teacher across the entire University Departmental faculty.  Postgraduate education is similarly a recognized strength of the MSK division, with faculty involvement as course directors and lecturers in multiple University of Toronto, as well as national and international CME meetings and courses annually.   Included amongst these activities is the ongoing annual collaborative MSK imaging course jointly coordinated between the MSK divisions at the University of Toronto and UBC, as well as ACR MSK MRI certification training courses.

Members of the MSK division have been active in research and scientific publication, with multiple academic publications authored by MSK division faculty annually.  Multidisciplinary research has been a particular strength, with the majority of divisional research initiatives performed collaboratively in-conjunction with clinical colleagues across other UofT departments or institutions nationally and internationally.  Innovations and developments in competency based training has also been a focus for the division investigating and enabling new tools and methods for training and learning, for the years ahead.  

Academic leadership has been a strength of the MSK division faculty with leadership roles held by various members of the MSK division faculty, including; TAHSN hospital Departmental leadership positions), University of Toronto and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada leadership positions, as well as leadership roles of divisional faculty internationally within the International Skeletal Society and Society of Skeletal Radiology.  

Divisional faculty and MSK imaging fellows actively participate in numerous weekly cross-disciplinary clinical care rounds, and well as virtual city-wide MSK imaging divisional rounds which have served as a valued platform for MSK faculty interaction, discussion and learning, including  multi-disciplinary sessions with colleagues from orthopedics, and welcomed participation of MSK imaging trainees and affiliate University faculty.