At Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN), professional and collaborative practice helps teams deliver safe, high-quality care.
We are committed to continuous learning and sharing knowledge. By working together, we make our healthcare system stronger and local communities healthier.
Professional Learners
WRHN partners with more than 60 colleges, universities, and education organizations across North America. Together, we support the training of future healthcare workers.
Each year, hundreds of students join our team. They work with our skilled teams to get first-hand experience in healthcare. Opportunities include:
- unpaid cooperative (co-op) placements for high school students
- unpaid clinical and non-clinical placements for post-secondary students
- clinical and medical internships
Visit the section below for more details about educational opportunities at WRHN.
High School Placements
WRHN offers co-op placements for high school students who want to explore careers in healthcare. Placements give students meaningful experiences and help them:
- develop workplace skills
- learn about different healthcare jobs
- make choices about their future career paths
WRHN partners with the Waterloo Region District School Board and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board to coordinate co-op placements. If you are interested in doing a placement at WRHN, you can find out more and apply through your school’s co-op program.
Post-Secondary Placements
Clinical placements give learners the opportunity to gain experience in roles that provide patient care. These unpaid placements are open to post-secondary students.
You will be matched with a trained, experienced team member called a preceptor. They will guide and mentor you during your placement to improve your clinical skills and care for patients.
WRHN offers many placement opportunities. Some include:
- nursing (including for nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, and personal support workers)
- pharmacy
- social work and mental health
- cancer care specialties (such as medical physics and radiation therapy)
- child life specialists
- dietetic internships
- health/medical office administration
- lab specialties
- medical imaging specialties
- medical device reprocessing
- music therapy
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy
- speech-language pathology
- spiritual care
- recreation therapy
- respiratory therapy
Non-clinical placements give students experience in healthcare roles that do not include direct patient care. These unpaid placements are open to post-secondary students.
A placement is an opportunity to apply what you have learned in the classroom, build professional skills, and be part of projects that support patient care and hospital operations. You will also get a better understanding of how a hospital works, both day-to-day and behind the scenes.
You may do a placement in areas such as:
- finance
- executive administration
- human resources
- information management
- purchasing
- communications
- organizational development
- innovation and research
How to Apply
To apply for a placement at WRHN, have your academic coordinator email our professional practice coordinator at [email protected].
Once your placement opportunity is confirmed, you will receive a welcome package. It includes pre-placement requirements you will need to complete, including:
- online e-modules
- electronic medical record training
- proof of medical records
- N95 mask fit testing
- a vulnerable sector check
You must submit your welcome package at least four weeks before your start date. You cannot begin your placement until you have completed all requirements and received clearance from our professional practice coordinator.
Residents, Physicians, & Medical Learners
At WRHN, we offer clinical placements for:
- medical students
- residents
- other medical learners
Placements are hands-on experiences in a hospital setting. Learners work with experienced physicians and care teams.
An observership is an educational experience for people studying medicine. Observers learn about providing healthcare in hospitals. Placements must be 30 hospital days or less.
Observerships are open to international medical students and graduates. Learners in research or allied health fields may also be able to apply.
Placements are only a chance to learn and observe. Observers cannot provide patient care. They must also be with their supervising physician at all times.
How to Apply
Clinical Placements
There are different ways to apply for a clinical placement at WRHN:
- McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine students: Placements are arranged by regional education leads, administrative assistants at McMaster, and the Chief of Staff Office at WRHN.
- Undergraduate Canadian or international medical learners (clerks): Apply online using the AFMC Student Portal.
- Canadian visiting electives for residents and fellows: Apply through the Mac-Care program. Submit a distributed campus placement form from McMaster or another Canadian university.
- International visiting electives for residents: Apply though McMaster University.
- Postgraduate medical learners: Email [email protected].
Learners must also submit these documents to the Chief of Staff Office:
- a registration form
- a signed confidentiality agreement
- completion of privacy awareness and accessibility courses
- proof of COVID-19 vaccination
- a letter of good standing from their home university
They are due one month before your rotation starts.
If you have questions about clinical placements, email the medical education coordinator.
Observerships
Email the Medical Education team to check if you are eligible. Before you apply, you also need to get a supervising physician. Visit the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website to find physicians affiliated with WRHN.
Then, submit your completed application, including:
- a signed observership request form
- a confidentiality agreement
- an offence declaration form
- a signed observership acknowledgement and waiver of liability
- a completed occupational health, safety and well-being form
- proof you completed the privacy and confidentiality course and the hand hygiene course
- proof of enrolment, graduation, or employment status
- a current CV or resume
- a one-page, point-form summary of your goals and learning objectives for the observership
Please also review the safety information sheets.
You can send questions and observerships applications to:
Jacob Alexander, Medical Education Coordinator
Phone: 519-749-4300, ext. 2525
Email: [email protected]
Ministry of Health Programs
The Ontario Ministry of Health offers programs that help hospitals train and support the next generation of healthcare workers. This includes students, new graduates, and internationally trained professionals.
These programs give them a chance to learn, gain experience, and build their careers. They also make our health system stronger by adding more healthcare workers and giving them good training. It also helps lower the pressure on our current healthcare teams.
WRHN takes part in the following programs:
- Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) Program is for new nursing graduates who registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) in the last 12 months.
- Enhanced Extern Program (EEP) is for students studying nursing or other healthcare fields. For more information about EEP at WRHN, email [email protected].
- Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) is for nurses trained outside of Canada or who meet requirements set by the CNO. For more information about SPEP at WRHN, email [email protected].
- Community Commitment Program for Nurses (CCPN) is for individuals who have not worked in Ontario as a nurse in the last six months.
By supporting these programs, WRHN helps build a stronger, more skilled healthcare workforce. We strive to make sure patients get excellent care and help make communities across Ontario healthier.
