Welcome to UHN

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Are you a new UHN trainee? Here’s what you need to know.
Posted On: September 19, 2018
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The University Health Network welcomes the next generation of groundbreaking researchers. Image courtesy of Candice Tang.

By: Candice Tang, UHN Trainee and ORT Times Writer

To all new Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows: welcome to the University Health Network, the largest health care research organization in Canada. As with the beginning of any new position, new students and employees spend a few weeks getting familiar with the new space, completing mandatory training, and exploring what the organization has to offer before diving into their work. Settling into a new research group at UHN is no different—here’s what you need to know.

The very beginning

First, you will need your UHN photo ID, key card, and web access. These will allow you to navigate both the physical and web spaces of UHN. Your UHN email, login credentials and web access are essential for completing mandatory training, accessing the intranet, and storing or accessing files on internal servers. If you receive your pay or stipend through UHN payroll, you will have access to MyLearning—a centralized hub for training modules, class registration, and eLearning-course enrolment. UHN Digital Research (formerly Research Information Systems) can help you get started with most of these. If you recieve pay or stipend from an external source or are a research volunteer, please contact the ORT (ort.admin@uhnresearch.ca). 

Tip: Set up Remote Desktop access so that you can access the UHN intranet from home.

UHN Services

ORT—The Office of Research Trainees is a support and information resource for research volunteers, students (undergraduate, MSc and PhD) and Postdoctoral Fellows conducting research at UHN. On the ORT website, you can find information on immunizations, income tax filing, housing, daycare and fun events in downtown Toronto. You can also plan for life beyond UHN by attending workshops and events that focus on career development.

Tip: The website features a list of internal and external funding opportunities—add these to your calendar to ensure you don’t miss a deadline!

The shuttle—A free shuttle service is offered between Toronto Western Hospital (Krembil Research Institute) and Toronto General Hospital (Toronto General Hospital Research Institute) Monday to Friday, 6am–8pm. 

Tip: The TWH-TGH shuttle runs approximately every 15 minutes but get there 5–10 minutes early in case the shuttle is early or late!

Microsoft 365—UHN’s migration to Microsoft Office 365 has made online communication and file sharing much simpler. One of the best perks is access to 1 terabyte of storage on OneDrive, which can serve as a useful backup of research data. You also have the option to share specific files with specific people and to keep local copies of these files on your computer. This feature is helpful if you are working on a grant application or publication with a team.

Tip: Organize your folders and files according to how frequently you access them and whether they will be shared with others. For example, keep papers of interest and miscellaneous documents in a “Personal” folder, share your data and presentations with your PI in a “Research” folder, and store clinical data (not to be shared or synced with a non-UHN computer) in a “Confidential” folder.

Quick tips from fellow trainees

1. Start your training as soon as possible. You won’t be able to pick up your lab’s techniques without the appropriate training and access to the facilities and equipment you need.

2. Get a citation manager like EndNote or Mendeley to easily organize references and create bibliographies for papers and presentations. Check out this UT Libraries resource on choosing the best program for your needs.

3. Attend free seminars at your institution or other affiliated institutions like the University of Toronto (e.g., the GPS Program, Mitacs).

4. Stay connected with your Department or Institute to learn about funding and teaching opportunities.

5. Create an NCBI account on PubMed (it’s free!). You can save your searches, receive email alerts when new articles are published, and access numerous online resources that will improve your research.

6. Follow UHN Research on Facebook and @UHN_Research on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest UHN research news.

From all of us at the ORT, we wish you all the best on your new journey.