The Annual IEHPs Summit 2025

Theme – Bridging Borders: IEHPs into Practice

Saturday, November 22, 2025
9:30 am – 1:00 pm EST
📍  YMCA of Greater Toronto, 20 Grosvenor St, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2V5

About the Summit

The Annual IEHPs Summit by Pegasus Institute is a national program supporting internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) as they transition into the Canadian healthcare workforce.

This year’s summit focuses on workforce integration through licensure, mentorship, and sector collaboration — bringing together IEHPs, employers, and community partners.

Event Agenda

9:30 AM EST
9:30 AM EST

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Saida Azam (PEGASUS Institute)

9:40 AM EST
9:40 AM EST

Workforce Integration & Alternative Career Options

Panel Discussion – Mohammed Nashat, Dwight Baker, Gilbert Shongo, Saida Azam 

10:20 AM EST
10:20 AM EST

Breakout Room Discussion by Profession

Medicine
Dr. Filipe Santos (translation services available with Wordly AI : https://attend.wordly.ai/join/VYET-4631)


Nursing
Dr. Nasrin Alostaz (English)
Houda Zrelli et Gilbert Shongo (en français)


Pharmacy
Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh

12:00 PM EST
12:00 PM EST

Partners' Spotlight & Networking

12:45 PM EST
12:45 PM EST

Closing Remarks

Dwight Baker (PEGASUS Institute)

Key Program Features

  • Profession-specific guidance on navigating Canadian licensure pathways
  • Direct connections with employers and community partners
  • Workforce integration programs supporting IEHPs into healthcare roles
  • Mentorship, observership, and shadowing opportunities
  • Bilingual and inclusive engagement across Anglophone and Francophone IEHP streams

Speakers

Dr. Filipe Santos, MD, PhD, MScCH, FRCPC

Dr. Filipe Santos, MD, PhD, MScCH, FRCPC

Assistant Professor - Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto (You can just say "Assistant Professor, University of Toronto" for short) Anesthesiologist (FRCPC) Independent IMG Consultant

Dr. Filipe Nadir Caparica Santos is a Brazilian-Canadian anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, where he also serves as Simulation Lead and Fellowship Coordinator in the Department of Anesthesia at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. After completing his MD, residency training, and a PhD in Pharmacology in Brazil, Dr. Santos moved to Canada in 2017, where he pursued additional postgraduate training and earned a Master of Science in Community Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Drawing from his personal experience as an internationally trained physician, he is deeply committed to advocacy and mentorship in medical education and licensure. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2023. Since 2024, he has been actively assisting IMGs and supporting the development of equitable and transparent pathways for international medical graduates to enter the Canadian healthcare system.

Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh

Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh

Associate Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo

Dr. Wasem Alsabbagh received his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Damascus University in 2000. He then obtained his Canadian Board of Pharmacy certification and Ontario license in 2006, subsequently practicing as a hospital pharmacist in Ontario, Canada until 2008. He also acquired his US board certification and is licensed with the Michigan Board of Pharmacy. He commenced his Ph.D. studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, successfully completing his degree and starting his appointment with the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 2015 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023.

Dr. Alsabbagh’s primary teaching focus is on pharmacotherapeutics courses, particularly those related to cardiovascular diseases, as well as courses addressing healthcare systems and the role of pharmacy practice. These courses enable pharmacy students to develop the skills necessary to effectively communicate therapeutic plans to patients, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals. Additionally, conveying research findings about pharmacy practice to stakeholders in the healthcare system is essential for advocating the expanding role of pharmacists within the healthcare system.

Dr. Alsabbagh’s research interests include administrative databases, pharmacoepidemiology, drug safety and effectiveness, and pharmaceutical care.

Nasrin Alostaz

Nasrin Alostaz

IEHP Nursing Content Specialist and Consultant

Nasrin is a distinguished Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) with a blend of academic excellence and professional expertise. Holding a Ph.D. in Nursing, she serves as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Athabasca University’s School of Nursing. Her work focuses on developing evidence-informed policies that support the integration of IENs into the Canadian nursing workforce and advance the healthcare system. Nasrin brings a rich multicultural perspective to her professional endeavours. With extensive experience, she is deeply invested in fostering a healthcare system that values diversity and inclusion.

Driven by her passion for supporting IENs, Nasrin is committed to addressing the systemic challenges they face when transitioning into new healthcare systems. She advocates for equitable policies and empowers IENs to succeed professionally. Since 2021, she has actively collaborated with PEGASUS Institute as an advisor, contributing to innovative initiatives aimed at helping IENs navigate their professional pathways in Canada. Her unwavering dedication stems from a firm belief in the critical role of diversity in enhancing global healthcare. By championing IENs and their contributions, Nasrin continues to lead efforts to build equitable, inclusive, and effective healthcare systems.

Houda Zrelli

Houda Zrelli

Facilitatrice (en français)

Houda Zrelli est coordonnatrice de projets au Réseau Franco-Santé du Sud de l’Ontario, où elle œuvre depuis plus de trois ans à la mise en place d’initiatives favorisant l’intégration des professionnels de la santé formés à l’étranger et la promotion de l’équité en santé.

En parallèle, elle appuie le volet francophone de Pegasus Institute pour le programme destiné aux professionnels de la santé formés à l’étranger, un rôle qu’elle occupe également depuis plus de trois ans.

Formée comme infirmière, Houda a travaillé en bloc post-opératoire, une expérience qui lui permet de comprendre concrètement les défis du milieu clinique et les réalités du système de santé. Elle a aussi exercé comme agente de liaison sociocommunautaire au Centre de santé du Grand Sudbury, où elle a contribué à renforcer les liens entre les communautés et les services de santé.

Reconnue pour son leadership, son sens de la collaboration et son engagement envers l’accès équitable aux soins, Houda a notamment contribué au développement d’une formation sur le système de santé ontarien disponible sur la plateforme Accès ÉQUITÉ, reflétant sa passion pour l’innovation et l’amélioration continue en santé francophone.

Gilbert Shongo

Gilbert Shongo

Facilitatrice (en français)

Je suis Gilbert Shongo, infirmier autorisé passionné par l’excellence des soins et l’innovation. Fort de six années d’expérience au Centre Médical Diamant, établi depuis 1995 au Canada et depuis 2013 en République démocratique du Congo, j’y ai d’abord travaillé comme infirmier d’urgence pendant trois ans, avant d’être promu coordonnateur des soins infirmiers, puis chef de service à la tête d’une équipe de plus de soixante infirmières. J’y ai également travaillé activement comme membre du comité des projets dans le cadre de la mise en place du système de management de la qualité ISO 9001 pour les départements de nursing, contribuant ainsi à l’amélioration continue des pratiques et à la performance des soins.

Titulaire d’un graduat en sciences infirmières et d’un diplôme en leadership et gestion des soins, j’ai également suivi des formations en médecine d’urgence à la Harvard Medical School. Aujourd’hui, j’exerce à titre d’infirmier autorisé à la Résidence Prescott et Russell en Ontario.

En parallèle, je collabore avec Coltan Multiservices, une entreprise spécialisée dans la conception et le développement de logiciels, afin de créer des solutions numériques qui modernisent la pratique infirmière.

En tant que membre du Blast Club France, j’investis dans des startups innovantes œuvrant dans les domaines de la santé, de l’éducation et de l’intelligence artificielle .

Organized By

Pegasus Institute

In partnership with The Canadian Medical Foundation