After earning his medical degree at the University of Manitoba and his psychiatry residency at the University of Toronto, he continued his studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received a Masters of Health Professions Education. Until taking on his new role at CAMH, he served as Deputy, Psychiatrist-in-Chief at the University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Continuing Professional and Practice Development for Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
No stranger to CAMH, Dr. Sockalingam is co-leading our Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Ontario Mental Health, a national leading practice that aims to build capacity for delivering excellent mental health care in primary care settings. His research and education contributions have been recognized through national and international grants and awards and his initiatives are strengthening the relationship between quality improvement and continuing professional development.
While at UHN, Dr. Sockalingam advanced psychosocial care in obesity by leading the development of an integrated Bariatric Surgery Psychosocial Program. Some of his other work on system change in the lead up to his appointment at CAMH included integrating medical psychiatry into the University of Toronto MD Program Foundations Curriculum, which helps future physicians become equipped to recognize and attend to the holistic needs of patients.