Province announces support to expand number of medical school seats at 成人大片

Health Care

Province announces support to expand number of medical school seats at 成人大片

Expansion includes seats for new Queen鈥檚-Lakeridge Health family medicine training program to alleviate doctor shortage in the region.

By Dave Rideout

April 24, 2023

Share

Representatives from Queen's, the Government of Ontario, and Lakeridge Health deliver remarks at the press event.
Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, shares remarks during the announcement event at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario. Also visible, from left to right: Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham; Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby; Jane Philpott, Dean of Queen's Health Sciences; Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance; and Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Queen鈥檚 is among several post-secondary institutions named during an announcement today that is being marked as the provincial government鈥檚 largest expansion of medical education in a decade.

Ontario鈥檚 Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, highlighted the investment鈥攁s outlined in the province鈥檚 Budget 2023鈥攄uring an event held in Oshawa at Lakeridge Health. She was joined by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, and Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy, for the announcement.

鈥淲e鈥檙e training the next generation of Ontario doctors right here at home,鈥 says Minister Dunlop. 鈥淓xpanding the number of medical seats that prioritize Ontarians will make it easier for the homegrown doctors of tomorrow to receive training and provide world-class health care where it is needed most.鈥

In May 2022, Queen鈥檚 and Lakeridge Health a new joint education and training program designed to address the ongoing family physician shortage in southeastern Ontario communities鈥攁 that could receive further support from the newly-announced funding.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to collaborate with Queen鈥檚 University on the recent launch of the innovative Queen鈥檚-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program that鈥檚 focused on training the next generation of primary care physicians,鈥 says Cordelia Clarke Julien, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Lakeridge Health. 鈥淲e recognize that access to family doctors is at the core of a healthy population. Today鈥檚 announcement goes a long way to addressing the chronic physician shortage, while fostering healthy communities in Central East Ontario.鈥

The project builds on a long-standing partnership between the two institutions. Twenty of the recently announced medical school seats will be allocated to the Lakeridge Health satellite campus where students will engage in classroom training and participate in clinical placements in communities in southeastern Ontario early in their education.

鈥淥ntario is responding to the doctor shortage crisis by investing in the people, and the training, who will provide the care we need,鈥 says Jane Philpott, Dean of Queen鈥檚 Health Sciences, who spoke during the announcement. 鈥淨ueen鈥檚 new medical school seats, including those located at Lakeridge Health for our new MD Family Medicine Program starting this fall, will allow us to significantly increase the number of our graduates making a difference for patients in communities, clinics, and hospitals.鈥

The expansion of medical education also advances the university鈥檚 work to strengthen its local and regional presence and impact, as championed by its recent Queen鈥檚 Strategy.

鈥淐ommunities across Ontario are facing a shortage of doctors, and Queen鈥檚 University applauds the government鈥檚 investments to create new spaces in the province鈥檚 medical schools,鈥 says Patrick Deane, Queen鈥檚 Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淨ueen鈥檚 is pleased to be a partner in training more family physicians and other specialists to help provide the care that Ontarians need.鈥

Learn more about today鈥檚 and the .

Health and Medicine
Health Sciences