On Tuesday, the Ontario Government announced that it would be expanding medical school seats at Queen’s University and at medical schools across the province. The province says that this is the largest expansion in undergraduate and postgraduate education in over 10 years.
Over the next five years, 160 undergraduate seats and 265 postgraduate positions will be added to all six of the province’s medical schools. Queen’s University will see 20 undergraduate seats and 30 postgraduate seats added. Others schools across the province will also see a jump in enrolment:
- Ryerson University will receive 80 undergraduate seats and 95 postgraduate positions
- University of Toronto will receive 30 undergraduate seats and 45 postgraduate positions
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine will receive 30 undergraduate seats, and 41 postgraduate positions
- Western University, McMaster University and University of Ottawa will each receive 28 postgraduate positions.
“Ontario’s health care professionals are some of the finest practitioners in the world and that is a testament to the education they receive through Ontario’s universities and colleges,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “This expansion will increase access to family and specialty physicians and other health care professionals in every corner of the province to ensure that Ontarians can access the health care they need, when they need it, wherever they may live.”
On the same day, the province also announced that it will make a $3 wage increase for PSW’s permanent and would invest an additional $10 million in an effort to connect youth with mental health services in the province.
