York University is advancing plans to establish a new School of Medicine to address critical health care needs in Ontario while building on the University's strengths in health-related research and education. This Q&A addresses key questions about the project, with a focus on financial implications, infrastructure plans and academic considerations.
Academic Planning
The three-year curriculum is based on evidence-informed approaches, not cost-cutting. Research shows students in three-year programs perform as well as those in four-year programs. This model, successfully used at McMaster and the University of Calgary, allows students to enter practice sooner, reduces student debt and helps address physician shortages more quickly.
The school will admit 80 MD students per year, building to a total enrollment of 240 students over three years. This size aligns expenditures with secured government funding while meeting regional health care needs.
Organizational Model
The School of Medicine Planning Group recommends establishing the School of Medicine as a new unit within the Faculty of Health. This model best aligns with two core features of the school’s vision: delivering interprofessional education and providing a stronger social determinants perspective on health care. It also promotes efficient sharing of resources among health disciplines. The model emerged through extensive consultation, including early planning discussions with the Faculty of Health, review by the School of Medicine Planning Group, discussion at Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee (APPRC), and at Senate in December 2024. It is consistent with trends at other medical universities and with advice from most Canadian medical school deans.
Integration within the Faculty of Health creates multiple advantages for medical education and health care delivery:
- Enables direct collaboration between medical students and other health professionals in training
- Creates shared learning experiences across health disciplines
- Strengthens focus on social determinants of health
- Promotes holistic understanding of health care delivery
- Benefits from shared Faculty of Health infrastructure and resources
- Builds on established community partnerships
- Builds on and offers further opportunities for curricular and research collaboration already in place with other Faculties
This integrated model uniquely positions the School of Medicine to connect medical education with broader health and wellness expertise. Medical students will train alongside other health professionals, developing team-based care competencies and a deeper understanding of different health care roles. The structure emphasizes preventive and community-based care approaches while promoting a comprehensive understanding of social factors affecting health outcomes. All of these elements are essential for modern health care delivery.
Medical schools have a different type of faculty complement compared to other units of a university because a significant proportion of the teaching must be done by clinical faculty who are practising physicians or other health care professionals. The school will have two main types of faculty:
- Clinical Faculty: Practising physicians and health care professionals who teach part-time while maintaining their medical practice. These will form the majority of the teaching complement.
- Non-Clinical Faculty: A smaller group of full-time tenure stream academics teaching areas such as life sciences, ethics, clinical psychology, social sciences and interdisciplinary fields. These positions may be filled by current York faculty or through recruitment of new faculty members. The number of non-clinical faculty required is subject to development of the full curriculum and faculty complement plan
Financial Planning & Resources
Capital costs will be funded through philanthropy and partner support and will not negatively impact the budgets of other Faculties. The City of Vaughan has already contributed land valued at $20 million. Conversations continue with donors who have committed funds and further information will be forthcoming. A new building will not be funded by adding to the University’s debt. If sufficient external funding is not in place before construction needs to begin for a Fall 2028 launch, York has developed alternative phase 1 plans to accommodate medical students at the Keele campus by repurposing existing space, minimizing costs while addressing some deferred maintenance issues and enhancing academic infrastructure to meet future needs of other Faculties.
The operating costs will be fully covered by new funding committed by the Province (approximately $100 million annually) and medical student tuition fees. This funding comes from special envelopes from the Ministry of Health, as well as from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. This funding is above and beyond the University’s current enrolment grants and available only for a medical school. The government has also provided $9 million to support the planning.
No. While concerns about budget reallocations are understandable, Faculty budgets will not be reduced to fund the new school. The University’s capital plan for the School of Medicine is structured to safeguard existing resources by relying on external partnerships and philanthropic contributions. Any contribution from the University Fund would follow the same process as any other request to the University Fund Council and be within the range of that provided to other Faculties for major new initiatives in the past.
The University will not take on additional debt for the School of Medicine. York has a Board-approved plan to repay all existing debt ($600 million) as it comes due, starting in 2042. The School of Medicine's capital project will only proceed once sufficient external funding is in hand.
Operating costs will be fully covered by new provincial funding (approximately $100 million annually) and medical student tuition fees. This funding comes from special envelopes that are above and beyond the University’s current enrolment grants and available only for a medical school.
The University’s financial approach is grounded in strong partnerships and provincial support. The government’s commitment of new special envelope funding ensures the school will have a self-sufficient operating budget. Integrating the school with other health disciplines in the Faculty of Health will allow for efficient sharing of resources. By focusing on a community-based care model, addressing health inequities, and training primary care physicians, the school is designed to meet urgent regional needs without overextending the University’s capacity. This targeted approach positions York as a leader in modern, accessible health education. In an increasingly competitive environment, having a medical school is an opportunity for York to enhance our reputation, attract more students not only in the medical school but for York more broadly, increase research funding, and strengthen partnerships. A unique set of external factors including the shortage of primary care doctors has made it possible at this time for York to advance our goal to have a medical school that has been in our academic plans for decades.
Yes. The provincial government has committed both a $9 million planning grant and operational funding starting in 2028, when the first class of students will begin their studies. A detailed funding model is being developed in close consultation with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and Ministry of Health. Additionally, the City of Vaughan is providing land within the Vaughan Health Care Centre Precinct near Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, creating a strong foundation for the school's future. The school will also attract enrolment, research funds and donations.
No. The current financial challenges facing York (and the higher education sector in Ontario and Canada to varying degrees) have nothing to do with the medical school. Policy decisions that froze tuition fees and capped international enrolment are largely responsible for a significant decline in revenue that is affecting some Faculties more than others depending, for example, on the extent to which a Faculty relies on international enrolment. The Faculties of the Future project is one of 17 initiatives in the York U Forward Action Plan that was developed to address these changing circumstances in ways that aligned with the priorities of our University Academic Plan and the future of higher education. Consultations are now underway to explore the potential of reorganizing academic units. It should be noted that the projects in the Action Plan were also informed by the recommendations in the Auditor General of Ontario’s Report of 2023 which called on us to address rising deficits in some Faculties as well as the sustainability of programs with low or declining enrolment. The University must respond to these recommendations and current issues. Moving forward with the medical school will help York to attract new students and resources, and is one of the positive steps the University can take to ensure its future sustainability, along with other steps under the Action Plan.
No. The Markham campus has a start-up deficit like any new initiative, but it is doing better than the approved operating deficit by tightly controlling expenses and aligning faculty and staff hiring with enrolment. The province is providing operating grants for enrolment at the Markham campus over and above our enrolment corridor for Keele and Glendon, which is frozen, creating an important opportunity to increase University revenues. The Markham start-up deficit has also been “ring fenced” to segregate it from the Faculty budgets, which reflect only the activities of the Faculties at the Keele or Glendon campuses. The Markham campus was opened in Fall 2024 and has admitted only one class of students so far, with just under 400 students making up the inaugural cohort. Enrolments will rise steadily with the admission of subsequent classes. In-year surpluses are planned at the Markham campus by 2029-30.
No. The total project cost to build the Markham campus was $280 million and this was partially funded by borrowing $135 million. Interest on the debt is borne exclusively by the Markham Campus budget which is separate from Faculty budgets. The principal amount of the debt is due in 2060 and it will be covered by the sinking fund that the University has established to repay all of its debentures. The sinking fund is made up of initial funding from University operations prior to the implementation of SHARP Budget model and on-going contributions from ancillary operations that benefitted from some of the University's debentures and accumulated interest. Markham Campus will start making payments into the sinking fund in 2034-35, at $2.2 million annually, which will compound with investment so that the capital debt can be repaid in 2060.
All universities in Ontario must have the support of the provincial government in order to proceed with a medical school. The current government, and the opposition, are strongly supportive of expanding the province’s capacity to produce medical doctors and other health personnel. The government is enthusiastic about York’s plans for a School of Medicine and its focus on community health, and has scheduled regular meetings with the University to ensure they are providing the support needed so that York can welcome its first class of students in 2028. Given the urgent need for primary care physicians in Ontario and based on the conversations that the University’s government relations team has had with MPPs from various parties the risk of a change in government support is low.
The University has a Board-approved plan to repay all existing debt ($600 million) as it comes due, starting in 2044. While School of Medicine will open before then, the School of medicine’s capital project will only proceed once sufficient external funding is in hand.
No. The budget for deferred maintenance will not be reduced to pay for a School of Medicine. Any temporary space needed at the Keele campus would be prepared with an eye to reducing deferred maintenance, as with all renovation projects, and enhancing future space for other academic activities.
In discussion with external partners, the University is exploring options for low-cost temporary space both on and off campus. To the extent any renovations are needed that cannot be funded by external monies, a strategic allocation from the University Fund may be required. Any renovations would be done with a view to reducing deferred maintenance and anticipating how we can meet the future space needs of other academic units once the School of Medicine moves to the new building constructed in Vaughan.
Benefits to Existing Faculties
A School of Medicine will provide several advantages:
- Enhanced University rankings and reputation, helping all programs to recruit students in a competitive environment.
- Increased undergraduate enrolments in health-related programs and courses, across the social sciences, humanities and STEM, for students interested in applying to medical school or other health professional programs. Based on a scan of other medical universities in Canada and abroad, these include programs in health and society, medical humanities, medical anthropology, health communications, biomedical engineering, arts and well-being, and a variety of health and life sciences.
- Greater access to research funding and partnerships across disciplines.
- Higher indirect cost funding, infrastructure funding and Canada Research Chair allocations.
- New opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and community partnerships.
No. The School of Medicine will operate with its own dedicated funding. Existing Faculties will benefit from increased research funding opportunities and enhanced institutional reputation. York's balanced approach to distributing research supports will continue to recognize excellence across all disciplines.
York has included health programs and research as one of its areas for growth in successive academic plans for years. As a consequence, we have a strong foundation to support a high-quality medical school. But in addition, we have an opportunity to offer a complementary but distinct school of medicine attracting students interested in pursuing primary health care based on a community-centred and interdisciplinary approach. The focus on the social and economic determinants of health and digital technologies will help to address health inequities and connect health care resources across urban and rural areas in a fast-growing but underserved population. York’s well-established commitment to access and equity makes it uniquely positioned to enhance opportunities for students in our catchment area to pursue a career in health care and address pressing health care needs. A school of medicine at York will also draw upon an impressive and diverse network of researchers and partners including a growing number of hospitals and other health centres in the region whose own plans align with their support and participation in our school.
The University aims to ensure that the new school strengthens opportunities for faculty across all disciplines while advancing the institution’s overall mission.
The creation of a new school, Faculty or program can raise questions about the distribution of resources, but evidence from other Canadian universities which have established a medical school suggests this kind of transformational initiative tends to expand opportunities rather than limit them. The new school has been designed to complement existing academic offerings, creating potential for interdisciplinary research, joint courses and collaborative projects. In addition to the immense societal benefits and increased access to medical education for our students, creating a School of Medicine will serve York University’s broader institutional mission in ways that will tangibly benefit our existing faculty, students and staff by expanding academic and research opportunities well beyond the school itself.
Infrastructure & Space
The School of Medicine's facilities will be funded separately from existing infrastructure budgets. Initial plans include:
- Using the donated land from the City of Vaughan ($20 million value)
- Developing facilities through external funding (philanthropy and partnerships)
- Integration with the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct
- Option to repurpose existing space at Keele Campus for the initial cohort, if needed, with a view to turning that space over to align with space needs of other Faculties once vacated.
Project Timeline & Governance
The commitment to government is to welcome the first cohort in 2028-29. The project timeline is driven by accreditation requirements and the urgent need to address Ontario's health care challenges including that one in five Ontario families lacks access to a family doctor.
The project follows York's established governance processes, with oversight and approvals from Senate and the Board of Governors. These governance bodies will receive proposals that have been developed by a number of planning and accreditation committees that include York University faculty, staff and students, as well as clinical health and community representatives from partner organizations, medical students, residents, and medical education experts who are advising the University. Regular updates and consultations will continue with the University community to ensure transparency and accountability.
Construction of a permanent School of Medicine building will only commence once sufficient external funding is in place. We aspire to have a building at Vaughan open in time to welcome the first cohort of students in the 2028-29 academic year, but also have alternative plans for repurposing existing spaces if needed.
The 2028 timeline reflects the agreement York University has with the provincial government, which has its own strategic priorities and timelines for addressing critical health care challenges. Ontario is facing a significant shortage of physicians, and the government has made it clear that the 2028 timeline is important to meet its health workforce objectives. Should York be unable to meet the established timelines, the University may forfeit the opportunity to lead this transformative initiative.
While ensuring adequate funding remains essential, the University is leveraging the $9 million planning grant and its extensive expertise to move forward responsibly, working with government partners to secure the necessary resources along the way.
The University is following established Senate precedents. It is the same rigorous process that was used to create the Lassonde School of Engineering and other new academic units. The Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee (APPRC) has directed the creation of a collegial School of Medicine Planning Group, under the auspices of the Dean of Record and Interim Provost & VP Academic David Peters, and an Ad Hoc Oversight Group to guide development and advise APPRC. Extensive consultations are continuing with Faculty Councils, Senate and the broader University community. The current approval in principle stage allows Senate to provide valuable input before any final decisions are made.
Since 2021, the University has engaged in extensive consultations with Senate bodies, health and community partners and provincial ministries. The provincial government’s endorsement in March 2024, with operational funding announced in its annual budget, reflects confidence in York’s proposal. This approval builds on York’s longstanding strategic planning and academic achievements, ensuring the School of Medicine aligns with both institutional goals and Ontario’s health care needs.
Approval in principle to establish the School of Medicine as a new academic unit at York University does not include approval of the curriculum itself.
The curriculum is being developed through a rigorous process that adheres to York’s quality assurance standards, provincial requirements, and the accreditation guidelines set by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS). The process involves 15 Program Development Committees established in fall 2024, with participation from over 280 individuals, including more than 40 York faculty members, plus academic administrators, staff, medical education experts, clinicians, and community representatives.
This collaborative effort is supported by a $9 million provincial planning grant, ensuring access to the necessary expertise and administrative resources to complete the detailed curriculum.
The accreditation process is central to the planning for the School of Medicine. The Program Development Committees are working closely with the School of Medicine Planning Group to align accreditation requirements with York’s collegial governance processes. This includes approvals by Senate Committees such as Academic Standards, Curriculum and Pedagogy (ASCP), and Academic Policy, Planning, and Research (APPRC), among others. These coordinated efforts aim to meet the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) standards while respecting York’s governance framework, ensuring the highest standards of quality and accountability.