York University has long been a leader in health education and research, and the University received another shot in the arm with back-to-back announcements of support from the government of Ontario for its new School of Medicine. Today, at the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct, Premier Doug Ford announced that York’s School of Medicine will open its doors to the first cohort of future doctors in 2028.

“Today’s announcement is part of our plan to connect more Ontario families to more convenient care, including primary care,” said Premier Doug Ford. “As the first medical school in Canada focused primarily on training family doctors, this new school will make an enormous impact in the lives of people in York Region and across Ontario.”

The Premier also announced that York’s School of Medicine will have the province’s support for 80 undergraduate spots and 102 postgraduate spots when the doors open in 2028, going up to 240 undergraduate seats and 293 postgraduate seats on an annual basis once operating at full capacity. By focusing on training primary care doctors, York University’s training model will devote approximately 70 per cent of the new postgraduate training seats to primary care.

The new commitments build on $9M in start-up funding announced last week as part of the Ontario Budget 2024: Building a Better Ontario. Taken together, the suite of announcements boosts the development of the School of Medicine at York University significantly and accelerates the pace and path to new medical education in the fastest growing region in Ontario.

“These new investments to support increased physician education in Ontario come at a critical time and mark an important milestone in York’s trajectory as an internationally recognized leader in higher education. Amidst growing demand for family doctors and other primary care general specialists, I want to thank Premier Ford and his government for being responsive to this pressing need, for their vision and clear commitment to York’s School of Medicine – and a healthier future for Ontarians,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor.

York’s School of Medicine will begin to prepare the next generation of talented frontline primary care doctors who represent the diversity of the communities in which they live starting in 2028, with plans to launch a unique bridging program to ensure no qualified future doctor goes without access to medical education.

The City of Vaughan has been an early supporter and valued partner throughout the planning and development of this critical education infrastructure project, and has agreed to transfer land to the University to build the School of Medicine within the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct  beside Mackenzie Health’s Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital. 

Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca affirmed the City’s ongoing commitment, “Today is an exciting day for the City of Vaughan and the province of Ontario. I was thrilled to join Premier Ford to officially announce the approval and funding of York University’s School of Medicine, located in the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct (VHCP). When ready, this new School of Medicine will help address the much-needed doctor shortage in our community. I want to thank the Premier, the Government of Ontario and York University for today’s funding announcement as part of the Ontario Government’s 2024 Budget.”

“Mackenzie Health is excited to be a lead partner on this journey with York University in the creation of a School of Medicine, located next to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and just a few kilometers from Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital. There is an urgent need for additional primary care providers in our community and for our health care system. Building capacity will ensure patients receive the comprehensive care they need and deserve, especially as they age and begin to experience more complex health challenges. We are grateful for the provincial government’s continued health care investments, and we look forward to working with York University to train the family physicians of the future who will care for the growing and aging community in western York Region and beyond,” said Mackenzie Health President and CEO Altaf Stationwala.

“Early support from York’s strong network of community health providers, hospitals, and municipalities with whom we have been working has been instrumental throughout the School of Medicine planning phase. I am grateful for our many highly skilled and thoughtful partners for their leadership and insights, and we look forward to continuing to grow and expand our work with them,” said Lenton.