York University’s School of Medicine has achieved Candidate status from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), marking a critical step toward accreditation and advancing the University’s mission to establish a community-centred medical school dedicated to training Ontario’s next generation of primary care physicians.
“Achieving Candidate status is a crucial step forward for our School of Medicine,” says David Peters, dean of the Faculty of Health and School of Medicine. “I am deeply grateful to our accreditation leadership team, advisors, faculty and staff, as well as partners and community members from across Ontario for the tremendous effort, dedication and collaboration that made this success possible. I’m confident in the foundation we’ve built together and excited to move into this next phase as we continue to work hand-in-hand with our health system partners to educate doctors differently and build the health system Ontario needs for the future."
CACMS serves as the official body responsible for evaluating and accrediting Canadian medical education programs that lead to an MD degree. It ensures these programs meet established national standards to maintain the quality of medical training. This designation was awarded after CACMS reviewed and determined that the program had made sufficient progress on accreditation standards. Candidate status is a required pre-accreditation stage for any new Canadian medical school; it qualifies York’s program to proceed to a preliminary accreditation site visit – the next step toward full accreditation.
“Ontario is facing a primary care crisis. This accreditation milestone brings us one step closer to launching a medical school built from the ground up to help address it – training physicians who are educated to serve our changing, diverse population and are rooted in the communities where they practice, from North Toronto to Muskoka,” says Lisa Philipps, York’s interim president and vice-chancellor. “This achievement reinforces our commitment to ensuring a healthier, more sustainable future for Ontarians, while advancing academic excellence in service of the public good.”
Unlike traditional, four-year models centred on short-term clinical rotations, York’s accelerated three-year MD program brings learners into communities as early as their first year of study and anchors their education in longer, deeper community-based clinical experiences. In collaboration with key affiliates – including Mackenzie Health, Oak Valley Health, Southlake Health, and developing partnerships with Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare – learners will follow patients over time and learn with teams across primary care, hospitals and community settings.
This structure is powered by the Integrated Community-Based Learning Network (ICLN), which establishes the first fully integrated learning health system at scale in Canada by uniting primary, generalist and interprofessional care partners to deliver continuous clinical education for students.
The school aims to welcome its inaugural cohort in August 2028 at York’s Keele Campus, with a vision for a future home in the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct next to the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.
“With our Candidate status secured, we are eager to turn our attention to the next phase of the evaluation process, with an anticipation of receiving preliminary accreditation status in spring 2027,” Peters says.