York University to Establish New School of Medicine
The new medical school will focus on training primary care physicians, more commonly known as family doctors.
Great news out of Ontario's Greater Toronto Area: York University will soon get a new medical school, focused on primary care physicians: that is, family doctors!
Ontario, and Canada more broadly, is facing a shortage of healthcare professionals, including family doctors. Part of the reason for the lack of docs is a dearth of training opportunities. This announcement helps push back and give doctors-to-be another choice of training location.
The new medical school is part of a regional expansion of healthcare services, led by the City of Vaughan, to create the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct, a "critical launchpad for driving cutting-edge healthcare delivery, education, and innovation."
The new School of Medicine will be built next to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Canada's first "smart hospital." The City of Vaughan will transfer land to York University, so the new med school can be part of the Vaughan Healthcare Centre Precinct, as the university proper is a couple of subway stops south of Vaughan.
Curious what the precinct entails? Check out this sizzle reel:
Feasibility study the first step
The Province of Ontario and York University still have some due diligence to complete before shovels hit the ground, though. In the recently-announced provincial budget, the province committed $9 million to study the feasibility of opening a new medical school at York University.
York made a formal proposal in 2022, and the study will soon be on its way. Though the feasibility study doesn't guarantee the school will eventually be built, this funding represents a real step towards building a new med school in the Greater Toronto Area.
Building on a proven record on health education
York University is no stranger to educating students in all sorts of health sciences-related programs. This includes:
It's also worth noting that York is home to one of Canada's largest nursing and nurse practitioner programs.
Training the next generation of doctors, right here in Canada
With this announcement, York University joins the growing list of schools that will be opening new seats for medical students in the coming years. In 2023, we shared the news that three new medical schools are coming to Canada — and now York makes four!
We'll keep a close eye on developments as the York University School of Medicine comes to fruition. For now, we're excited to see healthcare education on the rise right here in Canada.
Explore York U's Faculty of Health