Today, the Government of Ontario announced new funding to expand medical education and strengthen the health care system province wide. The move will support the creation of new undergraduate and postgraduate seats—including 20 new undergraduate and 30 new postgraduate positions at Queen’s University.

“We are thrilled to be among the institutions who will be able to welcome more medical trainees as a result of this funding,” says Jane Philpott, Dean, Queen’s Health Sciences. “This announcement marks Ontario’s largest expansion of medical education in a decade. Our health care systems have been under enormous pressure through the COVID-19 pandemic, so this will enable Queen's to train more doctors for the people and communities of southeastern Ontario and expand access to health care professionals in the years ahead.”

Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, underscored the importance of the new investment as part of the announcement.

“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 Minister Dunlop. “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.”

Additional undergraduate and postgraduate spaces will enable Queen’s to expand its focus on providing innovative medical education for the next generation of physicians, ultimately leading to better quality care and improved access in Ontario and beyond.

"Expanding medical education across the province is a critically important step in addressing the growing need for health care access,” says Patrick Deane, Queen’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “I applaud the investment announced today by the Government of Ontario to strengthen access to post-secondary education for aspiring doctors at Queen's, and at other institutions in the province. Under the leadership of Dr. Jane Philpott, Queen’s will continue to focus on providing the highest quality of education for health professionals in Kingston and in communities across southeastern Ontario. I want to extend our appreciation to Premier Doug Ford, Minister Christine Elliott, and Minister Jill Dunlop, for their leadership in advancing health care and education for the people of Ontario.”

Read the Government of Ontario’s official press release.