Ontario medical schools might have to allocate at least 95 per cent of all undergraduate medical school seats to residents and the remaining five per cent to Canadian students, as part of a new law proposed by the Doug Ford government.
On Friday, the Ontario government said it is proposing the changes in an effort to address and reduce the number of people in the province without a primary care physician.
According to provincial figures, 10 per cent of Ontario residents don’t have a GP, which equates to 2.5 million people, according to The Ontario College of Family Physicians.
We’re investing in family doctors and putting Ontario medical students first to improve health-care access across the province.
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 25, 2024
Today, I announced that we’re expanding our Learn and Stay grant by $88 million to cover the cost of medical school for more than 1,300 students, which… pic.twitter.com/9dBYkv3dMl
If the new law passes, 100 per cent of medical school places in Ontario will be reserved for Canadian residents only, preventing international students from studying in the province.
“Today’s announcement is the latest step in our plan to connect every person in Ontario, no matter where they live, to primary care,” Premier Doug Ford said in a Friday press release.
In addition to potential legislative changes, the provincial government is extending its Learn and Stay grants program to medical students who commit to family medicine
“We’re training more family doctors than ever before, helping them live, learn and stay in Ontario, and we’re helping Ontario students support and remain in our province by prioritizing them for medical school seats in Ontario schools,” Ford also said in the press release.
Beginning in 2026, the government will invest an estimated $88 million over a three-year period, to expand Learn and Stay grants for 1,360, eligible undergrads.
The funding covers all tuition fees, including books, school supplies, and equipment, in exchange for a commitment to a term of service as a family doctor in any community in Ontario.
The Learn and Stay grant was introduced last year, helping 7,500 students begin training in nursing, paramedicine, and other programs.
“Now, we’re taking the grant to the next level – supporting Ontario’s future family doctors so they can provide world-class health care to the people of Ontario,” Nolan Quinn, minister of colleges and universities, said in the press release.
The government says it will also create more opportunities for Ontario residents who started their medical studies abroad to finish their postgraduate qualification training in Ontario.
At a press conference on Friday, Doug Ford said it has been “gnawing” at him for years that Canadians studying medicine abroad often “meet someone, and don’t come back home,” while 18 per cent of Ontario medical school seats are taken up by international students who then “go back to their country,” which he says is “just not right.”
To combat this, Ford says 100 per cent of medical school seats in the province must be reserved for Canadians.
In June, it was announced that York University would build a new medical school in Vaughn, set to open in 2028. At the time, the premier drew criticism for his comments about prohibiting international students from studying here.
“I want to support Ontario students, and God bless everyone else coming to our country,” the premier said during an announcement at York University. “In my opinion…get rid of the 18 per cent,” he said at a press conference.
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Ontario is also opening a new medical school at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Combined with York, the province says it will add more than 260 undergraduate and 449 residency spots, with potential to reach more than 500 undergraduate spots and 742 residency positions, making it the largest medical school expansion in over ten years.
