Ontario Universities Get 11.3 Million in Funding For Family Medicine

The funding will create 60 additional third-year family medicine residency positions.

The federal government has announced it has earmarked 11.3 million in funding to create family medicine positions and training opportunities across Ontario and Canada. The funding is an effort to improve health care accessibility for Ontarians living in remote or rural areas.

“This initiative will support comprehensive family practice in under-served communities, and focus on areas such as anaesthesia, obstetrics, care of the elderly, palliative care, rural skills, mental health and addictions,” said Dr. Catharine Whiteside, co-chair of the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

The funding will create 60 additional third-year family medicine residency positions in emergency medicine and enhanced skills at schools such as:

• McMaster University
• University of Ottawa
• Queen’s University
• University of Toronto
• University of Western Ontario
• The Northern Ontario School of Medicine

“This additional training will help family physicians meet the needs of the community by having a comprehensive family practice, including services such as delivering babies or working in the local emergency department.”

The funding will be provided over four years to cover the full cost of establishing the residency positions, such as teaching costs, travel, accommodation, resident salary and benefits.