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New Medical Spots Across Ontario


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http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2009/21/c6317.html

 

TORONTO, May 21 /CNW/ - Ontario universities welcome the Ontario

government's new investment to support 100 additional medical spaces designed

to help improve access to physician services. The Ontario government is

providing operating funding and $35 million in capital funding to support

these new positions.

"The government's announcement reflects its continued strong commitment

to enhancing health care in the province by addressing the physician shortage

through expanded medical education," said Dr. Carol Herbert, Chair of the

Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine (COFM) and Dean of the Schulich

School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western of Ontario.

The increase in undergraduate medical school positions is an important

part of the government's physician resource plan, and builds on the two

previous successful expansions of 160 new positions begun in 2000 and 104 new

positions begun in 2005. This third expansion, along with the establishment of

the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, will increase the total number of

first year spaces from 532 in 2000 to 952 in 2011.

Dr. Paul C. Genest, President of the Council of Ontario Universities,

noted: "This government continues to demonstrate strong leadership and

commitment to improving health care services to benefit all Ontarians, and the

capital investment will also stimulate local economic activity by creating

jobs in several communities around the province."

COFM values its strong partnership with government in improving

Ontarians' access to physician services.

 

 

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What do you guys think about this? Think it'll help significantly in the long run? (The obvious answer is yes, but I guess I'm thinking of any short-term future implications, etc).

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Well the 12 more spots at western are going to helped pretty much right now. Those people sure aren't going to be complaining in the short or long term :)

 

Haha I guess I'm talking about 'helping' in the sense of the doctor shortage along with implications for the (pre) medical students themselves.

 

The public won't see a significant improvement until these people graduate (which could be quite long if they choose to do something like neurosurgery haha). Or maybe they're trying to select for more family docs.

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Wait, so there are an extra 12 spots at UWO on the next cycle? Saawweeeettt! My chances of getting admitted just went up 0.01% :D

 

No......there will be 24 new spots by then. If I am reading this correctly there are 12 new spots right NOW for the fall term!

 

http://www.schulich.uwo.ca/news/index.php?article=000729

 

Not sure what that does for your odds though (definitely higher in any case) :)

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Haha I guess I'm talking about 'helping' in the sense of the doctor shortage along with implications for the (pre) medical students themselves.

 

The public won't see a significant improvement until these people graduate (which could be quite long if they choose to do something like neurosurgery haha). Or maybe they're trying to select for more family docs.

 

Well sure, there is the lag :) In theory though more family doctors could emerge in 6 years, which compared to most adjustments is probably the equivalent of moving at warp speed.

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Yeah, it was quite the news. We heard a few weeks ago. I went to the press release today (I'm a Waterloo Mac student). This government has really stepped up to the plate when it comes to doctor shortage. They increased 108 spots in their first term as they had promised and they just made this new goal for the next three years. A whole bunch of those spots came in this year, 7 more for KW, 6 more for Niagra of Mac, the spots for Western and apparently some more spots for UofT. Looking forward to where the future spots go...maybe Queens. It seems like it has been awhile since they increased size. Maybe a satellite for them too.

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Yeah, it was quite the news. We heard a few weeks ago. I went to the press release today (I'm a Waterloo Mac student). This government has really stepped up to the plate when it comes to doctor shortage. They increased 108 spots in their first term as they had promised and they just made this new goal for the next three years. A whole bunch of those spots came in this year, 7 more for KW, 6 more for Niagra of Mac, the spots for Western and apparently some more spots for UofT. Looking forward to where the future spots go...maybe Queens. It seems like it has been awhile since they increased size. Maybe a satellite for them too.

 

I've read in a queen's document that they have been approved last year or so funding for 124 spots and they haven't put them in because they don't have the facilities to do so..... The classrooms aren't actually big enough.

 

But I believe in the next few years they plan to start expanding the class 6 spots a year.

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I agree. Pumping med students through is fairly cheap and easy. However it does little to solve the doctor crisis. Unless you give those people residencies it's all useless.

 

On top of just creating residencies, you need to make sure you create new residency spots that people want and keep the ratio of med seats:res positions >1:1. Students will not tolerate being shoved into disciplines they have no interest in. They will simply go to the US (at which point they will be lost to the Canadian system) or pursue some alternate career path.

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In related news, York is also working to open its own medical school sometime in the "near" future. It was one of the things their new president said they were going to do during their time in office. However, who knows when the school will actually open.

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lol... York needs to worry about bi-annual strikes at moment.

 

York's effort to put that med school into action have been severely hampered by Western and UofT.... who have told the government why waste money starting a school from scratch when you can just invest in our already established schools and satellite campuses...

 

And that's what seems to be happening... more spots to Western and and Mac's satellite campuses and money for UofT to open one at UTM in 2011.

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In related news, York is also working to open its own medical school sometime in the "near" future. It was one of the things their new president said they were going to do during their time in office. However, who knows when the school will actually open.

 

 

...ryerson's president said that too...

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...ryerson's president said that too...
True, but I personally know one of the doctors that is working on opening the med school at york, and he said that they are WAY further along than ryerson, and the spots that the gov of ontario will agree to will go to York before they go to ryerson.
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York & Ryerson opening up their own medical school?

 

Excellent!

 

It'll give us a better chance in getting into a medical school in Ontario!

 

Haha, I don't see this realistically starting for another 7+ years. :P They've been talking about it forever! lol

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