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Training More Doctors To Increase Access To Care

McGuinty Government Creates 75 New Residency Positions

October 28, 2010

News

Ontario is increasing access to medical specialists — like surgeons and psychiatrists — by creating 75 specialty residency positions at the province’s medical schools.

The new post-graduate specialty residency positions will ensure that Ontarians have access to more highly skilled specialists, which are in growing demand across the province. The new postgraduate specialty spaces will be phased in over five years. The first residents will start training in the summer of 2011.

With today’s announcement the number of postgraduate specialty training positions will have increased by more than 80 per cent since 2003.

Training more doctors is part of the government's Open Ontario Plan to provide more access to health care services while improving quality and accountability for patients.

quotes

“We’ve been steadily increasing the number of doctors in Ontario over the last six years — there are more now than ever before. With these new medical school spaces, we’re making sure that more doctors can get the specialized training they need. This means Ontarians who need more complex care will get even better access to the health care system.”
- Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care 

“We’re pleased to see the government increasing the number of postgraduate training positions to keep pace with rising medical school enrolment. We look forward to the opportunities the government is creating for us to train as specialists and help meet the future health care needs of Ontarians.” 
- Ontario Medical Students Association

quick facts

• More than one million Ontarians who didn’t have access to a family doctor in 2003 now have the care they need.
• By 2014, more than twice as many doctors will be graduating from Ontario’s medical schools than in 2003.

learn more

Read more about Ontario’s success in increasing access to physicians through HealthForceOntario.

backgrounder

More Medical Students, Better Training Facilities

Members of the media :

Ivan Langrish, 416-326-3986
Minister's Office

David Jensen, 416-314-6197
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
ontario.ca/health-news