The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry will be able to provide more hands-on training for medical students at simulation centres, through mock patient visits and in community health centres, thanks to a $20-million investment from the provincial government.
Western is one of five southern Ontario medical schools to share in this latest funding announcement, made Monday afternoon by Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy at The University of Western Ontario.
Western will receive $3.37 million, which will also be used to invest in additional resources and training to improve faculty teaching skills and recruit more community-based instructors.
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy was at The University of Western Ontario Monday afternoon to announce a $20-million investment in five southern Ontario medical schools. Western will receive $3.37 million.
“This is an important announcement for Schulich and Western,” says Western President Amit Chakma. “This is a significant increase in funding which enhances our ability to provide a high-quality education to Ontario’s medical students. This is wonderful not only for Western, but for all our medical schools. It will make a difference.”
By 2011, Milloy says the provincial government will have created 260 new first-year medical school spaces, a 38 per cent increase since 2004-05.
In addition, the province is investing $35 million over three years to help medical schools build the specialized rooms, labs, and equipment they need to train future doctors.
“We have to ensure our students have access to the most up-to-date and innovative training,” says Milloy. “We have to make sure our medical schools have the resources they need in order to train their students. We are already expanding first-year medical spaces to create more opportunities for medical students to train and prepare for careers as doctors. Today’s investment is part of our Open Ontario plan to help ensure that, no matter which southern Ontario medical school a student attends, they will receive an innovative and interactive education.”
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and MPP for London North Centre Deb Matthews says the investment in Ontario medical schools will pay future dividends for Ontarians.
“We are going to be able to invest in those things that actually enhance a student’s education, so that when they begin practicing medicine they would have had an even better education than they currently have,” she says. “We are determined to improve the quality of health care in this province; and in order to improve quality of care we’re going need to have the best – the best-trained physicians.”
