Ontario Helping More Family Doctors Learn and Stay in the Province

“Ontario’s family doctors provide the high-quality and compassionate care that keep our families and communities healthy,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “By breaking down financial barriers for our province’s next generation of family doctors, we are strengthening Ontario’s pipeline of highly skilled physicians, ensuring everyone can access the care they need, when and where they need it.”

First launched in spring 2023, the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant covers the cost of tuition, books and other direct educational costs for students in nursing, paramedic and medical laboratory technology/science programs in high-need areas of the province who commit to working in the region where they studied after graduation.

In 2024, the government announced an $88 million expansion of the OLSG program to train 1,360 future family doctors in exchange for these students agreeing to practice family medicine in any community across Ontario upon graduation. Today, the government announced applications are now open for this expanded program, with an increased investment of $220 million to support four cohorts of future family doctors, totalling more than 2,000 medical students.

“Today’s announcement builds on the bold action our government has taken to expand medical education and train the next generation of health-care professionals,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant to include family medicine, we are taking the next step in ensuring Ontario has the world-class health-care workforce it needs for years to come.”

The expanded program could help up to 2 million people become or remain attached to primary care based on average attachment rates for family doctors. While Ontario continues to lead the country with nearly 90 per cent of people connected to a primary care provider, the province has set clear goals in its Primary Care Action Plan to connect every person to a family doctor or primary care team by 2029.

“Thank you to the Ontario Government for this important investment in the next generation of family physicians in the province,” said Dr. John Yoo, Dean of Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. “This support is critical to improving access to primary care for people across Ontario. Western is proud to play a leading role in training future family doctors. We are committed to ensuring our medical students and residents have meaningful opportunities to learn and train in rural and regional communities, strengthening the physician workforce and improving access to high-quality care across Southwestern Ontario.”

Students can learn more at the Ontario Learn and Stay – Medical Education webpage.

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