The Ontario government has announced that international students will no longer be admitted to medical schools in the province starting in the fall of 2026. Under the new policy, at least 95% of medical school seats will be reserved for Ontario residents, with the remaining spots allocated to students from other Canadian provinces.
The move is part of a broader strategy aimed at addressing Ontario’s shortage of family doctors. As part of this initiative, the province is expanding its grant program, which covers tuition and other educational costs for students who commit to practicing as family doctors within Ontario. The expanded program, projected to cost $88 million, is expected to support 1,360 eligible undergraduate students.
According to government estimates, this initiative could help connect an additional 1.36 million Ontarians to primary care services. The Ontario College of Family Physicians has reported that approximately 2.5 million residents currently lack access to a family doctor, highlighting the urgency of increasing the province’s primary care capacity.
The announcement was made in Oshawa by Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, both of whom reiterated the province’s commitment to expanding access to healthcare for Ontarians.