New Academy of Medicine for Eastern GTA set up by University of Toronto

University of Toronto, Scarborough has set up a new Medical Academy in the Eastern Greater Toronto Area. The Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) will partner with local hospitals and Health Centres as well as U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Lawrence S. Bloomberg to meet critical medical needs in the area.

Local Partner hospitals and medical centres include Michael Garron Hospital, Scarborough Health Network, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Lakeridge Health and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. SAMIH will also collaborate with community organisations like Malvern Family Research Centre, TAIBU Community Health Centre and The East Scarborough Storefront.

SAMIH will train up to 300 life Sciences Undergraduates, 40 physical therapists, 30 physicians, 30 physician assistants and 30 nurse practitioners. It will also provide an advanced life sciences program at U of T Scarborough.

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Meric Gertler, President, U of T commented, “The new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health will serve the local community, in partnership with neighbour hospitals and community organizations. It will train the next generation of health professionals, foster innovative scholarly activity, and provide much-needed health and economic benefits to the Eastern GTA.”

Besides training medical students, the Academy will also focus on hiring members from underserved groups. On this note, Wisdom Tettey, U of T Vice President and Principal of the Scarborough Campus stated that “SAMIH will address the acute health care needs of our underserved communities in the Eastern GTA by training a comprehensive range of high-quality professionals, many of whom will be talented individuals intentionally drawn from our neighbourhoods and reflecting our diverse communities.”

Ontario Government had planned to increase the number of medical professionals in this area. SAMIH will receive funding as part of this plan.

Jill Dunlop, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities said, “Our government is supporting the University of Toronto with 30 additional undergraduate seats by 2025 and 45 additional postgraduate positions by 2027 at its new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health.”

She further mentioned that “By planning for these new medical school positions now, students can begin their medical education as soon as the campus opens its doors, meaning more physicians able to join the health care workforce and support this growing, vibrant community.”

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The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported that there is a dearth of Family Physicians in the Central East Local Health Integration Network(Scarborough fall within this network). The region has the third-lowest number of specialists and the Second Lowest Number of family physicians.

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has singled out Scarborough as a region with high Physician Needs. There is also a demand for specialists such as emergency Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Child and Adult Psychiatrists, and Geriatricians. Therefore, the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health is considered a good fit. It will be able to enhance the quality of medical education in Scarborough as well as meet the medical needs of the region.

A new building serving as the main Hub of SAMIH will be set up at the junction between Military trail and Morningside Avenue, opposite Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. The building is slated to open by September 2025 and will be able to accommodate students from different disciplines.

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Andrew Arifuzzaman, U of T Scarborough’s chief administrative officer, has commented that the Scarborough Campus is well-suited to set up the academy due to its close connections with the health programs offered by the University, and long association with the communities around it. The Academy will be able to promote further economic development and generate employment while enhancing ties between healthcare providers in Scarborough and Eastern GTA.

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