Queen’s University’s School of Medicine has partnered with Lakeridge Health for many years, creating a satellite campus to train future physicians. Building on this long-standing partnership, Queen’s University and Lakeridge Health will help address the primary care physician shortage in southeastern Ontario by taking a novel approach to medical education through the Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program.

The Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program is a new, first-in-Canada medical education model specifically designed to address the shortage of family doctors. It aims to graduate practice-ready, community-focused physicians able to provide comprehensive care to patients in southeastern Ontario. This program will be based at the Queen’s regional campus at Lakeridge Health in Durham Region.

Queen’s University students will undergo classroom training at Lakeridge Health and engage in workplace experiences embedded in communities across the region. This area stretches from Oshawa to Peterborough to Perth, Smiths Falls and Brockville.

This new, concentrated-training model will develop community-focused family doctors who are specialized in offering comprehensive care to a wide variety of patients. This program differs substantially from the standard MD program in design, curricular delivery, purpose of electives, and freedom from the need for postgraduate residency matching. For these reasons, transfers to other programs, including the standard Queen’s MD Program at the Kingston site, will not be feasible.  

The Queen’s-Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program is designed for students who know they want to become family physicians.

Training to purpose, this program will seamlessly integrate the training of medical students through to practice readiness.

Directed toward training in community-based Family Medicine, the program will have several unique features, including:

• A deliberate Family Medicine focus guiding the overall curricular design and delivery.
• Small class size, allowing for individual attention and close connections with faculty and student colleagues.
• A prominent presence of practicing Family Physicians as teachers, curricular leads and student mentors.
• Early and frequent clinical placements intended to introduce students to the practice of Family Medicine in parallel and integrated with their didactic learning and skill development.
• Emphasis on the unique role of Family Physicians in our communities, including professional roles, social accountability, social determinants of health and health care advocacy.
• Orientation to the various clinical profiles available within Family Medicine, including enhanced skill development in topics such as: Addictions, anaesthesia, care of the elderly, emergency medicine, palliative care, sports medicine and women’s health, including intrapartum obstetrics.

Graduates of the MD portion of this program will be well prepared to enter Family Medicine Residency. Transition to Family Medicine training occurs under the authority and recommendation of the Queen’s Family Medicine Residency Program Committee once postgraduate entry requirements are met, including being eligible for educational license as per the CPSO.

Students will receive an offer from the Post Graduate Family Medicine Training program in year 3, conditional on successfully completing the MD program. Once that offer is accepted students will be able to transition into Queen’s Family Medicine Residency without entering the CaRMS matching process.

Durham region is home to The Queen’s-Bowmanville–Oshawa-Lakeridge (QBOL) Family Medicine Residency, which is 1 of the 4 highly acclaimed Queen’s University Family Medicine Postgraduate Programs sites (the others being Kingston and the Thousand Islands, Belleville- Quinte, Peterborough-Kawartha).

Queen’s Lakeridge Health Campus is the home of two innovative programs namely, Queen’s Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program (MDFM) and Queen’s-Bowmanville-Oshawa-Lakeridge (QBOL) Family Medicine Residency Program.  Additionally, this Campus serves as a dynamic educational hub for a diverse group of learners and residents, including core clerks from our Kingston campus, students on elective rotations, and an extensive array of Kingston Family Medicine and Royal College residents.

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The Queen's Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine (MDFM) Program is a distinguished and innovative residency program dedicated to preparing future family physicians for a dynamic and fulfilling career in medicine. Situated within the vibrant and supportive community in Durham Region, our program offers the most comprehensive and patient-centered training experience, emphasizing the development of clinical skills, medical knowledge, and professional attitudes necessary for the practice of family medicine. Our curriculum is designed to provide our learners with a broad range of experiences across various medical disciplines trained with the lens of family medicine, along with a strong focus on community health, primary care, and patient advocacy. By fostering a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive, we aim to cultivate compassionate, competent, and resilient family physicians who are prepared to meet the evolving comprehensive needs of the communities they serve.

As the first program of its kind in the country, we are proud to offer an unparalleled training experience that seamlessly integrates the academic rigor of Queen's University with the practical, patient-centered approach of Lakeridge Health's community-based healthcare system. What sets the Queen's Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program apart is its unique approach to medical education and its commitment to the personal and professional growth of each learner. Our program is characterized by its small cohort size, which allows for personalized mentorship, greater access to faculty, and a tight-knit community among residents. We also offer innovative learning opportunities through high-fidelity simulation labs, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community engagement projects, enabling our residents to develop a well-rounded skill set that is adaptable to various clinical settings. Additionally, our location at the Lakeridge Health system provides access to a diverse patient population and a wide range of clinical experiences, from rural health to urban community medicine, ensuring a comprehensive training experience.

The Queen's Bowmanville Oshawa Lakeridge (QBOL) Family Medicine Residency Program is a cutting-edge training initiative designed to equip aspiring family physicians with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to excel in the diverse field of family medicine. Unique to the QBOL program is its strategic focus on longitudinally combining the strengths of academic medicine with the realities of community-based healthcare, offering residents an immersive learning experience across a variety of clinical settings. This program emphasizes a hands-on approach to learning, ensuring residents are actively engaged in patient care from day one.

Our Facilities

Queen’s Lakeridge Health Campus is primarily located at Lakeridge Health’s Oshawa site in the LHEARN Centre.  Purpose-built in collaboration with Queen’s University, the Lakeridge Health Education and Research Network (LHEARN) Centre is a hub for advanced training, education, and research serving Durham Region and Ontario. In addition to Queen’s Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine and QBOL programs, the LHEARN Centre also welcomes over 2,000 learners annually across a broad range of health disciplines as they pursue their studies in its state-of-the-art facilities under the guidance of expert instructors.   The LHEARN Centre houses classrooms, auditorium, high-fidelity simulation labs, informal learning spaces, library and study spaces. The Campus also includes a state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Training Centre adjacent to the LHEARN Centre.

Affiliated Hospitals and Research Opportunities

Queen’s University is affiliated with Lakeridge Health, one of the largest Community Hospitals in Canada.  As the premier healthcare provider in Ontario with an extensive network that includes five hospitals, four emergency departments, three critical care units, a long-term care home, Lakeridge Gardens, and a vast array of medical and surgical specialties. With over 20 community healthcare locations and the innovative Jerry Coughlan Health & Wellness Centre, it offers a broad range of acute, ambulatory, and long-term care services. As a hub for several regional specialty centers, Lakeridge Health houses the Central East Regional Cancer Program, R.S. McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre, The Shoulder Centre, and specialized services in eye care and chronic kidney disease. It prides itself on providing a comprehensive range of inpatient, ambulatory, and community-based mental health and addictions services, all delivered with a commitment to safe, high-quality, compassionate care.

Lakeridge Health also offers a range of opportunities for students interested in gaining research experience and exposure including complimentary access to both in-person and online learning platforms, including its upcoming Research Innovation Rounds, and certifications in areas such as Good Clinical Practice, Health Canada Division 5, and the Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 (2022).

Opportunities are also available for annual seed funding via Lakeridge Health’s Research and Education Fund. This involves collaborating with a Lakeridge Health staff member or credentialed staff by submitting a proposal. In addition, a selection of volunteer opportunities is available for those eager to contribute to the advancement of healthcare research. Interested individuals can reach out to Sharon Hudson-Alipanopoulos at shudsonalipanopoulos@lh.ca.