Premier speaks to first-year med students

James Wong, president of the Aesculapian Society of the Faculty of Medicine, presented Premier Dalton McGuinty with a lab coat on behalf of the University’s medical students.

 
The first day of classes for the University's first-year medical students included a unique lesson on politics by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who spoke to them about his government's health care strategy.

The August 30 event at the Faculty of Medicine was part of a strategy to set out Ontario's position in preparation for federal-provincial negotiations on the financing of the Canadian health care system.

Putting his political agenda aside, McGuinty – an alumnus of the University – told the students that they had “picked a wonderful medical school.”

“It is one of our country's greatest. And that's quite apart from the fact that it's located in my riding.”

Noting that he had spoken with Dean Peter Walker about the challenges facing the Faculty of Medicine, the Premier vowed “to work as we can to help overcome those challenges together.”

While he took credit for creating more medical school spaces to address the shortage of family doctors in the province, McGuinty said, “Dean Walker impressed upon me that we're not adequately funding those new spaces.”

McGuinty expressed his support as well for community-based health care teams, an approach that Walker continues to champion.