Under UTQAP, significant changes to the MD program require a Major Modification Proposal to maintain academic quality, governance, and strategic alignment. The Temerty Faculty of Medicine proposes to deliver part of the MD curriculum at UTSC through the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) and its affiliated clinical sites. Since the program currently operates across four Academies in Toronto and Mississauga, expanding to Scarborough creates a new campus-based and community-affiliated clinical learning environment. This expansion must be formally assessed to ensure consistent learning outcomes, assessment standards, governance, teaching capacity, learner supports, and an equitable student experience across all sites. Therefore, UTQAP requires a documented proposal and an approval pathway.
U of T will implement a phased expansion culminating in the launch of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine (SAM) at UTSC/SAMIH in August 2027, establishing SAM as a fifth Academy. Enrolment increased in 23/24 (12 spots) and 24/25 (30 spots), with planned growth of 42 students from 25/26 onwards, supported by new Ministry-funded positions across existing sites. Students admitted during this interim phase remain in their assigned campus/academy for four years. In August 2027, the program will implement 44 additional seats, with 40 allocated to SAM and 4 retained at St. George. Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) will transition to SAM alongside Scarborough Health Network (SHN). Scarborough Foundations and Clerkship capacity will be phased in through continued consultations, including voluntary learning opportunities for current students starting as early as February 2025, ahead of SAM learners entering Clerkship in 2029. Program requirements, learning outcomes, and assessment standards remain unchanged, and the curriculum remains centrally governed.
The Major Modification Proposal consolidates the outcomes of extensive consultations and assures UTQAP that the five-Academy model will deliver a consistent curriculum and assessment framework, supported by faculty recruitment, development, and learner supports. Admissions will include SAM in 2027/28 through the established campus preference process, with placements fixed for four years. Tuition will remain consistent across all Academies. UTSC-based learners will pay UTSC incidental fees and have access to UTSC resources, in addition to Temerty Medicine supports. MedSoc will be engaged as Scarborough offerings and placement processes are finalized.
With UTQAP approval and ongoing consultations, SAM will become a fully integrated fifth Academy in 2027. This expansion will increase Scarborough-based education and clinical capacity, strengthen community-linked learning, and support regional workforce needs, while maintaining a single, high-quality, and equitable Temerty MD Program experience across all sites.
