Oxford County is getting its own family medicine residency program, with the first two residents expected to begin training in 2027.
The new program is part of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University and is being developed with local healthcare partners including Woodstock Hospital, Rural Roads Health Services and the Oxford Ontario Health Team.
Dr. Ian Hons is a family physician first, chief of staff at Woodstock Hospital, and regional academic director for the Oxford Academy through the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry.
He says the new residency program is a major step toward expanding the local healthcare workforce, particularly in primary care and family medicine.
Residents will spend their first year completing a range of medical rotations, including subspecialty care. Much of that training will be in Woodstock.
In their second year, residents will spend more time in family medicine, working with physician groups in communities including Ingersoll and Woodstock. As the program grows, Hons says regular rotations are expected to include Tillsonburg and other communities across Oxford County.
The program is starting with two residents so local physicians and healthcare organizations can build the teaching structure gradually.
Hons says even one new family physician can make a substantial difference.
The longer-term goal is to have some residents stay in Oxford after completing their training.
Hons says other training centres have seen retention rates of up to 70 percent, although that figure is based on experience elsewhere and does not guarantee the same result here.
For Hons, there's also a personal reason to be excited about the program: he enjoys teaching and says medical education is already happening throughout Oxford County.
He hopes giving residents two years of experience in the local healthcare system will give them a chance to see what Oxford has to offer — and encourage them to build their careers here.
The program is also expected to grow over time, with the possibility of increasing the number of residents once the local teaching infrastructure is ready.
