Queen's School of Medicine Program
Queen's University School of Medicine first began as a class of 23 students in 1854. Today, 100 students are enrolled per class (400 students total), making us one of the smaller medical school classes in the country. As a testament to the diversity in Queen's medicine, there are individuals from different cities and universities all across Canada, with concentrations ranging from Law, the Life/Health Sciences to Engineering - all within the Class of 2026 alone!
The first year of medical school is comprised of the foundational sciences in addition to ethics, law, clinical and patient interaction skills. Our current curriculum employs a variety of teaching methods, ranging from traditional lectures and online web modules to small group and self-directed learning.
Looking ahead, clerkship starts at the beginning of third year. Queen’s medical students begin clinical skills training in the very first week of school, so we have plenty of experience before we are on rotations.
Although many of us remain unsure as to what specialty we’d like to pursue as a career, there are plenty of opportunities to learn more from physicians in the Kingston area. As part of our curriculum, we are encouraged to shadow physicians to gain a better understanding of what a day is like for each of them. In late May or early June, we spend a week in an under-served community to gain a first-hand experience of rural medicine. In addition, physicians are invited each week to talk about their experiences at any of our medical interest groups, which range from internal medicine to neurology.
New Medical Building
Queen’s School of Medicine building officially opened on September 22, 2011 across the street from Kingston General Hospital. This new project boasts several upgrades, including:
- state-of-the-art teaching facilities
- screens and microphones for pods of desks
- new anatomy and science labs
- group meeting rooms with exclusive after hour access
- student lounge with amenities
- technical and surgical rooms
- student study spaces
External Links and More Information
Learn more about the hospitals affiliated with Queen's:
Kingston General Hospital
Hotel Dieu Hospital
Providence Continuing Care