Peel District School Board (PDSB)
Aisha never dreamed of becoming a doctor, let alone studying medicine while still in high school. But after successfully completing Peel District School Board’s groundbreaking new pilot program and earning a university-level credit, her outlook has shifted. “Because of this program, I learned to believe in myself more,” she says, “and to trust that I was capable of more than I thought.”
Introduction: Bridging the Gap in Healthcare Representation
Aisha’s experience is the heart of a larger mission. The healthcare sector is facing a significant shortage of professionals across Canada. And the second challenge is just as critical: the need for a workforce that truly reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. Serving a growing and diverse population, Peel District School Board (PDSB) recognized that traditional education—earning 30 credits and good grades—was only the beginning. Today’s students need something extra to envision a future in medicine long before they reach their final year of high school.
That’s why PDSB embarked on a multi-year partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in 2023. Coinciding with the opening of TMU’s new School of Medicine in Brampton, this initiative was designed to empower students from all backgrounds to see themselves as the next generation of physicians, nurses, and healthcare innovators.
Solution: A Multi-Stage Journey into Medicine
PDSB and TMU developed a three-part strategy to ensure the program reached students at every stage of their academic journey. The strategy progresses from broad inspiration at the elementary level to intensive academic preparation in secondary school.
- Sparking Interest: The Middle School Speaker Series: PDSB’s outreach included students from Grade 7 and up, recognizing that career aspirations are often formed early. This led to the inspiring slogan: “From Middle School to Medical School.” By starting the conversation in middle school, the board helps ensure that students don’t rule out complex career paths before they even reach high school. The series featured panels of physicians from Indigenous communities and other equity-deserving backgrounds, providing younger students with role models who shared their lived experiences and proved that a medical career is attainable.
As Jericho, a student at McCrimmon Sr. P.S., noted: “The Future of Healthcare Speaker Series showed us you can be a person working in healthcare, a doctor, a nurse. You don’t have to have everything now.”
- Hands-On Exploration and Symposia: A board-wide symposia bridged the gap between middle school curiosity and high school academic choices. Over 150 students at a time gathered to rotate through career panels and participate in hands-on medical simulations. From practicing CPR on high-tech dummies to learning about virtual labs, students were given a "day in the life" experience of healthcare professionals, demystifying the path to the profession.
- Academic Acceleration: The ‘Equity in Healthcare’ Credit Course: The most intensive element of the partnership began in September 2025 allowing 25 high school students from across the region to attend weekly classes at a TMU site in Brampton. These students studied medicine and earned a post-secondary credit from TMU’s Chang School of Continuing Education—a credit they can apply toward any university degree at TMU in the future.
For students like Shaun from Fletcher’s Meadow S.S., the impact was profound: “Your class didn’t just teach healthcare concepts. It helped me understand people, perspectives, and the importance of real equity.”
Results: Measurable Impact and Lasting Inspiration
The results of this partnership have been transformative, creating a ripple effect across the Peel community:
· Broad Reach: In just one year, the program impacted 1,295 students across 30+ secondary and elementary schools, including 1,115 through the speaker series, and 155 through the symposia, significantly over-performing initial expectations.
· Academic Success: Every student in the pilot credit course successfully earned their university-level credit, proving that high school students are more than capable of post-secondary rigour with the right support.
· Personal Transformations: Parents have noted the profound impact on their children's motivation. One mother shared that her daughter’s dream of nursing had become a “guiding light,” saying that she takes “her [daughter’s] dreams with [her] to work daily. This program…has rekindled a spark of hope in her eyes.”
· Full-Circle Success: The program is already seeing its "alumni" return; a former PDSB student trustee is now part of the first-year medical cohort at the Brampton campus, driven by a desire to serve the community they grew up in.
“Peel students are seeing themselves in roles they never imagined, and that changes everything,” says Rashmi Swarup, Director of Education for PDSB. By starting the journey in middle school, PDSB is proving that the path to a career in medicine is open to every student, regardless of their background.