The City of Belleville Signs Medical Student to Doctor Recruitment Program

The City of Belleville is pleased to announce the signing of Western University medical student, Mike (Youshan) Ding into the Doctor Recruitment Program.  Mike will be the 44^th physician to be recruited through the program. He will begin to receive financial support as he completes medical school and starts his residency.  

“Mike Ding is the perfect candidate for our program,” said Mayor Neil Ellis. “He is an accomplished student with a strong desire to help people improve and treat their health conditions and the City of Belleville is the perfect place for him to launch and grow his career after many years in medical school.  The City of Belleville is anxious to welcome Mike once he is fully certified in 2028.”

“Looking ahead to the exciting new chapter beyond medical school, I am filled with anticipation for the opportunity to practice family medicine, here in Belleville,” said Mike Ding. “The charm and sense of community that Belleville embodies really resonated with my goal of providing comprehensive primary care to patients in a supportive environment. Belleville’s recruitment program also showed me firsthand the City’s commitment to supporting family physicians and prioritizing community health. I’m looking forward to building my medical career and playing my part in improving the health and well-being of Belleville’s residents.”

Although healthcare and physician recruitment are not a municipal responsibility, the City of Belleville has recognized the shortcomings of the Provincial Health Care system and has implemented one of the most successful recruitment programs in the province, recruiting 44 physicians and 5 nurse practitioners. The program is funded by the dividends the City receives as a shareholder of Elexicon Energy and to date, over $6 million has been committed to attracting primary healthcare providers.

For residents in need of a family physician or a nurse practitioner, it is important to register with Health Care Connect (HCC).  HCC is a resource used by physicians and government agencies to place patients with physicians and can be relied upon by doctors and nurse practitioners when developing or expanding their roster of patients. Registering with HCC is the key to finding primary health care in Ontario. You can register with HCC by calling 1-800-445-1822 (TTY 1-800-387-5559) or by visiting the HCC website.