The City of Belleville’s Doctor Recruitment Program is bringing another doctor to the city though it will still be a few years before he is ready to practise here.
At Monday’s meeting, council approved an agreement with Western University medical student, Mike (Youshan) Ding.
He will start his career in Belleville once he is certified in 2028.
“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.”
“Looking ahead to the exciting new chapter beyond medical school, I am filled with anticipation for the opportunity to practise 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.”
Ding, the 44th physician to be recruited through the program, will begin to receive financial support as he completes medical school and starts his residency.
Belleville’s current recruitment program has been offering $150,000 for doctors who commit to practising medicine in Belleville for a minimum of five years after graduation while Nurse Practitioners receive $10,000 over two years.
Five Nurse Pratitioners have been recruited to the city.
The program is funded by the dividends the city receives as a shareholder of Elexicon Energy.
To date, more than $6 million has been committed to attracting primary healthcare providers.
Upon announcing the latest recruit at Monday’s meeting, Mayor Ellis hinted that there will be more good news to come in the near future.
