Easing B.C.’ s doctor shortage in regions is the aim of an expanded
medical education program at three B.C. universities, according
to today’s provincial government announcement of funding for a $110
million new Life Sciences Centre (LSC) at the University of British
Columbia and capital expansion at the University of Victoria (UVic)
and the University of Northern B.C. (UNBC).
“We thank the government for its commitment to safeguard the future
of health care in this province,” says UBC President Martha Piper.
“This new program and learning centre will double the number of
physicians we can educate here in B.C.”
A new program of province-wide distributed learning, it is the
first in Canada to feature multiple university sites for training
first- and second- year medical students.
The program means increasing enrolment from the current 128 first-year
medical students to 224 students by September 2005. Twenty-four
students would enter the Northern Medical Program (NMP) at UNBC;
24 would enter the Island Medical Program (IMP) at UVic, and 176
will enter the Vancouver-based program at UBC.
Construction of the 40,000-sq. metre LSC will begin this summer
with completion date set for 2004. Located immediately south of
Vancouver General Hospital, UBC site, the centre will house basic
science departments, teaching and research laboratories and provide
cost-effective sharing of equipment and other resources.
All students will receive a medical degree from UBC.
“A severe physician shortage is emerging in B.C.,” says UBC Dean
of Medicine John Cairns. “B.C.’s population has grown by 50 per
cent over the last 20 years and yet the output of medical students
has not increased. We’re glad to see that the province is taking
greater responsibility for educating physicians to meet the needs,
especially in underserved areas such as rural and northern regions,
coastal communities, inner cities and selected medical specialties.”
Students and residents trained locally are more likely to develop
the skills and relationships necessary to work in those communities
as physicians, he adds. Needed specialists include obstetricians,
neurologists and surgeons.
“This distributed model of medical education recognizes the regional
diversity of the province,” says UNBC President Charles Jago. “I
think it’s a terrific move for the province: the program is courageous,
imaginative, and innovative and one of the boldest educational developments
in Canada today. We know that this type of medical education will
work for northern BC and we’re delighted that the government has
chosen to support it.”
“This pioneering program engages the strengths of all the partner
universities in a way that benefits the entire province,” says UVic
President David Turpin. “Through the IMP, UVic is looking forward
to contributing its research and teaching expertise to this innovative
partnership that addresses so many of the medical concerns facing
the province.”
UBC’s Faculty of Medicine — B.C.’s medical school — celebrated
its 50th anniversary in 2000 and currently graduates 128 students
annually from a four-year program and attracts more than $90 million
in research funding annually.
More information on the expanded medical education program may
be found at www.unbc.ca/nmp
or www.uvic.ca.
Further information on the UBC Life Sciences Centre is
attached. UBC and UNBC site maps are available.
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