The Northern Medical program at UNBC celebrated a decade of education, Friday.
Representatives from the province and University, along with alumni celebrated the occasion.
Students in the program spend their first semester at UBC, then move to the North where they spend the of their four-year program.
University President Daniel Weeks praises the program, saying it’s success isn’t about competing with other Universities, but partnering with them, like UBC.
“What this really shows, quite clearly, is that no one campus can do everything that it needs to do,” he says. “It needs to do it in partnership with others. It creates opportunities for folks in the North, that otherwise would not have happened. It’s not a competition, we all win by working together.”
Weeks says the program has matured to a solid foundation to expand other health programs, such as physical therapy and nursing.
“So this really is the anchor tenant, so to speak, in our development,” he says. “It’s really tremendous, many, many, small universities across Canada don’t enjoy having a medical school on their campus, and all the benefits and expertise that brings.”
Looking ahead to the next decade, Weeks hopes to see the program grow and lead to other specialties offered at the University.
“I’m really interested in what extent we can build greater programming around all the allied health, from occupational therapy, physical therapy, all of those health professions that are so important to support the medical community here in the North,” he says.
Since it’s launch, the Northern Medical program has expanded its annual intake from 24 to 32, and has graduated seven classes since 2008.
Graduates move into two to seven years of medical residence and fellowships training.
The University says about 30% of grads who have settled into permanent practice are currently working in the North, while more than two thirds in permanent practice are in rural, remote northern communities.
(Photo courtesy UNBC)
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