Photo: UBCO
UBC Medical School and partners celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Southern Medical Program at UBC Okanagan with An Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, Haruinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashi, and Susan Brown, President and CEO of internal health.
The University of British Columbia School of Medicine is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Southern Medical Program at Okanagan Campus in Kelowna.
UBC’s distributed medical program was one of the first of its kind in the world and is now one of the largest medical programs in North America. The program was launched at UBCO in 2011 and has graduated over 215 physicians.
Secretary of Advanced Education and Skills Training Ann Kang noted that Kelowna is one of four places in British Columbia where the school trains future doctors – the others being Victoria, Vancouver and Prince George.
“Opportunities for regional education are important because we know that students are more likely to stay and practice in the communities in which they study. This is a remarkable result, “she said.
Overall, more than 90 percent of students who complete their bachelor’s and graduate degrees in medical education at UBC remain in British Columbia to practice. Each year, UBC admits 288 first-year medical students and 362 first-year physicians.
The UBC program in Kelowna welcomes 32 new medical students a year, of which up to 10 places are designated for applicants from rural and remote backgrounds. At any one time, approximately 130 medical students and more than 90 local doctors are trained in hospitals, primary care and health care clinics throughout the interior region.
“Eighteen years ago, UBC embarked on an ambitious plan to reorient medical education to better serve the province,” said Dermot Keleher, dean, medical school and vice president of health at UBC.
“Today, the university is a world leader in distributed medical education, and together with our SMP partners, we train world-class physicians who are passionate about building a healthier system that is fairer, more diverse, and more inclusive for patients and communities.”
In addition to training future doctors, the UBCO program is a world-leading center for medical research with a special focus on the health needs of people living in the interior. It is home to the new Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, which is accelerating new treatments and prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological conditions.
“UBC Okanagan has firmly established itself as a leading university focused on medical education and research, serving the needs of the interior,” said Dr. Leslie Cormack, Vice Rector and Director, UBC Okanagan.
“We are proud to be home to SMP and to provide world-class medical education and research that improves the lives of British Colombians.”
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