Dr. Heather Smith, an alumna of the inaugural class of the Northern Medical Program, now practices as a family doctor in Prince George. Visit the BCMD10 microsite to learn about her journey to medicine.
In September of 2004, the first 200 students in our newly distributed MD Undergraduate Program entered the Life Sciences Centre at UBC. Spurred by a health care crisis in the province, that day would mark the beginning of a new era of medical education in British Columbia.
Four years earlier, thousands of citizens from communities across Northern B.C. had gathered at a local hockey arena. But they weren’t there to see the puck fly. They had come to be heard and draw attention to the critical state of health care in the North. UBC, together with partner universities, the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Victoria, and the B.C. government, heard their cry and set out on a mission to find a way forward. The result? The creation of Canada’s first fully-distributed undergraduate medical program.
Today, our undergraduate medical program represents the third largest in Canada, with faculty and students engaged in research, education and service across B.C. But it took an enormous amount of planning and collaborating, along with dedication and faith to develop, what is today, a province-wide enterprise.
2014 marks the ten year anniversary of the launch of UBC’s distributed MD Undergraduate Program. Visit the BCMD10 microsite to learn more about the history, challenges and successes of the program, and hear from key players, faculty, staff and students who were an integral part of this process.
Join the conversation by following @UBCMDUP on Twitter and share your experiences with the distributed program on social media by using the hashtag #BCMD10.