UVic Part of Expanded Medical Education Program

Future doctors will soon be studying in Victoria as part of the expanded medical education program announced today by the provincial government. UVic and UNBC are part of an initiative with UBC's faculty of medicine to increase the number of doctors in the province and give medical students the opportunity to study outside of the Lower Mainland. The Island Medical Program (IMP) will bring 24 students to Vancouver Island in January 2005. The program will include a new medical building at UVic and expanded/renovated facilities at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals.

"UVic is looking forward to working with our IMP partners to address the physician shortage in the province," says UVic President Dr. David Turpin. "UVic is already the second largest health educator in B.C. We also have world class researchers studying in a wide range of health related areas that address issues associated with an aging society, the social determinants of health, and the roles for nurses in the health care system. These are the same concerns that face the province overall and that certainly apply to the diverse communities on Vancouver Island."

IMP students will have access to laboratories and computer facilities at UVic. They will also be linked to UBC electronically and through video-conferencing. The new UVic building will complement other facilities on campus and will accommodate, as much as possible, students from other disciplines as well. Throughout all four years of the program, but especially in their third and fourth years, students will learn first-hand about the health care delivery challenges facing coastal communities, smaller centres, and various urban settings around Vancouver Island.

"We know that medical students are more likely to stay in the communities where they study after they graduate," says Dr. Valerie Kuehne, UVic's associate vice president academic. "It's our hope that the IMP will not only increase the number of physicians in B.C. without the expense of an additional medical school, but will also result in more doctors coming to Vancouver Island."

"Vancouver Island Health Authority's partnership in this program is a key part of our ongoing commitment to educate a broad range of health care professionals such as nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists and social workers," says VIHA CEO Rick Roger. "This latest collaboration with UVic is critical to the innovation needed to provide the best health care possible to all Vancouver Island residents."

Since last summer, UVic administrators have been consulting with medical practitioners and administrators throughout Vancouver Island for their advice and feedback on the IMP. "We have heard from many Island physicians who are interested in being involved in the IMP. We recognize that they are vital partners to the success of this program," says Kuehne.

The first cohort of IMP is expected to arrive on Vancouver Island in January, 2005, after completing the first 13 weeks of their study at UBC. An additional 24 students per year are expected to be added to the program annually thereafter. For more information visit the IMP website at web.uvic.ca/imp

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