Overview

Historically, B.C.’s rural and remote communities have found it difficult to recruit and retain qualified medical professionals. Between 1980 and 2001, no growth took place in the province’s medical school spaces. During this same time there was a 50 per cent growth in provincial population, which made it difficult for B.C. residents to access the services of physicians in rural regions of the province, particularly in the North.

In March 2002, government announced that the University of British Columbia’s medical school would be expanded to produce more B.C.-trained physicians to help reduce shortages. In a unique collaboration, UBC worked with the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Victoria to form a distributed learning model that allows training to take place in three different geographic regions. The number of medical school spaces is almost doubling, from an intake of 128 in 2003/04 to 224 by 2005/06.

Government committed $134 million in capital funding to build the facilities to accommodate the new training spaces and equip them with the technology to support the distributed learning model. This investment includes $110 million for a new Life Sciences Centre at UBC’s Vancouver campus and about $12 million each for the Northern Health Sciences Centre at UNBC and the Medical Sciences Centre at UVic.

Key Presentations

Cabinet Presentations

1. Open cabinet meeting transcript, March 15, 2002
   
   
2. The Life Sciences Initiative: A provincial strategy to increase physician supply [491kb]
   
   
3. A Collaborative Approach to Expanding Medical Education [246kb]

The University Presidents' Council of British Columbia

1. The Medical School Expansion: Interim Report, April 2004
   
   
2. The Medical School Expansion: Interim Report, April 2003 [798kb]

Press Releases

Ministry

1. UVic Building Ready to Educate Doctors on the Island
   December 10, 2004
   
   
2. Loan Forgiveness to Provide More Supports for Children
   December 7, 2004
   

3. Life Sciences Centre Advances B.C. Health Education
   November 4, 2004
   
   
4. First-ever Northern Medical Program Now Open
   August 17, 2004
   
   
5. $2.2 Million to Advance Northern Health Care
   March 16, 2004
   
   
6. Life Sciences Centre on Track to Double Medical Spaces
   June 11, 2003
   
   
7. B.C. Doubles Number of Medical School Students
   March 15, 2002

University of British Columbia (UBC)

1. UBC Faculty of Medicine Expansion Update
   March 2004
   
   
2. Government, universities, launch plan to double BC's doctor supply, March 15, 2002

University of Victoria (UVic)

1. UVic Appoints Medical Sciences Head
   The Ring - November 2003
   
   
2. UVic Part of Expanded Medical Education Program
   March 15, 2002

University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)

1. Northern Medical Program Press Releases