First Graduating Class from Northern Medical Program

Sunday, May 11, 2008 09:57 AM

First Graduating Class from the Northern Medical Program

Prince George, B.C. - More than 300 people attended the special event at the University of Northern B.C. this weekend to celebrate the graduation of the first group of Doctors from the Northern Medical Program.

Each of the grads was presented with a white doctor's coat and nameplate made out of beetle-infected pine.

"The Northern Medical Program class of 2008 would not be here without the vision, ingenuity, and dedication of the residents of northern BC," said Sharona Supernault, an NMP graduate who grew up in Dawson Creek, BC. In fact, the program has a very short history: the idea was first presented in June 2000 at a rally in Prince George where 6000 people demanded a response to the critical shortage of physicians that had been plaguing northern and rural communities. Four years ago, the first NMP students began their studies and the program was officially kicked off during a ceremony in the Agora Courtyard at UNBC, the same location as the graduation celebration.

"When I think of the Northern Medical Program and why being trained in the North has been so beneficial, a few things come to mind," says newly minted Dr. Supernault, who spoke on behalf of the class during the ceremony. "we were supported by staff who care, we gained great clinical skills, our teachers knew our names, and we were taught in an environment with a real sense of community."

Although the first NMP graduates are now officially "doctors," they must complete residency in a particular specialization before they can practice on their own. 70% of the first grad class is completing a residency in family practice, which requires two years of additional training.

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Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 09:57 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: turbocat on May 11 2008 10:29 AM

Congrats to all of you, well done !

Posted by: Dozer on May 11 2008 11:39 AM

Very good you people are all very special Congrats

Posted by: zoopdingle on May 11 2008 1:18 PM

Colour me cynical but I have to wonder how many of them will stay in the North for any substantial period of time. Are they contractually obligated to practice up here?

Posted by: sunshine on May 11 2008 1:48 PM

Zoopdingle the students who are selected to be in the northern medical program have to have an interest in working in the north. My boyfriend, who will find out on Thursday if he is in the class of 2012, wrote his essay based purely on the fact that he loves the north and wants to gain experience up here and eventually work in Terrace.

Posted by: opinionated on May 11 2008 2:50 PM

Hey Sunshine how does your bf know the exact date of when he will hear. I have a friend also for the same class and he said he'd know sometime by the end of May.he too will practice in Terrace. Hmmm wonder if it's the same person?

Posted by: opinionated on May 11 2008 2:51 PM

This is terrific and we here in PG are all so proud. I know that one graduate is the daughter of one of PG's doctors and hopefully she will stay.

Posted by: northern taxpayer on May 11 2008 3:32 PM

Job well done - stick to your goals there always will be a need for health care people, enjoy the work don't get into the medical rut the politicians have made, heads up, and do no harm ,it will be a rewarding life for all of you.

Posted by: owl on May 11 2008 10:42 PM

I hope some will go to the other countries we have been "stealing" doctors from to repay them for the favour ...... India, South Africa, etc.

I say that only to remind people how we have been getting many of our doctors and how this is finally a step to not only increase the total seats in BC to a level closer to self sufficiency, but also address the rural/urban discrepancy.

Both the rural programs recently set up in BC and in Ontario have the objective in mind to select applicants on the basis that they would not only make good medical doctors, but would also be more likely to practice in rural areas of BC after they have done their internships.

It will likely take another 5 years to see whether it works and, if it does not, how to tweak it so that it does.

Posted by: Truth on May 12 2008 3:03 AM

Best wishes to all these young people. You will notice that over half are female. That is true of the legal profession. Men are chosing engineering - especially software design - and business management, which requires an MBA these days.

Dumbing down? I don't see that, because applications of theoretical physics - especially quantum theory - is pervasive in technological fields. Like law, it is becoming a paint by numbers job. Notwithstanding laughable trash-TV like "House," computer programmes do the bulk of diagnostic work; a doctor is a data-processor, who occasionally uses a scalpel. Maybe we should reduce their training to 1 year, and cap salaries at $50,000. With computer based re-learning, complex procedures can be done by anyone with hands, eyeballs, and ears. Frankly, medical professionals are drones.

Posted by: owl on May 12 2008 8:15 AM

????? drones???

no more than engineers and other professionals ... there are standards of practice which every professional follows, medicine is not much different.

Don't forget, most if not all have an undergraduate degree before they even enter the professional studies. Most of those degrees are probably science based.

1 year of training? You are being facetious obviously.