Why does Prince Edward Island need a medical school?
How is the joint medical degree being developed?
Does UPEI have the academic expertise and experience to establish a Faculty of Medicine?
How long will it take to establish a medical school?
What programs will be offered?
Why is it a joint UPEI-Memorial doctor of medicine degree?
What is accreditation?
Why is accreditation important?
How many students will be accepted into the first class of medical students at UPEI?
How will students apply, and when, to the University of Prince Edward Island’s Doctor of Medicine program?
How will undergraduate and postgraduate learners be supported with clinical and residency opportunities?
How and where will the curriculum be delivered?
How can I get involved in the development of the UPEI Faculty of Medicine?

Why does the University of Prince Edward Island need a medical school?

Throughout all of Canada, including Prince Edward Island, there is a challenge to recruit and retain physicians in rural and underserved areas.

A Doctor of Medicine program provides an opportunity for students from PEI to learn and gain medical teaching and experiences in their home province. Research shows that medical training experiences play a role in recruitment and retention. A Faculty of Medicine on PEI will fulfil the medical career aspirations of many Island students, here at home.

In addition, a new medical school, along with the expansion of the Faculty of Nursing and the UPEI Health and Wellness Centre clinic, aligns with the strategic direction of the Government of Prince Edward Island’s work in establishing collaborative health care centres in Island communities. The Faculty of Medicine’s clinic will meet the health care needs of Islanders by helping to reduce the waitlist for family doctors and relieving the pressure on Island walk-in clinics, emergency rooms, outpatient departments, and thus physicians.

How is the joint medical degree being developed?

Memorial University and UPEI are working together to explore opportunities for a joint MD program between the two institutions.

Oversight is provided by a committee, co-chaired by Dr. Dolores McKeen, Dean of Medicine at Memorial, and Dr. Wendy Rodgers, President and Vice-Chancellor at UPEI. The committee comprises Memorial University, UPEI, and the PEI medical community representatives.

Consultations and community engagement are core components of the planning and development process for the joint program and the joint program exploration committees include a broad cross-section of community members.
 

Does UPEI have the academic expertise and experience to establish a Faculty of Medicine?

UPEI develops future-focused programming and conducts essential research, placing the university in a prime position to take the idea of a Faculty of Medicine and move it from dream to reality.

UPEI and Memorial are exploring opportunities to create a joint MD program that will require approval from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), the Atlantic Advisory Committee on Health Human Resources (AACHHR), and the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC).

In addition to the layers of approval, the development of a joint MD program involves the development of a governance structure, adaptation and development of context-specific curriculum, the establishment of teaching and learning environments and clinical learning experience capacity, and for the creation of opportunities for collaboration and engagement with physicians, medical professionals, and other key players.

How long will it take to establish a medical school?

Our first intake of students will be for August 2025, as a regional campus of Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine. Before becoming a fully joint program, the joint UPEI-Memorial Doctor of Medicine needs to be accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and approved by the Atlantic Advisory Committee on Health Human Resources (AACHHR) and the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC).

Establishing the UPEI Faculty of Medicine involves adopting a governance structure, adapting/developing curriculum, establishing appropriate teaching and learning environments and experiential opportunities, and ensuring time is allowed for collaboration and engagement with physicians, medical professionals, and other stakeholders.

What programs will be offered?

Until a joint degree is established, UPEI is hosting a regional campus of Memorial University’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Learners who complete their medical education on PEI will receive a degree from Memorial University. 

Why is it a joint UPEI-Memorial Doctor of Medicine degree?

While UPEI has a tremendous track record in developing future-focused programming and conducting meaningful research, working with Memorial University on the development of this joint degree will ensure that:

• Memorial faculty at UPEI have access to professional development and a community of scholars
• Learners in PEI have access to an undergraduate medical education curriculum informed by more than 50 years of generalist physician training, rural medical education, and Indigenous health.

Memorial’s Faculty of Medicine has received national recognition for its focus on rural education and the number of graduating physicians who practice rural medicine. In 2020, the Memorial Faculty of Medicine won the Society of Rural Physicians Canada (SRPC) Rural Medical Education award for the third time for producing graduates headed for a career in rural medicine. In 2023, the Memorial Faculty of Medicine was awarded—for the tenth time in the past 20 years—the SRPC Keith Award for excelling in producing family doctors who practice in rural areas ten years after graduation.

A joint MD program between UPEI and Memorial will undoubtedly build on both UPEI and Memorial’s foundation of excellence and leadership in post-secondary education.

What is accreditation?

Accreditation of undergraduate medical education programs by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS)  is a requirement for Canadian medical schools.

In addition to approval from CACMS, UPEI must also receive approval from the Atlantic Advisory Committee on Health Human Resources (AACHHR) and the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC), which oversee quality assurance in the region.

Why is accreditation important?

CACMS accreditation provides assurances to medical students, graduates, the medical profession, health-care institutions, health authorities, regulatory authorities and the public that:

• Educational programs culminating in the award of the MD degree meet reasonable, generally-accepted, and appropriate national standards for educational quality and;
• Graduates of such programs have a complete and valid educational experience sufficient to prepare them for the next stage of their training.

How many students will be accepted into the first class of medical students at UPEI?

There will be 20 PEI-based seats, with at least one reserved for an Indigenous student.

How will students apply, and when, to the University of Prince Edward Island’s Doctor of Medicine program?

Applicants interested in applying to the Memorial University Faculty of Medicine are invited to visit Memorial University’s Admissions webpage for more information. 

How will undergraduate and postgraduate learners be supported with clinical and residency opportunities?

UPEI and Memorial are working with PEI physicians, Health PEI, and other key organizations to develop clinical learning experiences for undergraduate learners. 

UPEI and Memorial’s future focus will be on developing sufficient regional capacity for residency placements among the medical programs in Atlantic Canada. We will also look at the issues pertaining to postgraduate education, including capacity, the needs of PEI, and government funding.

How and where will the curriculum be delivered?

 Memorial’s MD program will be fully delivered at the regional campus of PEI primarily via virtual bidirectional classroom technology and in-person small-group learning in the first two years, and primarily in the PEI clinical environment in the final two years.

How can I get involved in the development of the UPEI Faculty of Medicine?

Planning for the UPEI Faculty of Medicine will be a multi-year journey with many opportunities to listen and learn. We thank our community for your participation so far, but we still need more input.

Visit the Community Engagement page for more information.

We value input and welcome comments and feedback, which can be directed to medicine@upei.ca.