The NMP hosted a special information event this summer for Indigenous students interested in medicine. The Indigenous MD Admissions Workshop ran July 27 – 29 at the Dr. Donald Rix Northern Health Sciences Centre at UNBC in Prince George, and also included local field trips to various health organizations. 

The 19th annual Workshop provided visiting high school and post-secondary students with an overview of the UBC MD undergraduate program and application process, along with hands-on learning opportunities in a teaching lab and a simulation lab.

Photo: Workshop attendees experiencing a Northern Clinical Simulation Centre session at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia.

“The workshop benefited me immensely in my pursuit of a career in medicine,” said participant Jayden, a recent UNBC graduate from Williams Lake. “From hearing of the successes of Indigenous physicians in the North to travelling to local Indigenous health centres, this workshop showed me that as an Indigenous person I can work with and for my community. I was also able to meet faculty and staff at the Northern Medical Program who were all so supportive and willing to help students, which made me feel very comfortable and at home in an environment that was new to me.”

The Indigenous MD Admissions Workshop is held at a different UBC distributed medical program site each year. There is no cost for the workshop, and accommodations and meals are covered. Attendees are responsible for travel costs.

“The workshop really helped because it talked about all the tests, helped me better understand financing for school, and I was able to hear other peoples’ experiences about becoming doctors,” said participant Matheiu, a high school student from Hazelton. “My favourite experience was going to the hospital in Prince George and practicing on the mannequin robots in the simulation lab.”

“This annual three-day event helps prospective Indigenous students to experience the medical school environment first-hand,” says James Andrew, Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager at the UBC Faculty of Medicine, “and have an opportunity to directly ask questions about the curriculum and how to apply.”

The next workshop will be hosted in July 2023 by the Island Medical Program in Victoria.

Learn more about the Indigenous Pathway for admissions to the UBC Faculty of Medicine.