New medical school on schedule to open in 2025, says UPEI - Action News
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PEI

New medical school on schedule to open in 2025, says UPEI

Construction is underway for UPEI's medical school, with the new faculty scheduled to start receiving students in 2025.

$22M for school included in provincial budget

UPEI medical school.
A render of what the medical school is expected to look like when complete. (UPEI)

The foundation is in, walls are going up, and construction is now officially underway for UPEI'smedical school.

The newfaculty of medicine ison schedule to open in the summer of 2025, the university's interim president Greg Keefesaid.

TwentyIsland students will be accepted that first year and every year after that, Keefe said.

Given the timeline, that means it will be close to a decade before students become qualified family physicians. But Keefe said the hope is the school will actually attract new doctors to the province.

Greg Keefe in front of Atlantic Veterinary College at UPEI.
'Physicians like variety in their work. So, if they are spending, let's say, 10 per cent of their time training students, then that gives them a bit more quality of life for their careers,' says UPEI interim president Greg Keefe. (Travis Kingdon/CBC)

"We think this is actually an excellent opportunity for recruitment to fill positions that the province currently has difficulty filling," he said.

"We know there are a number of physicians out there who have identified they'd love to come to P.E.I. to work if there is a medical program they can work within."

$91M in expected costs

The recently tabled provincial budgetincluded $22 million for the medical school.

The expected cost for infrastructure and equipment is $91 million,with the province investing about $62 million, Keefe said.

"Physicians like variety in their work. Soif they're spending, let'ssay, 10 per cent of their time training students, then that gives them a bit more quality of life for their careers," Keefe said, adding they've already begun interviews to selectdean for the medical school.

Both Health P.E.I. and the Medical Society of P.E.I.have expressed concerns if medical professionals have to do their jobs and work with students.

A picture of foundation and walls of the medical school expected to open at UPEI in 2025.
The medical school is expected to be complete in 2025. (Laura Meader/CBC)

Investments into projects are important, Dr. Krista Cassell, the society's president,said in an emailed statement. But she addedshe would also like to see working conditions improve for existing health care professionals.

"Werecognize that it is crucial to strike a balance between supporting future projects and addressing the immediate needs of our healthcare system," she said.

"We are particularly interested during this time of upheaval in healthcare in investments that support our current system, our physicians, and other front-line healthcare workers today."

Meanwhile, some UPEI students said they'reexcited for the new medical school.

"We think it is a good idea,"Noah Mannholland,with the UPEI Student Union. "We are excited that students will have the chance to pursue studies to become doctors in house without the need to go away.

"We're hoping that it manages to put a little more emphasis on UPEI for the province to maybe look at us and see how we can be improved further."

With files from Laura Meader