In one year from now, the first students in the Northern Medical Program (NMP) will begin their studies. The NMP is a component of BC's Medical School, a partnership involving UBC, UVic, and UNBC to double the number of physicians trained in BC.

The NMP's first class of 24 students will complete their first semester at UBC starting next August, but will be able to complete the remainder of their medical education in northern BC, taking courses at the UNBC campus in Prince George and learning from doctors in various communities around northern BC. The coming year will mark a number of milestones:

- Applications from prospective students will be accepted until October 1. Interviews with candidates for medical school will begin in the late winter.

- The Northern Medical Programs Trust will determine initial criteria for supporting northern students pursuing education in the health professions. To date, 19 northern BC communities have begun fundraising to ensure northern medical students are not financially disadvantaged during their studies. The Northern Medical Programs Trust is aiming to establish a $6 million endowment over the next 4-5 years.

- UNBC and UBC have recently appointed Dr David Snadden to lead the development of the Northern Medical Program. Five other faculty are being recruited for the NMP.

- Wayne Watson Construction of Prince George is currently building the 4,000 square metre Northern Health Sciences Centre at the University's Prince George campus. The new facility will include classrooms, labs, and offices, and feature wood construction and state-of-the-art technology. The building will be complete by the summer of 2004.

- In January, some current first-year UBC medical students will be participating in a "prototypical week" to pilot and evaluate the major course delivery methods that will be used in the distributed medical education program. Eight students will participate in this dress rehearsal week in Prince George. The NMP will soon be approaching local physicians about helping with the prototypical week.

For more information about the Northern Medical Program and BC's Medical School, visit the website at www.unbc.ca/nmp.