“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was six. This is a dream come true for me.” Those were the words used by Jennifer Parker upon opening her own family practice in Fort St John. This is Dr. Parker’s first full week as a practicing physician and she is joined by 12 others who were in the first graduating class of the Northern Medical Program (NMP) and recently completed residencies in family practice. They are the first to fulfill the promise of the NMP: to increase the number of doctors in the North by training them here.

Jennifer Parker is joining the Fort St. John Medical Clinic and establishing a new, full-service family practice including maternity, palliative care, and emergency services. She will also be offering consultation services for breastfeeding. Dr. Parker was raised in Fort Nelson and Chetwynd and was the first medical student to undertake a residency based in Fort St. John. Throughout residency, she delivered 160 babies.

“My family always encouraged me and believed in me, even when I was terribly discouraged,” says Dr. Parker. “As I start my practice, I can’t help but be very thankful to them. I’m also proud that I’m a northerner who had the chance to complete a medical degree and residency in the North. Now, I’m starting a practice here and my plan is to stay here.”

“This is just the beginning of what the NMP and its graduates will do for communities such as ours,” says Dr. Becky Temple, Medical Director (Northeast) for Northern Health. “We have hosted many medical students in our region since the Northern Medical Program began, but Dr. Parker is the first to complete her education and set up a practice here. On behalf of our local medical community, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Parker as the first Northern Medical Program graduate to our medical staff. We look forward to many more.”

The Northern Medical Program is part of the UBC Faculty of Medicine delivered in collaboration with UNBC, physicians throughout the province, and Northern Health. The program started in 2004 as part of the Government of British Columbia’s commitment to double the number of doctors educated in the province. From the beginning, the program has had a vital connection with northern communities. In fact, 29 municipalities and regional districts in northern BC have become members of the Northern Medical Programs Trust and pledged to raise more than $6 million to support the education of health professionals. The members of the Trust include the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, Fort St. John, Taylor, Hudson's Hope, Dawson Creek, Pouce Coupe, Tumbler Ridge, and the Peace River Regional District.

To date, UNBC has produced 631 Nursing grads, 14 Nurse Practitioners, and 66 recipients of a master’s degree in Community Health Sciences. There have been 70 graduates of the Northern Medical Program.