Story

UBC enhances training for medical students in the Fraser Valley

Transformative Learning | Strategy 11: Education Renewal
Theme: Innovation
Rajan Bola, first-year FMC student, for whom the opportunity to train in his own community is an important consideration in his medical journey.

In September 2022, the UBC Faculty of Medicine introduced a new opportunity for medical students to further dedicate their learning and clinical training in the Fraser Valley.

Known as the Fraser Medical Cohort (FMC) — which is part of the larger Vancouver Fraser Medical Program (VFMP) that continues to train in the Fraser — students in the FMC will enhance their learning about the unique health care needs of the region through small group learning, mentorships and clinical visits throughout the area in their first and second years.

They will also devote their clinical training primarily throughout the Fraser during their third year.

“Building on the foundation that students tend to practise where they train, it is so important that we provide excellent educational experiences and foster that sense of belonging and connectedness early on,” said Dr. Cary Cuncic, Regional Associate Dean for Vancouver Fraser, UBC Faculty of Medicine.

For more than a decade, UBC’s distributed medical education program has been successfully training the next generation of doctors through the Northern Medical Program, Island Medical Program, Southern Medical Program and the VFMP.

Each year, close to 5,000 UBC medical student and resident doctor rotations take place in hospitals, primary care settings and clinics across the Fraser every year. The students will have the opportunity to train alongside UBC clinical faculty in high-demand fields such as family medicine, emergency medicine and psychiatry.

“The Fraser Medical Cohort offers an excellent opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the unique and diverse health care needs of local communities,” said Dr. Roger Wong, Vice Dean of Education, UBC Faculty of Medicine. “Many will go on to practice in the region, providing greater access to care for the people and families who live here.”

To read the full story, please visit the Faculty of Medicine website.

Through Strategy 11: Education Renewal, UBC is committed to facilitating sustained program renewal and improvements in teaching effectiveness.