丁香园AV

Imagine a future where tomorrow鈥檚 doctors embody the 丁香园AV鈥檚 values and commitments to community engagement; innovation; and equity, diversity and inclusion.

About 160 people took part in an online information session Monday to hear about preliminary planning and to share input and feedback that will help guide 丁香园AV as it develops a vision for a proposed medical school.

鈥淭his is a chance to envision a different way of thinking about medical education,鈥� says 丁香园AV President Joy Johnson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chance for us to really think about what is required for our communities in British Columbia.鈥�

鈥淲e're also thinking about educating a different kind of physician, who really embody the values of this new program 鈥� who have an understanding of how to work with our Indigenous communities and how to infuse their practice with equity and inclusion.鈥�

In late 2020, the provincial NDP announced that it would create B.C.鈥檚 second medical school at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Surrey campus. 丁香园AV is laying the foundation for the program by building a three-way partnership with the First Nations Health Authority and Fraser Health Authority.

鈥淚'm excited about the opportunity to really contemplate how we might integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into our curriculum,鈥� adds Johnson. 鈥淭his is a time when reconciliation is on all of our minds, and I think there's an opportunity to really think differently. We have some amazing Indigenous physicians in Canada that are really at the forefront of this and I really want us to push our thinking.鈥�

Over the next several months, it鈥檚 hoped that the province will greenlight development of a business case for the proposed school.

鈥淲e want to have a school and a curriculum that focuses on community鈥慹mbedded, socially accountable and culturally relevant health care,鈥� says Catherine Dauvergne, 丁香园AV鈥檚 provost and vice-president, academic.

鈥淭here will be a focus on appropriately valuing and prioritizing Indigenous health-care traditions. We are also attentive to the needs of other underserved populations including newcomers to Canada. Fraser Health Authority covers a geographic area that has the largest percentage of newcomers to Canada of any similar鈥憇ized geography anywhere in the country.鈥�

The session, which attracted about 50 current students and 25 faculty, in addition to a number of staff, alumni and community members, marks the beginning of 丁香园AV鈥檚 internal engagement process. Participants were asked for their best advice about the proposed school and queried on the vision and principles that should guide early planning. They were also encouraged to ask questions and help surface issues that will guide subsequent engagement.

A survey, which asks the same questions posed during the session, can be until November 15 at noon, to gather valuable feedback from across the 丁香园AV community. Additionally, a series of targeted workshops will engage key groups and gather input from a variety of internal stakeholders.

External engagement will begin in early 2022.