The Division of Medical Sciences is an academic administrative unit that consists of the UBC MD Undergraduate Program (Northern Medical Program), the distributed UBC Health Professions Degree Programs, and the UBC/UNBC joint Health Professions Degree Programs. The Division of Medical Sciences promotes scholarship and innovation in research and medical education to address societal health needs, specifically in northern and rural communities. It is affiliated with the Faculty of Human and Health Sciences for the purposes of professional academic association and collaboration.
Northern Medical Program
The Northern Medical Program (NMP) is part of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine Distributed Medical Program and is a partnership involving the University of British Columbia (Vancouver Fraser Medical Program – VFMP and Southern Medical Program – SMP), the University of Victoria (Island Medical Program – IMP) and the University of Northern British Columbia (Northern Medical Program – NMP).
Students interested in the NMP apply through UBC’s Faculty of Medicine Admissions. NMP students are fully registered UBC students and receive UBC medical degrees upon graduation.
NMP students spend their first two years studying at the UNBC campus in Prince George. Students are also offered opportunities to spend time in local physicians’ offices working with patients and at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC) learning clinical skills.
The third year is more clinically intensive. Students complete their clinical clerkships in hospital and community settings in northern British Columbia. The majority of students complete their clerkships at the UHNBC. In these clerkships, students rotate through different disciplines, spending several weeks in each. Terrace and Fort St. John are home to integrated clerkships in which up to four students from each class spend their entire third year in those communities. In integrated clerkships, students follow the same objectives and experience the same disciplines as traditional clerkships, but do so in an integrated manner.
The fourth year of medical education is composed of electives in areas of medicine which are of particular interest to the student.
After successfully completing the four-year undergraduate MD program, graduates enter residency training across Canada in one of over 50 specialty areas, including family medicine. Residency programs currently offered in northern BC include family medicine and psychiatry in Prince George, and family medicine in both Terrace and Fort St. John. A number of other UBC residency programs include rotations throughout northern BC. Depending on the residency program chosen, post-graduate training ranges from two to six years.
Affiliate Status and Access to UNBC Student Services
UNBC offers an array of student services designed to foster student success. While academic registrations for all NMP students are at UBC, NMP students are registered as “affiliate students” at UNBC, enabling them to take advantage of student services on campus at UNBC. During 3rd and 4th year, when NMP students spend most of the time off campus, the list of UNBC services offered is reduced. Please consult the NMP Student Affairs Office for a complete and current list.
Academic and Non-Academic Policies, Procedures and Regulations
NMP students are subject to the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s policies, procedures and regulations. For more information, please visit entrada.med.ubc.ca/community/policiesandforms.
While studying at the UNBC campus, NMP students are also subject to UNBC’s non-academic related policies and procedures. For more information, please visit www.unbc.ca/policy.
How to Apply
Admission to the NMP is done through the UBC Faculty of Medicine Admissions Office. To apply for admission and to confirm application deadline dates for the Faculty of Medicine, please visit www.mdprogram.med.ubc.ca/admissions.
Office of the Division of Medical Sciences
The Office of the Division of Medical Sciences is responsible for the delivery of the NMP curriculum in northern BC. This responsibility includes the coordination of teaching and research staff, the support of student well-being, and the maintenance of close links with UBC and UVic. For more information about the NMP, please visit www.unbc.ca/northern-medical-program.