1. When do classes start?
2. How do I apply?
3. Why is the Northern Medical Program at UNBC connected to UBC?
4. Why do I have to apply through UBC?
5. What are the admission requirements for the NMP?
6. How many students will the NMP accept?
7. Will there be a specific number of places reserved for students from northern BC?
8. Will there be a specific number of places reserved for Aboriginal students?
9. If I graduate from the Northern Medical Program, will I only be qualified to practice medicine in the north?
The following FAQs respond to commonly raised questions by prospective students about the Northern Medical Program (NMP).
1. When does the NMP start?
Curriculum delivery begins in August.
2. How do I apply?
All applications for the Northern Medical Program are completed through the UBC Faculty of Medicine's Admission Office. For detailed information, please refer to UBC Faculty of Medicine admissions criteria and selections process.
3. Why is the Northern Medical Program at UNBC connected to UBC?
The Northern Medical Program is a partnership between UBC Faculty of Medicine and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). It is an innovative expansion of UBC's Faculty of Medicine where students will be admitted to one of four sites in B.C. to study: the Northern Medical Program (NMP) at UNBC, the Island Medical Program (IMP) at the University of Victoria, the Southern Medical Program at UBC's Okanagan campus, and the Vancouver-Fraser Medical Program (VFMP) at UBC in Vancouver.
4. Why do I have to apply through UBC?
The NMP is a distributed education program of UBC's Faculty of Medicine. It utilizes UBC's medical faculty and curriculum. Students in the Northern Medical Program will graduate with a UBC medical degree (not a UNBC degree). Therefore all applications are processed through UBC.
5. What are the admission requirements for the NMP?
The entrance requirements are the same for all UBC medical program applicants; however, applications to the NMP will also be evaluated based on their suitability for training and practicing in a rural context.
6. How many students will the NMP accept?
Thirty-six students are accepted into the Northern Medical Program annually.
7. Will there be a specific number of places reserved for students from northern BC?
While we highly encourage students from northern B.C. to apply to the NMP, the selection of candidates for the program is the same as all medical students, with additional evaluation tools built into the selection process that recognize rural suitability. NMP students are chosen purely on merit.
8. Will there be a specific number of places reserved for Aboriginal students?
The UBC Faculty of Medicine undergraduate distributed program is committed to increasing opportunities for Indigenous (Status or Non-Status Indians, Treaty, First Nations, Metis, or Inuit) students, as part of the MD Admissions Indigenous Pathway. A percentage of seats in each entering class are reserved for Indigenous students.
9. If I graduate from the Northern Medical Program, will I only be qualified to practice medicine in the north?
No. You'll receive the same quality education as medical students across Canada. All students graduate with a UBC medical degree that is accredited nationally. Although the aim of the NMP is to train future physicians for northern, rural and remote communities, graduates will be able to practice medicine anywhere in Canada.