January 24, 2001 For Immediate Release

Local individuals have already contributed $11,500 towards establishing scholarships and bursaries for future students enrolled in the Northern Medical Program. The first donations were received on Friday, January 19th, only a day after the new program was officially announced.

The Northern Medical Program has been developed by UNBC and The University of British Columbia to increase the number of doctors trained in northern BC for practice in rural areas. It's expected the program could enroll its first 15-20 students by 2004, pending government funding. The NMP is part of the vision for expanding medical education in BC - currently, UBC can only supply about 25% of the annual physician replacement needs in the province. The need is especially acute in the rural parts of BC, where the number of practicing physicians has been gradually dropping.

The Northern Medical Program was announced in Prince George during the National Health Summit, which concluded over the weekend.

The initial donors recognize the importance of scholarships and bursaries for medical students and are anxious to see other donors add to what has already been contributed. Individuals or corporations who wish to establish scholarships or bursaries for future Northern Medical Program students can contact the UNBC Development Office at 960-5759.