March 21, 2001 For Immediate Release

University of Northern British Columbia President Charles Jago will be outlining the vision for the proposed Northern Medical Program during an information session in Fort St John on Wednesday, March 28th.

The info session will start at 7pm in the Multipurpose Room at the Fort St John Northern Lights College campus. The President will review the program and the planning process and identify local contacts for future input into the program.

The Northern Medical Program is a collaboration between UBC and UNBC and its aim is to train more medical doctors in the North for practice in northern and rural areas.

The NMP was announced at a national health summit held in Prince George this past January. Last month, representatives from northern medical schools around the world attended a planning workshop in Prince George that outlined international best practices for the training of medical professionals. UNBC and UBC are eager to begin a detailed plan for the Northern Medical Program that will include curriculum details, admission requirements, and both faculty and facility needs. A key component of the program will likely be the opportunity for hands-on learning in hospitals and clinics all over northern BC. It's expected the program could accept its first 15-20 students by 2004.

For more information about the Northern Medical Program, log on to the web site at www.unbc.ca/nmp.