NORTHERN COMMUNITIES HOST STUDENTS IN HEALTH PROGRAMS

Media Release



June 12, 2007

This summer, 17 Northern British Columbia communities are hostingstudents who are pursuing an education in health science programs atthe University of Northern British Columbia. The clinical placements inregional hospital and health clinics are vital to completing degreerequirements for students in the Northern Medical Program (NMP), themaster’s-level program in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), and thebachelor’s degree in Nursing (BScN).

The following communities are hosting students from the various health science programs:

  • Prince George (BScN, NMP, FNP)        
  • Vanderhoof (BScN)
  • Fraser Lake (NMP and FNP)            
  • Burns Lake (BScN)
  • Quesnel (BScN and FNP)            
  • Terrace (BScN)
  • Dawson Creek (BScN and NMP)        
  • Prince Rupert (BScN)
  • Fort St. James (BScN and NMP)            
  • McBride (BScN)
  • Hazelton (BScN and NMP)            
  • Mackenzie (BScN)
  • Kitimat (BScN and NMP)            
  • Chetwynd (BScN)
  • Masset (BScN and NMP)            
  • Fort Nelson (BScN)
  • Smithers (BScN and NMP)


“Medical students in northern communities this summer are not limitedto those enrolled in the Northern Medical Program,” says David Snadden,head of the Northern Medical Program. “All 228 of UBC’s medicalstudents are participating in a rural family practice course and theyare in 88 communities throughout the province and Territories. This isunprecedented in the North.” The NMP is part of The University ofBritish Columbia Faculty of Medicine MD undergraduate program deliveredin collaboration with the University of Northern British Columbia.

“Our collaborative Nursing program in Prince George, Quesnel, andTerrace has 480 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels – thehighest ever in the North,” says Ian Blue, Chair of Nursing at UNBC.“Exposing students to northern communities and the terrific health careexperiences they can have is the best thing we can do to preparestudents to actually work in the North after they graduate.”

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622