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ROTHESAY (GNB) – The provincial government is investing $2.5 million in a new scholarship fund for medical students, to be delivered through the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation, to support and retain medical students from the province.
“The New Brunswick Department of Health Scholarship Fund will disburse $2.5 million over five years to eligible medical students,” said Health Minister Bruce Fitch. “The support we are showing today is one more example of our commitment to ensuring a well-staffed medical system for the people of New Brunswick.”
The initiative is expected to benefit more than 60 students for each year of the five-year commitment.
Students who are residents of New Brunswick and enrolled in an accredited Canadian program leading to a degree of doctor of medicine are eligible for the scholarships. They will be offered through a return-of-service agreement with the students.
“This $2.5-million commitment marks the largest contribution ever received by the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation. The province’s investment will support approximately 60 additional medical education scholarships each year for five years, more than doubling the foundation’s award capacity,” said Dr. Michael Simon, co-chair of the foundation’s board. “This will have an extraordinary impact, enhancing access to vital health-care services for all New Brunswickers.”
This investment supports the new provincial health plan, Stabilizing Health Care: An Urgent Call to Action which has five action areas: access to primary health care, access to surgery, create a connected system, access to addiction and mental health services and support seniors to age in place.
The scholarship agreement is the latest of several recent initiatives and actions related to recruitment and retention, including:
$129.5 million for increases to wages under contract agreements in this year’s budget and $29.7 million to help address recruitment and retention challenges.
14 medical school seats from outside New Brunswick have been moved to medical schools in Saint John and Moncton.
The number of seats in the University of New Brunswick’s master’s program for nurse practitioners is increasing to 20 seats by this September.
Up to 85 new nursing seats at the University of New Brunswick and the Université de Moncton, pushing the total number of nursing seats to 366 per year.
An agreement with Beal University in Maine to enroll New Brunswick students in its bachelor of nursing program.