Province adds $34M to SFU medical school still on track for 2026 launch

Simon Fraser University continues to make steady progress in clearing regulatory and planning hurdles toward launching its medical school, confirming its first dean and securing an additional $34 million in funding from the province.

Premier David Eby was on hand to announce the funding toward converting existing classrooms for medical education at the university’s Surrey campus on Tuesday, where he also announced acting dean Dr. David Price had been confirmed as dean late last week.

“I’ve never been more optimistic about where we’re headed,” said Eby, in reference to his government’s work on the health-care file as well as other major issues, including housing.

In a one-on-one interview with CTV News, Price said that not only has the SFU board formally approved the school, their application for accreditation with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is nearly complete, and a tentative three-year curriculum is ready.

“We're actually sort of at the launch pad now, so we basically can say the engines are now firing,” he said. “We're ready to post for some major leadership roles.”

A plan for the future

Health minister, Adrian Dix, emphasized that Surrey has been the “city of yes” for his government, as they pour much-needed resources into a new hospital in Cloverdale and the expansion of Surrey Memorial Hospital, with the school being another investment in the future.

“When we train doctors in B.C., they stay in B.C. Ninety per cent of post-graduates, 80 per cent of undergrads stay and practice in B.C. compared to 60 per cent, say, in Alberta,” he said.

The school was initially promised by then-premier John Horgan in 2020 with an anticipated opening in fall of 2023, but that was never a realistic promise since the planning and accreditation processes typically take seven years to establish a medical school.

SFU will focus on family doctor training, with students going on to other universities if they want to specialize further. If the planning and hiring stays on track for the 2026 launch, the first cohort will begin residency in 2029 and will become fully-fledged doctors by 2031.

Advice for aspiring local doctors

The university’s president and vice-chancellor was on hand for Tuesday’s update and emphasized the key vision for the program: training students from the community, in the community, with an eye to the future.

“A medical school that really will ensure that we add capacity to B.C.'s health-care system and provide community-embedded, socially-accountable and culturally-safe care,” said Joy Johnson, a trained nurse with a PhD in nursing.

With that in mind, it should be no surprise that Price expects the admission committee will prioritize local applicants who’ll want to practice locally.

“They’ll need to have the basic marks and the basic requirements, but what is your passion for primary care?” he said. “We're looking for mature students who are interested in their community, who've contributed to their own communities.”