NationTalk: Today, Cape Breton University (CBU) and Dalhousie University (DAL) have announced they will partner on a Medical Education Pilot Initiative aimed at innovative and creative solutions to alleviate family physician shortages in rural Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton, Mi’kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities.

In a bold and innovative strategy to address healthcare needs in Nova Scotia, CBU has initiated the pilot program with DAL to test whether Nova Scotians will respond to a different approach to medical school admissions that include geographic and program of focus criteria, along with a return of service provision. The program, beginning in September 2022, will see CBU sponsor five seats at Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine MD Program for qualified rural Nova Scotian applicants including Cape Breton, Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous and African Nova Scotian individuals.

“Healthcare issues are a large part of our strategic plan, and this pilot is the first step in a number of strategic health initiatives at Cape Breton University,” says David C. Dingwall, Cape Breton University President and Vice-Chancellor. “Together with the Government of Nova Scotia, we are in discussions with various institutions about innovative ways to work together to provide greater healthcare access for rural Nova Scotians.”

CBU and the Government of Nova Scotia, with partners at Dalhousie, are working together to find innovative and creative ways to increase access to family doctors in rural Nova Scotia. The five successful students will commit to a return of service criteria including committing a focus on family medicine, and working as a family doctor in rural Nova Scotia for five years after completing their degree. Students will graduate with a Doctor of Medicine from Dalhousie University with efforts to create more capacity for residencies in rural Nova Scotia.