Input from rural physicians is being sought for SFU’s new medical school.  

In particular, the school is interested in hearing from rural physicians who would like to be involved in the development of admissions pathways, admissions requirements, curriculum planning and case study writing. Physicians can email [email protected] to find out more about how they can get involved this fall. 

The consultation has already got underway, with members of the Network of Rural Divisions group underscoring the importance of placing medical students in rural communities during a recent meeting of the network with the interim dean and vice-dean of the new school, Drs Roger and Sarah Strasser.  

Physicians who are part of the network, which is co-chaired by Dr. Josh Greggain and Dr. Karin Kausky, are members of 20 rural Divisions of Family Practice from across B.C. 

The Strassers talked about their passion for rural health and the vision for the new medical school. The medical school will be based in Surrey, with place-based learning opportunities focused in the Fraser Health Authority before expanding across the province. During the meeting with the Strassers, network members brought forward the importance of having those learning opportunities in rural communities.  

A draft business case for the school has been submitted to the government, and a funding announcement is expected in March of next year. The search for the school’s founding dean is also now underway, and it is anticipated that the first intake of undergraduate medical students will be in the fall of 2026.    

Dr. Greggain, who was involved with the Chilliwack Division of Family Practice before becoming President of Doctors of BC, said: “We look forward to working with the SFU leadership team as they help to build and shape this new medical school. Our members have a wealth of knowledge about the ways that would ensure that new physicians are ready and willing to work in a rural setting. Anything that can help improve equity of access to care will be a step in the right direction.” 

Divisions are regional, grassroots organizations designed to improve patient care, increase family physicians’ influence on health care delivery and policy, and support improved professional satisfaction for physicians. Physicians who attended the network meeting, which is facilitated by the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, spoke enthusiastically about the establishment of the school at SFU. 

Dr. Roger Strasser is no stranger to running a medical school. In 2002, he led the successful creation of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), now NOSM University. NOSM U was the first new medical school established in Canada for over 35 years. Similar to SFU, NOSM University has a social accountability mandate to improve the health of the people and communities it serves. 

Dr. Sarah Strasser is a global leader in rural health and medical education and has held academic leadership roles in Australia, Canada, Guyana and New Zealand. She is internationally recognized for developing novel health professional training programs in medicine and inter-professional health, with a particular interest in Indigenous health, leadership and innovation. 

During the meeting, it was revealed that there would be an emphasis on embedding medical students in the community early in their training. Dr. Roger Strasser said: “Our vision is that graduates of the SFU Medical School have the skills and commitment to deliver team-based, community-level care where it is most needed, including in rural, remote and Indigenous communities, as well as underserviced urban communities.”  

For more information about the school, visit sfu.ca/medicine.