The New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation has awarded its annual scholarships to medical students from the province.
Foundation members held a virtual ceremony last week, in lieu of their regular in-person event, to celebrate this year’s recipients.
Darren McLeod, the foundation’s executive director, said they thought it was important to still have a ceremony despite the pandemic.
“We felt as a way to recognize the students, their families, our donors, our sponsors, or communities of interest, that we had to do something online this year,” said McLeod.
McLeod said they gave out a record 42 scholarships this year worth $304,000, including 13 new scholarships, while the remaining 29 went to students who are in their second, third or fourth year of studies. Most of the scholarships range from $4,500 to $12,000.
The foundation was launched by Dr. Donald Craig in 2010 to help recruit and retain doctors in a province that struggles with long waiting lists for family physicians.
“For each year of scholarship they receive, up to four years for their M.D. designation, they pledge to practice medicine for a year in the province,” said McLeod.
That is welcome news for a province where more than 40,000 residents are without a family doctor and more than 20 per cent of physicians are aged 55 or older.
Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has awarded scholarships to 143 medical students, with 20 of them currently practicing as doctors.
“You have to bear in mind that 20 means four years of M.D., two years’ residency, and if they go into a speciality, you’re adding on a few more years,” said McLeod.
Despite giving out a record 42 scholarships this year, McLeod said they were unable to fund another 77 medical students who applied to receive one.
He encouraged individuals, businesses or community groups who may be interested in donating to the foundation to get in contact with them.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to help support the health-care system in New Brunswick by really creating a platform for those that live and want to come home to practice here to be the future physicians in New Brunswick,” said McLeod.
