Bursaries part of province's plan to increase number of family physicians
As part if its commitment to recruit and retain physicians in the province, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador has awarded 27 bursaries to Memorial University (MUN) medical students and residents in family and emergency medicine.
In return for each $25,000-bursary, the recipient must agree to practice in the province for one year.
"Our government is aggressively working to attract and retain our province’s medical graduates to improve access to health-care services for residents throughout Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister of Health and Community Services Ross Wiseman.
The bursaries provide financial incentives to eligible candidates to assist with academic and living expenses during training. The bursaries are available to fourth-year medical students who have been accepted and matched to a family medicine program through the Canadian Resident Matching Service; family medicine residents in their first or second year; and, third-year residents practising in emergency medicine.
Of the 27 individuals receiving bursaries, 20 are currently in either their second- or third-year family practice residencies and will graduate within the next 12 to 14 months.
Over the past three years, a total of 117 bursaries have been awarded to post-graduate residents who have committed to provide medical services in areas of need in the province upon graduation.
These 117 bursaries have been awarded to 79 different physicians in training, and will result in 117 years of new physician services being committed to the province.
"We currently have 985 physicians in active practice in the province, the most in our province’s history. Additionally, we have improved our retention rates of the physicians we are recruiting – 80 per cent of the MUN graduates that we recruit are in practice in the province after five years," said Wiseman.
In return for each $25,000-bursary, the recipient must agree to practice in the province for one year.
"Our government is aggressively working to attract and retain our province’s medical graduates to improve access to health-care services for residents throughout Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister of Health and Community Services Ross Wiseman.
The bursaries provide financial incentives to eligible candidates to assist with academic and living expenses during training. The bursaries are available to fourth-year medical students who have been accepted and matched to a family medicine program through the Canadian Resident Matching Service; family medicine residents in their first or second year; and, third-year residents practising in emergency medicine.
Of the 27 individuals receiving bursaries, 20 are currently in either their second- or third-year family practice residencies and will graduate within the next 12 to 14 months.
Over the past three years, a total of 117 bursaries have been awarded to post-graduate residents who have committed to provide medical services in areas of need in the province upon graduation.
These 117 bursaries have been awarded to 79 different physicians in training, and will result in 117 years of new physician services being committed to the province.
"We currently have 985 physicians in active practice in the province, the most in our province’s history. Additionally, we have improved our retention rates of the physicians we are recruiting – 80 per cent of the MUN graduates that we recruit are in practice in the province after five years," said Wiseman.
