UPEI Faculty of Medicine Dean Dr. Preston Smith was featured on CBC News this week, sharing the faculty’s vision for the future of medical education in Prince Edward Island and encouraging Islanders to help shape that future. During the interview, Dr. Smith discussed the development of the first strategic plan and the continued journey toward an independent, made-in-PEI Doctor of Medicine (MD) program.

Prince Edward Island’s journey toward its own medical school began through a partnership with Memorial University, enabling the province to train future physicians sooner while benefiting from Memorial’s established curriculum and expertise in distributed medical education. As UPEI works toward an independent MD program, the faculty has an opportunity to build on this strong foundation while creating a program that reflects the Island’s unique healthcare needs, communities, and realities.

Islanders, healthcare providers, learners, and community partners are encouraged to share their perspectives through the surveys and town halls taking place over the next couple of weeks. Details can be found here: https://medicine.upei.ca/community-engagement/

Watch the CBC interview and learn how you can get involved: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-upei-faculty-of-medicine-strategic-plan-9.7240811.