Faculties of medicine come together to improve First Nations and Inuit health status
Quebec City, September 10, 2008 - Université Laval and the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) officially launched earlier today the First Nations and Inuit Faculties of Medicine Program, during a ceremony held at Hôtel-Musée de Wendake. Thanks to this program, three First Nations students will be starting their medical studies this fall in one of the four Quebec universities with a faculty of medicine: Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke. This program, which is a first in the province, aims to increase the number of First Nations and Inuit doctors and to contribute to the improvement of the health status of First Nations and Inuit communities.
This new program sets aside a maximum of four places each year in medical doctorate programs across the province. It facilitates admission for students in First Nations and Inuit communities and provides special support throughout their studies. Students who are admitted through this program are added to the regular contingent. In order to be eligible, a student must be a First Nations member according to the Indian Act or be listed on the Inuit Registry, have residential status in the province of Quebec, and be a member of First Nations or Inuit communities established on Quebec territory.
This year, 13 First Nations and Inuit students applied for admission to the medical doctorate program. Of this number, three candidates were admitted. At Université Laval, one candidate was admitted thanks to the new program and two were admitted through the regular admissions process.
During the ceremony, Ministre de la Santé et des Services sociaux Yves Bolduc, Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Ghislain Picard, and representatives of the four faculties of medicine pointed out the importance of this new program for First Nations and Inuit, for Quebec universities as well as for society as a whole. Université Laval Rector Denis Brière applauded this initiative which stems from inter-university collaboration: “Universities were called upon to contribute to the improvement of the health status of First Nations and Inuit; tonight, Quebec universities are providing a concrete response to this request.”
A close collaboration between the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador and the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval allowed for the creation of this program. This innovative measure to improve the state of health of First Nations and Inuit communities could lead to the implementation of similar programs in other areas of health sciences.
Information:
Katherine Duchesne
Faculty of Medicine
Université Laval
Tel.: 418 656-2131, ext. 6971 katherine.duchesne@fmed.ulaval.ca
Source:
Jean François Huppé
Media relations
Direction des affaires publiques
Université Laval
Tel.: 418 656-7785
