The school of medicine at Simon Fraser University in Surrey, B.C., has taken in its first group of students as part of efforts by the government to solve the doctor shortage in the province. Four dozen students began their orientation on Wednesday for the year-round curriculum that will allow students to finish with a doctor of medicine degree in three years, instead of four, putting them in residencies as early as 2029. Premier David Eby says in a statement the school is a long-term solution to train more doctors at home. The current students are in an interim learning space, but the permanent site for the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine in Surrey is expected to be completed by 2030. While 48 medical students will be in the class of 2026, the province says that number will increase in phases, reaching 120 students a year by 2035. The province has been recruiting doctors, bringing in nurse practitioners and allowing pharmacists to assess and prescribe certain medications, but hundreds of thousands of B.C. residents still don’t have a primary care provider. The provincial government has committed $41.1 million in annual operational funding for the new school. Health Minister Josie Osborne says it’s an exciting event. “This is a significant moment for health care in British Columbia and the start of a new chapter — training more doctors here at home, strengthening primary care, and building the knowledge and capacity that will serve communities across the province for generations to come.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
