Today, 20 Prince Edward Island residents are receiving a letter that could change their lives.

Acceptance letters from Memorial University for the first group of learners at the Faculty of Medicine’s new regional campus on Prince Edward Island (PEI) are being delivered to inboxes.

“Memorial has a longstanding relationship with PEI, admitting four students from that province annually to our Doctor of Medicine Program in St. John’s,” said Dr. Dolores McKeen, dean of medicine. “The creation of a regional campus on PEI represents a major step forward in expanding access to medical training and addressing health-care needs in the Atlantic region.”

The four-year Doctor of Medicine Program includes classroom learning and clinical experiences. During their first year, medical students learn the basics of medicine through a mix of classroom lessons, hands-on training and community experiences. The PEI students will participate in these lessons along with their 90 classmates in St. John’s via interactive technology. Clinical skills and hands-on training will also be delivered in person on PEI.

A new facility being built by the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) in Charlottetown will house the learners and will be a hub for interprofessional health training. It will include a cutting-edge Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre, a patient medical home and other critical resources. These advancements will also serve the broader health-care system and partners such as first responders.

Dr. Peter MacPherson is the Faculty of Medicine’s newly appointed associate dean, PEI, who is located in Charlottetown. The general pediatrician brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for medical education to the role.

“I love undergraduate medical education, so when the opportunity popped up to be involved in helping grow medical education on PEI, I jumped at the chance to apply for it.”

Establishing regional medical education campuses has become a more frequent occurrence across Canada in recent years. However, what makes this project particularly unique, is the initiative’s eventual goal is to develop a joint MD program for PEI. Work for the joint degree is currently underway in partnership with UPEI’s new Faculty of Medicine.

The new students will begin their studies in late August. Dr. McKeen and Dr. MacPherson are looking forward to welcoming them, they say.

“I’m really excited to see the first 20 students walk through the door,” said Dr. MacPherson. “A lot of folks have been working really hard to get to this point of the journey.”

Letters for Newfoundland and Labrador residents will go out later this spring.