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July 3, 2009
For immediate release
PEI Family Medicine Residency Program Officially Launched – Five Residents Begin Training in the Province
Health
“This is a very exciting day for the Island medical community and for all Islanders,” says Premier Robert Ghiz. “Government has been committed to establishing the PEI Family Medicine Residency Program and today it has become a reality. This program is a major step forward for medical education training in Prince Edward Island and will play a key role in helping to ensure we have an adequate number of family doctors in the province.”
A resident’s work unit has also been established and includes office space for program administration, as well as on-call rooms and kitchen facilities for the residents. Medical residents who train here and become familiar with the Island way of life, and style of medical practice, have the highest potential to stay.
“Reaching this milestone today is a tremendous achievement and I’m thrilled to have our program’s first five medical residents begin their training here on the Island,” said Health Minister Doug Currie. “This program will significantly enhance our existing recruitment initiatives and further assist in stabilizing our physician workforce into the future.”
To train as a family physician, a medical school graduate must complete two years of residency training under the guidance of a practising, credentialed physician – also known as a preceptor. Second year residents can work as qualified physicians under the supervision of a licensed physician, which will help with patient workload.
“There has been a great deal of hard work, planning and dedication on the part of many people, in order to reach this significant point today,” said Dr. George Carruthers, residency program site director. “This is an exciting day for the Island medical community and I’m very pleased to have our program officially up and running and to have these five exceptional medical students carrying out their training here in Prince Edward Island.”
The PEI Family Medicine Residency Program will be based and operated from the newly established site at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with rotations at Prince County Hospital and throughout communities across the Island.
