What is the status of the new medical school in P.E.I.?

The new medical school in P.E.I., a regional campus of Memorial University, has welcomed its first 20 students, who began classes on August 30, 2025.

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P.E.I. Welcomes First Medical Students to Groundbreaking New School

Q: How will the medical program at the new P.E.I. school work?

Students at the new P.E.I. medical school can complete their entire MD degree in six years, including four years for the medical degree and two more years in a medical residency program.

Q: What advanced technology will the P.E.I. medical school feature?

The new medical school building will feature virtual-reality-style headsets that can project anatomical structures for students to examine, as well as technology to connect classrooms in P.E.I. and Newfoundland.

29 Aug

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Summary

20 students begin classes at P.E.I.'s new medical school, a regional campus of Memorial University
Orientation held virtually due to Air Canada work stoppage
Plans for joint medical degree between UPEI and Memorial University

On August 30, 2025, P.E.I. welcomed its first 20 medical students to the island's new medical school, which serves as the regional home for Memorial University's doctor of medicine program. Despite the fact that construction on the building is not yet complete, the program's associate dean, Dr. Peter MacPherson, reported that things have been sailing smoothly so far.

Last week, the students participated in a virtual orientation, as the original plan to fly them to St. John's for orientation on the Memorial campus and then back to Charlottetown had to be changed due to the Air Canada work stoppage. MacPherson noted that this is a big moment not only for the students, but also for the institutions and the province, as P.E.I. will now be able to train doctors entirely within the province.

The medical program is structured so that students can complete their entire MD degree in six years, including four years for the medical degree and two more years in a medical residency program. Eventually, there are plans for the UPEI Faculty of Medicine and the Memorial Faculty of Medicine to work together to create a joint medical degree.

The new medical school building, which cost a total of $103 million, is set to be bustling with activity by April 2026, with up to 150 staff members working on-site. The facility will feature advanced technology, including virtual-reality-style headsets that can project anatomical structures for students to examine. A medical clinic run by Health P.E.I. is also expected to open in mid to late October 2025, which could help alleviate the province's shortage of family doctors.

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