I hope this message finds you well and that you are enjoying this summer’s heat. As we relish the warm weather, we must acknowledge the challenges of high heat and humidity for some. Let’s be hopeful that everyone is safe and well.
With the work pressures many are feeling this summer and other stresses we all manage in our lives and are still working to resolve in healthcare, I urge everyone to take some time with family and friends for some well-deserved downtime.
For myself, this summer back as a resident of PEI, I have been thoroughly enjoying golf, grandkids, hosting friends, and, of course, getting out to sample the Island’s many culinary delights and events. We’ll be off to Saskatoon for a few days to lend a hand to our daughter, who is packing up and joining us here in Prince Edward Island this month. Jane and I look forward to having her close by for Sunday dinners again! Interspersed throughout the summer, I hope to spend time with family, in the garden, and reading on the deck with two dogs at my feet.
Today, I want to take a moment to reflect on how far we have come. Significant progress has been made in various areas.
Firstly, I want to remind everyone that as we work toward a joint medical degree program, Memorial University is opening a regional campus at UPEI to offer a Memorial Doctor of Medicine degree. There are 20 seats available on the UPEI campus for Prince Edward Island residents. After much work, vision and perseverance by many, on June 26th, the application process for the inaugural PEI cohort of medical students who will study on the UPEI campus opened. Coinciding with this significant milestone was an announcement of the Rathlyn Foundation Entrance Scholarships for UPEI Medical Students, which will be granted to every student in their first year of study in the UPEI-based faculty of medicine facilities in perpetuity. These $2,000 individual scholarships will be funded by an overall gift of $1,000,000 from the foundation. Kudos to Development and their team for this exciting news for students.
The University of Prince Edward Island Faculty of Medicine unit recently launched its fund- and friend-raising campaign. With generous gifts from many donors already in, UPEI’s Department of Development & Alumni Engagement & Government Relations is well on its way to the $10-million campaign target, which will support the University’s contribution to the ongoing construction of the $91 million state-of-the-art building on the UPEI campus.
The Faculty of Medicine team recently welcomed Dr Joe Gordon, our first Ph.D. faculty hire, to the growing team. Dr Gordon will begin his role as an associate professor of comparative medicine (PhD faculty lead for anatomy laboratory teaching) in September 2025. This faculty position is shared with Biomedical Sciences at AVC and demonstrates the full intent to work collaboratively across faculties.
Speaking of teamwork, much is being accomplished. In addition to the impressive facility taking shape on the north end of campus, the team has been quite busy in our temporary Belvedere Avenue offices. Chief Operating Officer Paul Young and his team are simply a beehive of activity. Work is underway to plan and source high-tech equipment for one of the country’s most advanced medical clinical learning and simulation centres. Anatomy equipment has started to arrive, and specimens are being sourced. As mentioned, admissions have opened to PEI students attending the regional campus, and the entire academic affairs team has been supporting this process, working on a faculty sourcing plan and preparing for the future joint program. Approximately 30% of the capital cost of the UPEI-based infrastructure will be technology fit-up, such as to support synchronistic classroom learning between the PEI campus and Memorial, so suffice it to say the UPEI ITSS team tasked with making this all happen for fall 2025 is a busy one! There are ongoing plans and discussions concerning community infrastructure and programming to support future learners and lots of conversations with Health PEI around the responsible integration of faculty and learners. As a regional campus of Memorial, there is a requirement to review policies and plans collaboratively and adjust as necessary, as well as to ensure effective governance structures are in place to guide the work of both institutions along the journey. Finally, we have been focused on getting the news on the medical school project out to the public through many means, from traditional and social media to community information sessions.
If you know of any group or organization that wants to hear more, we’d be happy to speak to any group. Just email medicine@upei.ca with any requests.
Feel free to reach out anytime; my door is always open. I hope you have some beautiful plans for enjoying the summer ahead!