Hi Everyone,

It’s a pleasure to reconnect and share an update on the continued momentum in medical education on Prince Edward Island.

In August 2025, the Memorial University Faculty of Medicine Regional Campus officially opened at UPEI, welcoming the first group of 20 Island-based medical students. It marked a milestone, the culmination of years of planning, collaboration, and shared dedication to strengthening PEI’s physician workforce.

Student feedback from the first semester has been overwhelmingly positive. Learners are thriving in a program rooted in distributed medical education, social accountability, and close mentorship. Around 60 Island physicians contributed to teaching during the first semester alone, a remarkable display of professional commitment and community leadership.

At the same time, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Centre has achieved substantial completion. The 138,000-square-foot, future-oriented facility, delivered on time and within budget, now features state-of-the-art pre-clinical learning spaces and one of the most technologically advanced Clinical Learning and Simulation Centres in the country. The collaboration among UPEI’s Administration and Finance, IT Systems and Services, the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, Health PEI, government partners, and community stakeholders has established a new standard for interdisciplinary project delivery.

This progress is also clear in a partnership that has evolved thoughtfully and strategically. As many recall, the original goal was for Canada’s first joint UPEI–Memorial MD degree program. To prevent delays for PEI learners, we jointly decided to launch as a Memorial regional campus while continuing to plan for the future in parallel. Planning is now well underway, with both institutions working together toward a long-term model that aligns with PEI’s workforce needs and academic goals.

I am also pleased to officially welcome Dr. Stuart Carney as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dr. Carney brings a wealth of experience as an academic leader, researcher, and educational innovator, most recently serving nine years as Dean of Medicine at the University of Queensland in Australia. His background in distributed medical education, learner engagement, and workforce development strongly aligns with our shared regional priorities. We look forward to collaborating closely with him.

Most importantly, these achievements are the result of an exceptional team. Staff, faculty, clinicians, facilities and IT teams, administrators, learners, and partners across institutions have shown what is possible when collaboration is intentional and driven by a shared purpose.

We are creating more than just a facility. We are cultivating a sustainable physician workforce pipeline, a contemporary academic health sciences environment, and a locally driven approach to medical education, all implemented with intention and responsibility.

Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to this vital work. The momentum is strong, and the future looks promising.

Feel free to reach out for more information or to chat anytime.

The government of PEI and the University of Prince Edward Island, in strategic partnership with Memorial University, are investing in the future and ultimately improving healthcare for all Prince Edward Islanders.