Islanders invited to help shape the future of medical education on Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Medicine is inviting Islanders to help shape the future of medical education on Prince Edward Island through a province-wide engagement initiative that will inform both the Faculty’s first strategic plan and the development of a future independent “Made by PEI for PEI” medical doctor program.
The engagement includes public surveys, stakeholder consultations, and community town halls across the province, offering residents, healthcare professionals, community organizations, learners, and other interested Islanders opportunities to share their perspectives.
"Prince Edward Island's journey toward its own medical school began through our successful partnership with Memorial University and its regional campus," said Dr. Preston Smith, Dean of the UPEI Faculty of Medicine. "That partnership allowed us to begin training future physicians sooner while benefiting from Memorial's award-winning curriculum and expertise in distributed medical education. As we continue planning for a UPEI medical doctor program, we will continue to benefit from our collaboration with Memorial, and we also have the opportunity to ask Islanders to help shape what that future should look like."
Feedback gathered through the engagement process will help inform how future physicians are educated in Prince Edward Island and ensure medical education reflects the province's communities, health care needs, and workforce priorities.
The initiative comes as UPEI continues building the academic leadership structure required to support the future development of an independently accredited medical doctor program in collaboration with Memorial University. To support this work, seven Prince Edward Island physicians have recently been appointed to part-time Physician Lead positions. These physicians will provide leadership in key areas of medical education while continuing their clinical practices.
The appointments include:
- Dr. Melanie Johnston, Pre-Clerkship Physician Lead
- Dr. Gillian MacLean, Clerkship Physician Lead
- Dr. Kaylee Murphy, Learner Wellbeing Physician Lead
- Dr. Kirsti Ziola, Social Accountability Physician Lead
- Dr. Krista Cassell, Admissions Physician Lead
- Dr. Trina Stewart, Faculty Affairs Physician Lead
- Dr. Aleisha Murnaghan, Postgraduate Medical Education Physician Lead
"These appointments allow us to bring practicing Prince Edward Island physicians directly into the design and development of the future program," said Smith. "Importantly, these are modest part-time academic leadership roles, ranging from approximately one to two days per week, allowing physicians to continue serving patients while helping build the next generation of medical education in PEI."
The physician leads represent a range of specialties and communities and will work closely with UPEI, Memorial University, Health PEI, physicians, learners, and community partners during ongoing planning.
"Developing a made-in-PEI medical education program requires strong physician leadership and community input," said Smith. "These physician leads bring invaluable frontline experience, while this engagement process ensures Islanders have a meaningful voice in shaping the future."
Community engagement activities will begin in June and continue throughout the summer.
Islanders are encouraged to participate by completing surveys and attending upcoming community town halls.
More information, including survey links and town hall dates, will be available at UPEI Medical Doctor Program - Have Your Say
