New Brunswick medical students enrolled at the University of Ottawa will now have the option to complete part of their medical training in their home province. This development comes after Horizon Health and the University of Ottawa finalized a new agreement allowing students from New Brunswick to undertake clinical rotations in local hospitals, usually in the third year of their medical studies.

The initiative aims to encourage more students from New Brunswick to return and establish their medical careers in the province. According to Ken Gillespie, Horizon Health’s Regional Director of Medical Education, the effort focuses on a strategic window in students' medical education.

“It was a time when they're really looking at what type of physician they want to become,” Gillespie said. The idea for the program originated two years ago when a Moncton Hospital doctor, who had connections at the University of Ottawa, raised the possibility of this collaboration.

Students tend to remain in the regions where they complete their clinical training, making this an important step toward improving physician retention in New Brunswick, said Gillespie. He added that during residency, students build professional relationships and gain familiarity with the local healthcare system — a key factor in choosing where to practice.

This new agreement is not expected to strain local healthcare facilities. Gillespie noted that New Brunswick already supports about 40 medical students annually from Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, with smaller numbers expected from the University of Ottawa.

Only one to three New Brunswick medical students typically enroll at the University of Ottawa each year, he said, making the transition manageable for local hospitals. The province already collaborates with several other universities, including Dalhousie, Memorial, and Sherbrooke.

“We see it as an opportunity to ultimately improve the healthcare of New Brunswickers by having more physicians in this province,” Gillespie stated.