Simon Fraser University (SFU), in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, has announced the opening of a new medical school in Surrey, slated to begin accepting applications immediately. This will be Western Canada’s first new medical school in nearly six decades, representing a bold expansion of medical training capacity in British Columbia and a response to chronic physician shortages in underserved regions.
The inaugural class will begin in August 2026, with an initial cohort of 48 students, growing over time toward a full enrollment of 120. The medical school has already received preliminary accreditation and announced plans for a permanent eight-floor facility in Surrey City Centre. The new school seeks to train physicians rooted in community care, with students doing clinical placements across B.C. early in their training.
In this article, we review the rationale behind this move, how the program will operate, anticipated challenges, implications for healthcare in B.C., and the significance of this development in Canadian medical education overall.
Surrey and many parts of British Columbia face a persistent shortage of family physicians and specialists. Many residents go without a local primary care provider, resulting in overreliance on walk-in clinics and emergency departments. Establishing a medical school in Surrey aims to train more doctors locally, with the expectation that many will remain in and serve those communities after graduation.
Currently, B.C. students wishing to study medicine often need to go to other provinces, incurring high costs or barriers to return. A local medical school opens pathways for students in B.C. to stay closer to home. Moreover, training doctors in community settings early enhances the likelihood they will continue to practice in those regions instead of urban specialist hubs.
Along with existing medical schools (e.g., UBC), the new SFU school helps spread training infrastructure more evenly across the province, relieving pressure on older institutions and opening opportunities for diversity in curriculum, focus, and community engagement.
The school has secured preliminary accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS), which allows it to begin accepting students. Interim accreditation enables operation under oversight while full accreditation is later confirmed.
The university announced that applications are now open for its inaugural intake, with admission screening, interviews, and selection processes slated over the months ahead.
The first class: 48 medical students in August 2026.
Planned growth: extend cohort size gradually to 120 students annually by 2035.
Interim facilities: initial cohorts will operate in temporary facilities on SFU’s Surrey campus while plans for the permanent facility proceed.
Permanent site: an eight-floor building in Surrey City Centre will feature classrooms, research labs, clinical skills spaces, an outpatient clinic, offices, and a childcare centre.
One distinctive feature: students will begin clinical training early, participating in community settings, clinics, and hospital placements starting within the first month of the program. This model emphasizes community-embedded, socially accountable medical education.
The curriculum will include core medical sciences, clinical rotations, training in family medicine and primary care, public health, cultural safety, and Indigenous health. The outpatient clinic attached to the school will provide real patient care while serving as a learning site.
The school is structured through collaborative governance involving SFU, the Province, the City of Surrey, Fraser Health, First Nations Health Authority, Divisions of Family Practice, and local health providers. This ensures alignment with regional health needs, supports placement capacity, and connects students with the community.
Funding responsibilities, oversight, staffing, and infrastructure coordination are shared among provincial and institutional partners.
By training future doctors in Surrey and smaller communities across B.C., the school may contribute to reducing maldistribution of physicians and improving access to care in rural or growing suburban regions.
Starting anew allows SFU to adopt modern pedagogical approaches, integrated curriculum models, community-based training, and digital health tools without legacy constraints. The medical school has a chance to pioneer innovations in interprofessional education, equity-oriented care, and population health integration.
The presence of a medical school brings research infrastructure, employment, health innovation hubs, and knowledge economy benefits to Surrey and surrounding urban regions. The outpatient clinic will also provide services to residents, strengthening local health capacity.
SFU will gain a new flagship professional school, attracting high-achieving students, faculty, and research opportunities. The medical school increases SFU’s profile among Canada’s major universities and helps it compete in health sciences, an area of rising national importance.
Preliminary accreditation is not final; the school must meet rigorous standards across curriculum, clinical quality, faculty, and facilities. Delays or shortcomings might stall full accreditation or future growth.
Medical education requires significant partnerships with hospitals, health authorities, clinics, and preceptors. Ensuring adequate placements, supervision, and infrastructure across B.C. (especially in rural areas) is a logistical challenge.
Building a competent faculty with clinical, research, and teaching experience will be critical. Given competition from established programs, attracting top faculty will require incentives, resources, and reputation.
Constructing the permanent facility, outfitting labs, supporting clinic operations, and ongoing costs demand long-term funding commitments from government and institutional partners. Cost overruns and fiscal pressures are real risks.
Ensuring the admissions process remains fair, inclusive, and sensitive to underrepresented populations (Indigenous, rural, marginalized) is essential. Without proactive measures, the school could replicate existing inequities.
Even if physicians are trained in Surrey, incentives, professional supports, and health system structures must be in place to encourage them to remain in underserved or rural settings long term.
The new SFU medical school aligns with provincial goals to expand access to physicians and improve community health. Over time, it could significantly ease physician shortages, reduce wait times, and improve continuity of care in the Fraser Valley and beyond.
This is a rare expansion in medical school capacity at the provincial level. It signals renewed investment in physician human resources and may inspire other provinces to open new medical schools or expand existing ones. The carbon and health challenges of the future justify more training capacity across the country.
Medical aspirants in B.C., especially those from Surrey, Fraser Valley, or northern or rural regions, now have a closer training option. Lower relocation costs and community-based training may widen access and diversify the physician workforce.
Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly disclosed announcements and media reporting as of October 2025 concerning the launch of the SFU medical school. Plans, facility details, cohort sizes, and accreditation status may evolve. Readers should refer to SFU and provincial health/education authorities for the latest confirmed information.
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