About the Program

The UBC Undergraduate Medical Education Program is a leader in distributed medical education. The distributed component of the Medical School Expansion Program was launched in January 2005 with the addition of two distributed “sites” in BC; the Island Medical Program (IMP) at the University of Victoria in Victoria, and the Northern Medical Program (NMP) at the University of Northern BC in Prince George. In January 2012, the first cohort of medical students from the Southern Medical Program (SMP) began their training at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna.

Number of Students in Year 1	328
Vancouver Medical Program (Vancouver)	208
Island Medical Program (Victoria)	40
Northern Medical Program (Prince George)	40
Southern Medical Program (Kelowna)	40

Distributed learning in the Undergraduate Medical Education occurs in three distinct academic teaching spaces:

• Gross anatomy laboratories
• Multipurpose laboratories
• Lecture theatres
• Small group rooms

All lecture theatres and labs at each site are equipped with state-of-the-art video-conferencing and teleconferencing systems which include components such as projectors and projection screens, cameras, loudspeakers, and microphones. The theatres contain a fully integrated presentation system for multimedia presentations with a variety of playback equipment such as a document camera and computers for computer-based presentations.

Learning Communities at the Vancouver Fraser Medical Program
Starting in 2025, the VFMP will adopt a Learning Communities model — an innovative approach designed to foster connection and continuity throughout the medical education journey. The VFMP will have three learning communities: Fraser Learning Community (FLC), North Learning Community (NLC) and South Learning Community (SLC).

Please click here for an FAQ on the VFMP Learning Communities.

Accreditation

All North American medical schools undergo a full accreditation survey every eight years to ensure compliance with 132 Accreditation Standards and provide supporting data as evidence of compliance.

The accreditation committees for Canadian medical schools are the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and the Committee on the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS).

Accreditation is “…a process of quality assurance in postsecondary education that determines whether an institution or program meets established standards for function, structure, and performance. The accreditation process also fosters institutional and program improvement.”