Some physicians in Cape Breton say there are not enough doctors on the island to staff the new medical school that is set to begin teaching students in fall 2025.
Dr. Stacy MacDonald says family physicians in Cape Breton are stretched thin and most do not have the capacity to increase their teaching loads.
MacDonald trains medical students from Dalhousie University at her family practice in Cape Breton, and she says Cape Breton University has failed to adequately consult with physicians about what’s needed to set up the province’s second medical school.
The physician says that while she’s in favour of having a medical school in Cape Breton, the university seems to be rushing the process, and she says she worries whether the school can meet the rigorous requirements for accreditation.
Cape Breton University president David Dingwall says the school has engaged with the accrediting body and he is confident it will meet those standards.
Dr. Katharine Kellock, a pediatrician in Sydney, N.S., says she and her colleagues are too busy caring for patients and training students at Dalhousie to take on the 30 students Cape Breton University plans to have enrolled in its new medical school.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2024.