MONCTON -- With the help of local donors, the New Brunswick Medical Education Foundation is working to encourage medical students to work in New Brunswick and stay for the long haul.
"The premise of the foundation was 'what can we do to keep students here?'" said Darren McLeod , the executive director of the foundation.
McLeod says the scholarships are a great incentive for students who currently live in New Brunswick or out of province.
"Last year, we had 119 applications and we funded 42 which was a record for us for about 304 thousand dollars," McLeod said.
Lifelong Saint John couple, John and Gilian Wallace, have donated to one of the annual scholarships. Their scholarship will allow for medical students to receive $5,000 per year for five years.
They are one of multiple donors who have helped make these scholarships possible.
"It makes it, I think, a bit easier, and a lot more compelling for donors if they’re from the region," McLeod said. "And with the Wallaces, there is a deep connection to the University of New Brunswick."
Anthony Knight is with the New Brunswick Medical Society in Fredericton.
"We see this as an important advancement in the work to find more physicians for New Brunswickers and to make sure that New Brunswickers have the access the care they so deserve," Knight said.
Each scholarship has different requirements, however, the Wallaces' scholarship will be awarded to students who are from or grew up in Saint John and plan to run their medical practice in New Brunswick following graduation."
What all the donors have in common is the hope that these scholarships will urge students to stay in New Brunswick once they receive their medical degree.
