Health Minister Sharon Blady congratulated the graduating class of medical students from the University of Manitoba as they embark on the next phase of their journey to practise medicine.
“These graduates have studied hard and deserve to be called doctors,” said Minister Blady. “Manitoba families can take comfort in the high quality of education these new medical graduates have received and the high quality of care they will certainly deliver.”
Seventy-seven of the 107 new graduates from this year’s class will stay in Manitoba to complete their residency. Thirty-four are moving forward with studies in family medicine, of which 19 will proceed with a residency in family medicine in rural and northern Manitoba. In addition, one graduate will be undertaking an anesthesiology residency in Brandon.
There are 140 first-year medical residency seats available this year, the most first-year residency seats that have ever been available in Manitoba. The province is funding more than 600 medical residents, which is a record number of medical residents, the minister noted.
“As Manitoba’s only medical school, it is our responsibility to educate and train physicians who will serve communities around the province,” said Dr. Brian Postl, dean, medicine, and dean, faculty of health sciences, University of Manitoba. “In order to do that well, students explore factors that influence health including income, education, employment and social status. With this core understanding, our newly graduated physicians are able to provide high-quality care and compassion to all patients in Manitoba.”
The minister noted she is pleased to see the number of graduates choosing to pursue their study in family medicine in rural and northern Manitoba.
“Growing up on the farm has allowed me insight into how much rural and northern Manitoba has to offer. The land and people here are diverse and unique, creating an ideal environment to live and train,” said Kyle Conrad, a graduate who will be completing the Family Medicine Rural Stream Residency Program at the Boundary Trails Health Centre. He grew up on a family equine ranch near Bruxelles. “Manitoba possesses the opportunity for a wide range of rewarding practice, ultimately improving access to high-quality care in rural and northern areas.”
Residencies typically take between two to five years to complete depending on the chosen area of practice.
