The inaugural class of the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Stephens Family School of Medicine began on August 4, on Katzie First Nation territory. Students and guests were welcomed by Elders and Knowledge Keepers of the Host Nation and spent the day in the Longhouse and joined walking tours through the community.
Beginning the students’ medical education in a First Nations community was intentional. First Nations knowledge, ways of knowing, and connection to the land are foundational to the school’s approach. This distinct medical education program will prepare future healthcare workers to provide culturally safe care and support efforts to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism in the health system.
As a key partner, FNHA is working alongside the school to meaningfully weave First Nations perspectives into the student learning experience and all aspects of the school.
FNHA’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nel Wieman joined students at the Katzie Longhouse on the first day of orientation to provide opening remarks. “To me, this program illustrates a crucial step forward in the health transformation that we as First Nations people have long advocated for in the health system,” said Dr. Wieman. “This new medical school has the potential to have a deep impact on First Nations health outcomes and communities in BC.”
The ‘Remembering Keegan’ case study reflection, which was gifted to Fraser Health, has been highlighted within the curriculum. The case study shares the story of Keegan Combes and the racism he experienced within the health care system, offering important lessons about cultural safety, humility and anti-racism. Dr. Wieman hopes that students will carry Keegan’s memory into their future practice as physicians.
“The opening of the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine and the welcoming of its inaugural cohort is an inspiring example of what can be achieved together with community. By grounding ourselves in the teachings of these lands and waters, listening deeply to Indigenous voices and advancing the vision set out in the ‘Remembering Keegan’ report along with other foundational documents, we can work together in an approach to care that is rooted in compassion, humility and a deep commitment to Indigenous Cultural Safety,” said Amanda Laboucane, vice president, Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety, Fraser Health Authority.
The SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine focuses on primary and community-based care, helping to strengthen access to care across BC by opening more doors to students to study medicine. For many First Nations communities, particularly in rural and remote areas, accessing primary care can mean travelling long distances from home. The First Nations-led Primary Care Initiative was launched to address this concern, due in part to the lack of primary care physicians and compounded by the willingness of practitioners to practice in rural or remote communities.
The school offers an Indigenous admissions stream, designed to increase the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis physicians. While academic and other eligibility standards remain the same as the open stream, the Indigenous admissions stream recognizes culturally relevant strengths, experiences and ways of knowing. More than an application procedure, it’s part of a broader movement to transform the medical system.
“Indigenous admissions is about more than representation. It is about recognizing the strengths, experiences, relationships and ways of knowing that Indigenous applicants bring to medicine. When those perspectives are valued from the point of entry, we begin to change not only who becomes a physician, but the health system they will help shape,” said Dr. Rebekah Eatmon, Associate Dean, Indigenous Health, SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine.
As the inaugural class begins its medical education, FNHA, Fraser Health and the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine will continue working together to support a new generation of physicians equipped to provide culturally safe care and strengthen health outcomes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples across BC.
