The vice president of medical affairs at Vitalité Health Network is optimistic that an increase in the number of French-speaking medical school positions in New Brunswick will lead to more Francophone doctors opting to remain in the province for their practice.
Recently, the province disclosed its decision to finance an additional eight medical seats at the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick at the Université de Moncton, beginning in 2026. Moreover, it was announced that the count of Francophone residency training seats would rise from 18 presently to 26 by 2030.
Dr. Natalie Banville emphasized the significance of these seats, stating that they would have a substantial impact on the number of Francophone doctors within Vitalité. She highlighted that medical students who undergo training in the province tend to stay within the region post-graduation.
Dr. Banville mentioned that around 90% of these students return and remain in the province. She further added that individuals who choose to settle in New Brunswick have a high likelihood of staying long-term, with 97% still present after five years and intending to complete their careers locally.
In the past years, Vitalité has been actively engaging with New Brunswickers studying at Francophone medical schools in Quebec and other locations worldwide. Despite efforts to maintain contact, some students establish connections during their lengthy training period, making them less inclined to return home permanently.
The recent commitment by the province to invest in this type of training amounts to approximately $77 million and is seen as a step towards ensuring all New Brunswickers have access to necessary healthcare services. Health Minister John Dornan expressed this sentiment on the province’s website.
Dr. Nicole LeBlanc, the director of the Centre de formation médicale du Nouveau-Brunswick, commended the new funding, highlighting its tangible impact on community healthcare accessibility and the commitment to building an inclusive health system tailored to the population’s needs.
Dr. Banville also emphasized that the benefits of the new medical seats extend beyond Francophone New Brunswickers, noting the importance of bilingual doctors for English-speaking patients. While Vitalité faces challenges in recruiting doctors for certain specialties like psychiatry, efforts are underway to address these gaps by expanding psychiatry training positions and negotiating return-of-service agreements with Quebec to ensure graduates practice in New Brunswick.