Faculty of Medicine Graduates Seven Aboriginal Physicians

Drs. Toma Timothy (left) and Benjamin Matthew (right), Aboriginal graduates from the Faculty of Medicine, at the spring 2009 First Nations Longhouse Graduation Celebration. Photo by Janis Franklin.

This Fall 2009, I will be entering my ninth year as the Faculty of Medicine’s Aboriginal Programs Coordinator. This year has been another successful one for the faculty, as seven Aboriginal medical students graduated with their Doctor of Medicine degrees in May 2009. This is the most Aboriginal doctors the Faculty of Medicine has ever graduated in one year.

Dr. Toma Timothy (Sliammon Nation) and Dr. Ben Matthew (Simpcw Nation) attended the Longhouse graduation ceremony on May 23, 2009 (see accompanying photo). Dr. Timothy was matched to do his Family Practice training in Edmonton while Dr. Matthew was matched to do General Surgery here in Vancouver. The other five graduates were matched to the following programs:

1. Dr. Adam Garry Cota (Algonquin Nation), Doctor of Medicine, Orthopedics, Montreal

2. Dr. Trevor Todd Hartl (Métis Nation), Doctor of Medicine, Otolaryngologist, Vancouver

3. Dr. Lorraine Anne MacDonald (Sheshegwaning First Nation), Doctor of Medicine, Family Practice (Military), London, Ontario

4. Dr. Taylor James Riutta (Abenaki Nation), Doctor of Medicine, Family Practice, London, Ontario

5. Dr. Christopher Thomas Waite (Métis Nation), Doctor of Medicine, Ophthalmology, Edmonton

Eleven more Aboriginal students will be starting the undergraduate M.D. Program this fall. This will give us a total of thirty-three Aboriginal medical students in the entire program.

For more information on admissions and preadmissions, please contact:

James Andrew B.Sc. M. HSc.

Phone: (604)875-8298 ext. 68946

Fax: (604)822-6061

Email: james.andrew@ubc.ca

Web: www.med.ubc.ca/admissionsmd