University of Manitoba holds white coat ceremony for its largest class of medical students
Some of the 140 incoming students hope to one day land in rural communities
The University of Manitoba's largest class of medical students was cloaked in fresh white coats Wednesday, part of a time-honoured welcoming ceremony, and some students say they hope to end up in rural communities one day.
"I'm rural and I live on an Indian reservation and the doctor shortage affects everyone," Kelsey West said.
"I want to go back, I want to serve my community and I want to serve my region, because we need doctors and reserves are no exception."
West, who is from Lake Manitoba First Nation, was among the 140 class of 2028 students honoured during Wednesday's ceremony.
West said there was a doctor in his home community who served three generations of his family, and one day, he hopes to be that person in the region.
"I feel a huge responsibility," he said.
"I made it this far and the way I see it, I need to keep going. I need to be there for my people and I need to be there for my friends, my family and basically everyone within that region."
West's classmate Kodley Bouachanthala also has ties to rural Manitoba, and said he'd like to return to his home community one day to give back.
Bouachanthala was originally born in Laos and his family escaped to Thailand when he was an infant. They spent three years in a refugee camp there before the United Morden Church sponsored them to come to Canada.
"I think it would just be an honour to give back to the community that has given my family so much," Bouachanthala said.
Bouachanthala has also seen the challenges many face accessing health-care in rural areas face first-hand.
"Going back to the community and just broadening the access to care, I think that would just be great," Bouachanthala said.
Health care has been central to the NDP's platform since before the party took office in fall 2023.
During the election campaign, the NDP promised to hire 300 nurses in Winnipeg in two years and another 300 outside Winnipeg within their first term.
They also promised to hire 400 physicians in five years. In the province's 2024-25 budget, they set a goal of hiring 100 new physicians this year.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara wouldn't say specifically how far along the government is toward that goal, but said they look forward to sharing "a more fulsome update in the coming weeks."
The province increased the number of resident positions for new doctors, from 156 to 173, and — for the first time in a few years — filled every training seat.
"We've got experts right here, homegrown experts in Manitoba, doctors, health-care providers who are working with our government to strengthen health care, to hit our recruitment targets and to improve retention," Asagwara said.
In 2022, Manitoba had the lowest per capita growth rate in physicians among Canadian provinces, despite net growth in the number of doctors in Manitoba each year since 2012.
A report out last fall from the Canadian Institute for Health Information said Manitoba had the second-lowest number of physicians per capita in Canada.
Last year, 44 doctors were added to Manitoba's health-care system, Asagwara told reporters in April.
Historically, the highest net gain in a year was 83, they said.
Asagwara also acknowledged the need for people to get care where they live, regardless of the region.
"It is critical," said Asagwara.
"Where you live in our province shouldn't determine the quality of care that you receive or how you access care."
