The undergraduate medical curriculum was designed to foster integrated learning and to permit contact with patients early in the student's training. To facilitate this integrated approach the administration of the school was set up as a non-departmental system based on three Divisions: Community Health, BioMedical Sciences and Clinical Sciences.
Initially the Faculty of Medicine was housed in temporary buildings. With joint funding by the Federal and Provincial Governments, a Health Sciences Centre (HSC) was constructed on the North Campus of the University and was officially opened in 1978. This new building became home to the Faculty of Medicine General Hospital and the School of Nursing. Over time the building was expanded, and now it also houses the School of Pharmacy, the Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre, the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre and the Agnes Cowan Hostel. The Health Sciences Centre contains a comprehensive health sciences library, animal care and research facilities, plus an appropriate range of teaching facilities to accommodate large lectures and demonstrations, small group discussions and seminars, clinical skills and laboratory sessions. The structure of the Health Sciences Centre facilitates integration between basic scientists, clinicians and other health professionals in the hospital, the University and the community. Clinical research facilities are located adjacent to basic research units and some research laboratories provide services in clinical investigation. In July 2014, the administrative offices of the Faculty of Medicine moved into the new adjacent Medical Education Centre where classes began for students in September, 2014. The Craig L. Dobbin Research Centre on the third, fourth, and fifth floors of the building opened in May, 2015.
Newfoundland and Labrador is divided into four Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and students receive clinical training in the RHAs. The conventional use of major referral centres as teaching resources is complemented by the availability of regional and community hospitals to provide valuable clinical experience for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
In contrast to many other schools, the class size at the University’s Medical School is small. This facilitates interaction between students and faculty, and has obvious advantages in clinical teaching. Normally 80 students are admitted annually to the first year of the undergraduate medical program.
Additional information regarding the Faculty of Medicine is available at www.mun.ca/medicine/.
Description of Medical Training Program
The Faculty of Medicine offers a four-year undergraduate medical program, comprising a minimum of 189 credit hours, leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).
The Diversity Statement for the Faculty of Medicine is available on the Faculty website.
The program consists of four phases; Phases 1-3 explore themes integrating physician competencies and clinical skills with basic and clinical sciences as they relate to common clinical encounters and patient symptoms and Phase 4 involves integration into practice. The first three Phases employ a variety of teaching and learning experiences, including self-directed learning, to learn about all aspects of health (physical, mental, social, and psychological), disruptions in health that can lead to frank disease, and all aspects of science, community health, ethics, and clinical skills related to identifying and describing disease and its diagnosis. During Phase 4, students take courses that will allow them to experience major disciplines in hospital and community settings throughout affiliated teaching sites in Newfoundland and Labrador and community and hospital settings in New Brunswick and other jurisdictions. They participate as members of the health care team, gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to assume the responsibilities associated with patient care.