Cape Breton Medical Campus

Dalhousie University

About

Consulation sparks action

Over the course of several months, a dedicated team of professionals researched and consulted with a number of health professionals from across the country making a business case for a new medical campus on Cape Breton Island. They learned from colleagues with experience with medical schools in other jurisdictions and in December of 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with the Faculty of Medicine. The MOU outlines the framework under which the new medical campus will be developed and operated. This partnership will ensure future students receive excellent medical education that will benefit Cape Breton and the Province of Nova Scotia for generations.

Tranformational change

This transformational initiative is made possible with the support of the Province of Nova Scotia. On January 27, 2023 as part of his State of the Province address here in Cape Breton, Premier Tim Houston announced the medical campus would become a reality. On March 7, 2023, the Premier again travelled to Cape Breton and announced a $58.9 million investment in the medical campus. Of that amount, $49 million is for the creation of a medical sciences centre, $6.2 million will create a 10,000 patient Collaborative Clinic and $3.7 million will expand the Health and Counselling Centre at CBU.

Our goal

The campus will open no later than the fall of 2025 and will train up to 30 students each year. There will be a focus on the health priorities of Cape Breton, which will create opportunities in education and research. The campus will train much needed physicians for rural practice. The students will have an opportunity to study in culturally safe care, learning from clinicians who practice in rural areas across the province.

Frequently asked questions

Student FAQs

Who can apply?

Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Eligibility for admission to the CBMC is limited to Nova Scotia applicants and will prioritize qualified Nova Scotia applicants with lived experience in rural Nova Scotia communities.

When can I apply?

Applications for the Cape Breton Medical Campus class of 2029 (beginning September 2025) will open in June 2024.

Where will my degree come from?

Your degree will come from the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine.

Where will the training occur?

At the Cape Breton Medical Campus, medical education will be delivered in the new medical sciences building on the Cape Breton University campus.

The current NSCC Marconi campus will be repurposed to house a large collaborative clinic that will serve the primary care needs of the general public, while also providing new space for clinical training of medical students, and eventually, residents. The Cape Breton Regional Hospital will continue to be utilized as a teaching hospital, as will clinics and hospitals throughout Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia.

How will the admissions process work?

There will be a separate admissions stream for the Cape Breton Medical Campus. Students will receive the bulk of their training in Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia. Admissions will be prioritized for Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students, and students from Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia. The initial class will see up to 30 students in August 2025 to make up the first cohort.

What curriculum will be offered?

The current Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine curriculum will be delivered at the Cape Breton Medical Campus. For the first two years, students will be receiving the same lectures as classmates in Halifax or the Saint John, New Brunswick campus. In later years, there is more learning off campus, however, we are still following the distributed medical education model developed by Dalhousie University.

Housing is limited in the CBRM. Where are students expected to live?

There is no question that housing is a national issue and one that affects us here in Cape Breton. CBU recently announced a new apartment-style residence that will be ready for early 2025, and continues to advocate provincially and nationally for more affordable housing options for students.

Will there be medical residency positions created for Cape Breton Medical Campus graduates?

With the new campus, additional residency positions will be aligned with the number of undergraduate medical seats.

What about LIC opportunities? There’s growing demand for LICs among Dalhousie students. How can there be enough spaces for a new cohort of 30 students at the Cape Breton Medical Campus?

The longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) is a model for a third-year clerkship in which the core clerkship discipline units are integrated into a year-long program based on patient-centered care and continuity of learning, learning environment, supervision and assessment, and patient experiences. New LIC placements will be established for students at the Cape Breton Medical Campus.

We already have a number of individuals who have indicated their interest in serving as preceptors. In collaboration with Dalhousie, CBU has hired a consultant to canvass physicians across the province to ascertain what is needed to take on students, whether that’s administrative support, physical space or housing. With that information in hand, we will address any identified issues.

Will there be enough physicians to practice and teach?

Yes. The Cape Breton Medical Campus prioritizes engagement with physicians to ensure there will be the appropriate number of highly-skilled, trained educators.

What happens if I do not complete the program or get placed in a residency position?

Medical students enrolled at all Dalhousie Medicine campuses, including Cape Breton Medical Campus, are individually responsible for paying the same tuition fees. The 2024-2025 Medicine tuition fee schedule can be found here. Government funding to Dalhousie Medicine to support the delivery of the medical education program at all campuses does not include tuition fees.

At CBMC, students will have access to comprehensive support from the Student Affairs team which will help learners with issues related to stress and anxiety, personal or family crises, short- and long-term leaves of absence and scheduling accommodations, all with a goal to enable students to be successful in their medical school journey.
If students are unable to meet the contractual requirements outlined in the return of service agreement, they will be required to repay the funding support to the Minister of Health and Wellness. All prospective students are encouraged to carefully read the return of service agreement which includes payment details and should reach out to physician.resources@novascotia.ca with any questions regarding the agreement.

General FAQs

Why establish a medical campus in Cape Breton?

Cape Breton has a long history of medical education and has had a family medicine residency program since 2005. There are several examples across the country where educating and training physicians in rural areas has resulted in improved physician recruitment in rural areas, including Northern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

Why did Cape Breton University spearhead this initiative?

Part of the University’s Strategic Plan includes a commitment for CBU to bolster the overall health and development of Cape Breton while recognizing the needs in other areas. The plan also includes a commitment to champion the Island’s prosperity, and this initiative will have a significant impact both socially and economically. After all, healthy communities are thriving communities.

What is the difference between a medical campus and a medical school?

A medical campus is a distributed medical education site of an established medical school. The Cape Breton Medical Campus is one of three sites of Dalhousie’s University Faculty of Medicine, with accreditation as a single medical school. The curriculum will be shared among the campuses, but each one will reflect its unique location, demographics and culture.

Campus Renderings