The University of Manitoba's latest class of medical graduates includes its largest group of aboriginal graduates in the past five years.
The nine self-declared indigenous graduates of the College of Medicine plan to stay in Manitoba to complete their residencies, with five of them going into family medicine.
"They've always been under-represented in our workforce — in the health workforce — even representative to their own population numbers, but more importantly they're such an important part of the communities we serve," said Dr. Brian Postl, the dean of the College of Medicine at the university. "Many communities have lots of health issues that we have to deal with, and we think we can do that more effectively if we have more indigenous physicians participating."
The U of M has had a special stream for indigenous students since 1979, according to Postl.
"It still has not hit me yet," said Allyson Barnes, who graduated on Thursday.
Barnes is Metis, and both her parents are physicians.
When her father became a physician he opted not to self-identify as Metis.
"They didn't self-identify because it was so hard. You wouldn't want to self-identify in a small community, so he didn't," she said. "He would've been one of the first aboriginal physicians in Manitoba."
Barnes will start a family medicine residence in Winnipeg and move on to more rural areas after that.
She said the road to graduation was difficult, but her father helped break down some of the barriers.
"We face a lot of different standards – things that are said. People say things, sometimes they're outright views, sometimes they're hidden views, but there's still a lot of racism that goes on."
A total of 107 students graduated on Thursday, 77 of whom plan to stay in Manitoba for their residencies, according to the provincial government.
The province says 34 graduates staying in the province will go into family medicine. Of that number, 19 will go to rural and northern communities. One graduate will undertake an anaesthesiology residency in Brandon, Man.
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U of M boasts highest number of aboriginal medical grads in 5 years - Manitoba - CBC News
The nine self-declared indigenous graduates of the College of Medicine plan to stay in Manitoba to complete their residencies, with five of them going into family medicine.
"They've always been under-represented in our workforce — in the health workforce — even representative to their own population numbers, but more importantly they're such an important part of the communities we serve," said Dr. Brian Postl, the dean of the College of Medicine at the university. "Many communities have lots of health issues that we have to deal with, and we think we can do that more effectively if we have more indigenous physicians participating."
The U of M has had a special stream for indigenous students since 1979, according to Postl.
"It still has not hit me yet," said Allyson Barnes, who graduated on Thursday.
Barnes is Metis, and both her parents are physicians.
When her father became a physician he opted not to self-identify as Metis.
"They didn't self-identify because it was so hard. You wouldn't want to self-identify in a small community, so he didn't," she said. "He would've been one of the first aboriginal physicians in Manitoba."
Barnes will start a family medicine residence in Winnipeg and move on to more rural areas after that.
She said the road to graduation was difficult, but her father helped break down some of the barriers.
"We face a lot of different standards – things that are said. People say things, sometimes they're outright views, sometimes they're hidden views, but there's still a lot of racism that goes on."
A total of 107 students graduated on Thursday, 77 of whom plan to stay in Manitoba for their residencies, according to the provincial government.
The province says 34 graduates staying in the province will go into family medicine. Of that number, 19 will go to rural and northern communities. One graduate will undertake an anaesthesiology residency in Brandon, Man.
more
U of M boasts highest number of aboriginal medical grads in 5 years - Manitoba - CBC News
