Simon Fraser University's School of Medicine is now accepting students, marking a major milestone for healthcare and education in British Columbia.
SFU and the Province of British Columbia announced today (Oct 14) that the school, Western Canada's first new medical school in nearly 60 years, has received preliminary accreditation from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and is now accepting applications for its inaugural class. A new site for its permanent home at the university's Surrey campus was also announced.
"SFU is committed to making a difference for B.C. and the communities we serve through education and research," says SFU President Joy Johnson. "The new School of Medicine will exemplify that strong commitment, by training future physicians to deliver community-embedded, socially accountable and culturally sensitive primary health care."
Students will begin clinical training just one month into the program, gaining hands-on experience in community-based offices, clinics, and hospitals across the province. When complete, the permanent school site will also include an outpatient clinic, offering care to Surrey residents while supporting student learning.
The first class of 48 medical students will begin their studies at the interim location, the SFU Surrey campus, in August 2026. The size of each cohort will gradually increase to 120 students by 2035.
"We are seeking future physicians who are passionate about community-based medicine individuals who want to experience the joy and satisfaction of primary care and make a meaningful difference in the lives of British Columbians," says Dr. David Price, founding dean of the SFU School of Medicine. "Our students will train in the community, with the community, and for the community. We know that when students learn near their home communities, they are more likely to return and serve there."
The permanent home for the School of Medicine will be located in the Centre Block development in Surrey City Centre, adjacent to the SFU Surrey campus and the Surrey Central SkyTrain Station. The purpose-built facility will span eight floors of a 12-storey building and include classrooms, clinical skills spaces, research labs, administrative offices, and a child care centre with 49 spaces. The outpatient clinic will serve both as a training site and a health care resource for the community.
The school is being developed through collaboration between the Province, SFU, the City of Surrey, the First Nations Health Authority, Fraser Health, Divisions of Family Practice and the broader medical community.
"These two major milestones bring us closer to training the next generation of family doctors right here in Surrey, where they are urgently needed," says Premier David Eby, who was at SFU's Surrey campus to announce the milestone. "The new state-of-the-art SFU Medical School, along with the new Surrey hospital and B.C. Cancer Centre, will make this city a hub of innovative, high-quality health care. This is just one way our government is improving health care in British Columbia and helping more people find a primary care provider close to home."
Prospective students are already expressing enthusiasm for the opportunity.
"The news that the SFU School of Medicine is accepting applications for the class of 2026 is incredibly exciting as a prospective student," says SFU undergraduate Owen Gudmundson.
"Considering the extremely competitive nature of the medical school application process, the opening of a new medical school in BC, the first in Western Canada in decades, provides students like me a greater opportunity to pursue our dreams of becoming doctors, while also providing British Columbians with more physicians to care for them."
Construction of the permanent facility is expected to begin in late 2026, with the school opening its doors in Fall 2030. The estimated capital cost of $520 million will be shared between the Province and SFU.
Learn more and apply at sfu.ca/medicine.
