P.E.I. Students Gain Priority Access to 11 Health Programs at Dalhousie

Island students aspiring to enter the health care sector will benefit from a new agreement between Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and Nova Scotia. This partnership guarantees P.E.I. students priority admission to 50 first-year seats across 11 high-demand health programs at Dalhousie University for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.

P.E.I. Minister of Workforce, Advanced Learning and Population, Jenn Redmond, emphasized the importance of expanding educational opportunities in response to the province’s health care challenges. “We certainly know the pressures that health is feeling here on Prince Edward Island, and anything that we can do to start to expand and support students to gain access to programs that can come back and help fill those important sectors is really a priority of ours,” she stated.

Details of the Agreement

The agreement features a diverse range of programs, with the largest seat allocations in the following areas:

– Pharmacy: Six seats in both 2026-27 and 2027-28.
– Medicine: Six seats in 2026-27, decreasing to four in 2027-28.
– Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy: Three seats in each program for both academic years.
– Dentistry: Two seats in each of the two years.

Additionally, the agreement includes one seat in each of the two academic years for programs such as Respiratory Therapy, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, Speech Language Pathology, Audiology, and Physician Assistant.

According to the P.E.I. government, the inclusion of dentistry marks a return to the agreement, which had lapsed after the 2024-25 academic year. This renewed commitment is designed to enhance access to essential training for future health care professionals.

Impact on Local Health Care Training

The revised agreement also reflects a strategic shift in medical training for P.E.I. students. The number of medical school seats at Dalhousie will decrease from six in 2026-27 to four in 2027-28, a change acknowledged by Mark McLane, P.E.I.’s Health Minister. This reduction is linked to the establishment of the new medical school at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), where 20 students are enrolled this year, with an expected intake of 20 annually moving forward.

“We’re transitioning, obviously, now that we’ve stood up our own medical school,” McLane explained. The minister noted that by training doctors locally, the province aims to improve retention rates for graduates, even as some may pursue residency placements outside the province.

Redmond echoed this sentiment, stating that the decrease in Dalhousie’s medical seats aligns with P.E.I.’s educational priorities. “We’ll continue to monitor the needs and how that will impact those seat numbers for the future going forward,” she added.

Students enrolling in the health programs covered by this agreement can also apply for provincial financial support like the Marion L. Reid Grant. This grant assists students in eligible health programs across Canada and includes a return-of-service agreement, requiring recipients to work within P.E.I.’s health system for a minimum of two years.

Redmond highlighted the province’s commitment to maintaining communication with students throughout their studies, ensuring they remain aware of career opportunities in their home province. The goal is to encourage these students to return and contribute to the local health care system once they complete their education.

Through this renewed partnership, the P.E.I. government, alongside Dalhousie University, aims to strengthen the province’s health care workforce, addressing current shortages while providing valuable educational pathways for its students.