(1) Re: Primary care is the focus of Simon Fraser University’s new School of Medicine

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 68, No. 8, October 2026 | Page 271 | Letters | doi.org/10.66794/2c73
By: Jane McKay, MD, FRCPC

Congratulations to Simon Fraser University on the opening of the Stephens Family School of Medicine. I am writing to seek clarity on a statement made by the dean of medicine, Dr David Price: “We’re starting with family medicine residencies, but our commitment is to increase to a number of other primary care residency specialties, like pediatrics, psychiatry, and general internal medicine” [BCMJ 2026;68:196-198].

As a general internist, it is a surprise to see general internal medicine considered a primary care residency specialty.

I witnessed the launch of general internal medicine as a subspecialty in my career. The subspecialty serves both the acute and chronic internal medicine care needs of many adults in British Columbia and throughout Canada. It is a growing field that will continue to provide excellence in care over time.

Many individuals struggle to access specialty care, and our specialty is no different. I don’t like having a 2-year wait list, but it serves as a reflection of the incredible need for specialized care. Transferring the role of primary care to already overburdened specialties needs review and consultation. We all realize the desperate need for primary care and hope the Stephens Family School of Medicine will be a move forward in educating our future primary care experts. I can comment only on my own area—providing primary care along with specialty service would not be realistic and would drastically increase my already-too-long wait list.
—Jane McKay, MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor, UBC Division of General Internal Medicine

This letter was submitted in response to “Primary care is the focus of Simon Fraser University’s new School of Medicine.” Read the author’s response in “Re: Primary care is the focus of Simon Fraser University’s new School of Medicine. Author replies.”

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Jane McKay, MD, FRCPC. (1) Re: Primary care is the focus of Simon Fraser University’s new School of Medicine. BCMJ, Vol. 68, No. 8, October, 2026, Page(s) 271 - Letters.


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