Eby visits SFU’s new medical school in Surrey

Eby visits SFU’s new medical school in Surrey

Published 10:05 am Tuesday, September 22, 2026

B.C. Premier David Eby got to take a look inside Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) new medical school in Surrey on Sept. 16.

SFU’s Stephens Family School of Medicine invited Eby on a tour of the school’s temporary learning space and allowed him to meet the first cohort of medical students.

The tour included demonstrations of several technology-based tools, including simulated patient-care rooms, medical mannequins, point-of-care ultrasound and virtual reality.

One of the more interactive demonstrations during the tour came from Roman, an AI-powered virtual patient developed by the school.

In a demonstration with Eby and Roman, the AI patient explained to the tour audience that he was designed to allow medical students to practise patient interactions such as taking medical history, showing empathy and working towards a diagnosis in a low-stakes environment.

SFU noted that the technology shown on the tour is intended to augment – rather than replace – faculty-led, person-centred medical education.

Following the tour, SFU representatives and provincial health officials shared more details about the school and its plan to expand medical training in B.C.

Joy Johnson, SFU president and vice-chancellor, shared that the Stephens Family School of Medicine is the first medical school to open in Western Canada in nearly 60 years.

She explained that the school’s first cohort of 48 students began orientation in August 2026 and is expected to graduate in 2029.

Johnson said the school’s first cohort is “a fantastic group of students” and that she was fortunate to present for their first day of class.

Eby shared with audiences that meeting the first cohort gave him an opportunity to see the school’s focus on providing care within communities.

He highlighted the school’s particular focus on community care as part of broader provincial efforts to strengthen access to primary care.

Since 2018, Eby said, B.C. has connected about one million people with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

He continued by saying that about 1,400 doctors and nurse practitioners who are new to the health-care system have joined the workforce since 2018, helping expand access to primary care.

“Right now, about 4,000 people a week who are on the Health Connect Registry are connecting with a new doctor or nurse practitioner to be their family doctor, be that advocate for the medical system,” said Eby.

Sangeeta Jaswell, a nurse practitioner who works at the Urgent and Primary Care Centre in Port Moody, told audiences that tools such as the Health Connect Registry are helping to connect more British Columbians with primary-care providers.

“The new medical school presents an exciting opportunity to train more physicians in B.C. and strengthen the primary care workforce in our communities,” said Jaswell.

Johnson also explained that the Stephens Family School of Medicine plans to grow its incoming classes to 120 students by 2035, increasing the number of medical students training in B.C. each year.

The school will eventually move into a permanent home in Surrey Centre Block, which is currently under construction across the street from the interim facility.

Surrey Centre Block is expected to open in 2030 and will include purpose-built classrooms, clinical and research spaces, as well as an outpatient clinic designed to provide community-based care and practical learning opportunities for students.

Eby said this expansion of medical education in Surrey comes as the province continues efforts to train more health-care professionals and connect residents with primary-care providers in their communities.

For more information about SFU’s Stephens Family School of Medicine, visit sfu.ca/medicine.