Year-end Message from the Dean

We are in a transformational period in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences as we work collaboratively with the Province of Manitoba to address workforce shortages across the health system.

This is a generational expansion of our MD class that will enhance our physician human resources across Manitoba for decades to come.

In fall 2023, we admitted an additional 15 students to our MD program, bringing us to 125 undergraduate medical education (UGME) students in the class of 2027. This was the first expansion of UGME seats in 15 years and came at a precipitous time as the province faces a growing population and an increasing gap in the number of physicians practicing in our province to meet the health care needs of Manitobans.

In the fall of 2024, 140 students entered first-year medicine, making the MD Class of 2028 the largest medical class in the University of Manitoba's history.

This year, as well, the master of physician assistant studies (MPAS) program doubled in size and admitted 30 students in 2024. UM offered Canada’s first graduate-level physician assistant program when it launched in 2008.

Over the past three years, UM total number of residency positions, in all PGME programs matched through the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS,) has increased from approximately 139 positions per year to 188 this coming intake July 1, 2025.

Family medicine positions will have increased by 30 and specialty positions will have increased by 14. Additionally, the psychiatry program increased from 12 to 17 positions per year and clinical health psychology positions grew from 11 to 13 residency positions per year.

It is an exciting time to be part of the University of Manitoba Max Rady College of Medicine. The success and sustainability of our expanded programs rely on UM clinical faculty, preceptors and nil appointments stepping up to the challenge in service to train the next generation of health care leaders.

Thank you to all the dedicated physicians who give back and work to create a learning environment at UM that prepares our MPAS and medical students and residents to become competent, caring and ethical physicians and physician assistants who meet their responsibilities to patients and the community.

I also want to recognize the contributions of our department heads. They are typically juggling UM and Shared Health responsibilities and their leadership is critical to meeting our mission and goals as a college.

And we’re going to be looking to our physician community across the province to continue to support the college as we embark on expansions of our UGME and PGME programs, increase distributed medical education opportunities, and advancing the idea of a Brandon satellite campus for undergraduate medical education.

I look forward to working with all of you to make our Max Rady College of Medicine relevant and responsive to the health-care needs of Manitobans across the province.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!