After years of waiting, Rimouski will finally have its veterinary medicine program at the University of Quebec in Rimouski (UQÀR). Quebec is thus launching a project to decentralize the veterinary medicine program at the University of Montreal.
This is the first time that a veterinary medicine program has been decentralized in Canada. Currently in Quebec, the program is only offered in Saint-Hyacinthe.
The 25 students of the new cohort will thus spend the first three years of their training at the Rimouski campus. They will then continue their fourth year in Saint-Hyacinthe before doing an internship for their last and fifth year.
Quebec thus wishes to regionalize the veterinary medicine program and tackle the problem of labor shortages.
In Bas-Saint-Laurent, several veterinary clinics categorically refuse to take on new clients for lack of space. Existing clients must take their troubles patiently: some have no appointments available before 2023.
“It is really important for our government, because we think that the regions will energize Quebec, comments the Minister of Higher Education, Danielle McCann. The regions have a lot of potential in higher education.”
“It will also help with [veterinarian] retention, added the president of the Order of Veterinary Physicians of Quebec, Dr. Gaston Rioux. We are in an agricultural environment, we are also in an environment where there are pets too. Spend three years here, and then a year of internship in more fragile regions like the Bas-Saint-Laurent, that will help a lot, ”he rejoiced.
Quebec specifies that 50% of new students at UQÀR will specialize in large animals, such as sheep, cows and horses. The new program will increase the number of veterinarians graduating in the province by 26%. This will cost around $100 million.
