B6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 12, 2001 Scholarship drive Aid money for future docs a key to UNBC’s strategy A NORTHERN medical school at the University of Northern B.C, is years away, But fundraising volun- teers connected to UNBC are starting the legwork needed to raise scholar- ships and bursaries to support northern medical students. UNBC honourary chair Tom Steadman said the scholarship strategy is rooted in a belief that helping northern students become doctors will re- sult in many of them staying and practising in the north. Someone who grew up in Kitimat or Dawson Creek will be more famil- iary with the north and more inclined to consider a posting in the region, said Steadman. “They'll have a much greater likelihood of wan- ting to come here than someone from Point Grey,” Steadman said. “We are going to solve a great portion of the re- tention and supply pro- blems that have been troubling us.” The northern medical program is expected to take in its first students and future doctors in 2004. Steadman said that realistically gives fundrai- sers only a couple of years to get a comprehensive aid package in place to help northern students secure spots in the program. And he has no doubt it will be needed. Already UNBC students need financial assistance in greater numbers than students elsewhere in B,C, An estimated 70 per - cent leave the university in debt, compared to around 40 per cent at other B.C. universities. UNBC has succeeded in getting more northern students into university - 16 per cent of northern stu- dents now go on to post- secondary studies com- pared to eight per cent in Tom Steadman books and tuition. Travel will be costly, as students will have to spend about a quarter of their studies at UBC in Vancou- ver, as weil as travelling “We need to be there to make sure that each of those chairs is filled by northern students.” 1989. “We have doubled the attendance of students, but they’re taking on debt at a faster rate than other students,” Steadman noted, Moving to and living in Prince George is costly for many students from the re- gions. And Steadman said the program to train doctors will be particularly expen- sive. — and not just for to hospitals throughout the north. One government initia- tive that will help is Vic- toria’s pledge to forgive all student loans for doctors and nurses who serve five years in an underserviced community. But he said even more aid may be needed to get northerners into the north- ern medical program and maximize its benefits to the region. “We need to be there to make sure that each of those chairs is filled by northern students,” Stead- man said. That’s driven considera- ‘tion that scholarships and bursaries may be created that would go beyond the traditional costs of books and tuition, UNBC officials’ initial Steps have been to meet with town councils, ser- vice clubs and others around the region to try to determine what proportion of students will need aid, he said. “That answers the ques- tion of how much money do we have to go out and raise.’ He’s urging people throughout the region to become part of the effort. If successful, he said, it will be a first in the coun- “There is no other rural and remote medical pro- fram in the country,” Steadman said. “There are a couple that claim to do it but they all claim to do it from downtown some- where or other.” “We could well be the first region to step up to the real] challenges of rural medicine,” The first 20 students en- tering. in 2004 would emerge as practising phy- sicians in 2008. Hospice trains local volunteers TERRACE HAS shown strong community spirit despite difficult economic times, says the Terrace Hospice Society. The society recently completed phase one of a training program for local volunteers. Twelve people tock part in phase 1, learning about. ; hospice and palliative © care, which involves lend- ing support to family and friends of a dying person, The hospice society’s - volunteer, visitor program enables someone to “fully live each day until they die,” says society member Julie Walsh. 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Class A return trip for one 25° sq.ft. - WE INSTALL N, VW pee Y y! 5250 UA ) ar $338 IN ~ Good for six months - SS I ‘ se Call in ays A 635-4295 Wie if Ye A) I \b ie ordrop bythe Rane” te i ~~ “ ~ ko Za Wy cairportcounter WY ‘s hans Myvi wwe Wi Fa sie Lau Eyes od OOS Ven NS local individuals and busi- nesses, who helped with donations, she says. “It is through support such as this that we can continue to offer our ser- vices to families in Ter- Tace at a most vulnerable and precious time of life,” hospice coordinator Deirdre McEwan added, . ' McEwan, * meanwhile, remains hopeful that work being done over the next few months at the provin- cial and federal level will help reduce the burden on families when a loved one is dying. For example, the Health Services Ministry has appointed a panel .to ‘develop a provincial slrate, egy on end-of-life care. When: Time: — -‘JERRACE PEAKS Gymnastics CLus Winter Registration December 15, 2001 Where: Ed Fairless Memorial Gymnasium {Attached to Thornhill Community Centre} 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. . Classes are available for boys and girls at all ages and stages, including a “Bounces and Tickles’ program for children under 2 1/2 years of age. Registrants are required to pay in registration {cash or post-dated cheques only). Your child's medical number is also required. For more information, phone 638-0447, Join us for some fun! ll at time of So lf at times thay fall short, let thelr editors know, lf they can't solve the problem, contact the B.C. Press Council, a voluntary body that looks into and tries to mediate unresolved reader complaints about news anid opinion in B.C, newspapers, B.C, PRESS COUNCIL 201-1290 Broad Street, Victoria, B.C. VBW 2A5 Ph. 250-384-3344 Fax: 250-384-3346 E-mail: councll@bepresscouncil.org Web: bepresscouncil.org \. E9410 70 GOOD BUS CRMeRoERETET CITY OF TERRACE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S CLOSURES Regular Operations will be closed during the Holiday Season, as follows: Tuesday, December 25°, 2001 Wednesday, December 26", 2001 Tuesday, January 1", 2002 We wish you 2 happy and safe Holiday Season O. Fisher Director of Administration J ROUD OF OUR PAST tet GG Attention Guards, Matrons, and Commissionaires. The Public Service Ailiance of Canada wants you!! The Commissionaire Union of BC PSAC Local 05/20500 is organizing a union for all. oO persons employed as guards and matrons. By the RCMP in B.C, For further information please contact Les Buss, PSAC Regional Organizer Tel: 604-430-5631 ext. 223 Gell: 604-240-1382 or use the toll free number in this ad A peor nn theiclndte “THE PUBLIC SERVICE ALLIANCE OF ‘CANADA — REPRESENTS OVER 150,000 MEN AND WOMEN WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR ACROSS CANADA Commissionaires Union of BC PSAC Local 05/20500 Suite 200, 5238 Joyce Street Vancouver, BC V5R 6C9 Toll Free: 1-800-663-1655 ext, 224 Tel: (604)430-563 1 Fax: (604) 430-0451 e-mail:buss!@psac.ca Chuck Beaver . Toll Free --1 800-863-1655 Victoria, 1-260-953-1059 Glen Bens, Organizing Program Officer Victoria, 1-250-953-1053 44 ak { The Thornhill Firefighters Association would like ta thank the People of Terrace and Thornhill, and the following businesses for making the 2001 Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive a success: Acklands Azarcan Auto Body A&W BAG Grocery Back Eddy Pub Bear Country Inn Blue Ridge Ventures Central Garage Copperside Stores Dairy Queen Dragon's Ben Electronic Futures Elkers Fountain Tire. Hava Java Haryand's Restaurant Inn of the West Keenleyside Insurance Services KFe Ken's Marine Kermode Auto Repair Macs 24 Hour Convenience WK YOu Monarch Cable Moonlighter Custom Mr, Mike's Northern Mator Inn Off Road Specialties Overwaitea Foods Pizza Hut River Industries Safeway Food & Drug Sight & Sound Subway TeleMedia Radio West Tempo Gas Bor Terrace Standard Terrace Chrysler Terrace Totem Ford Sales Terrace Toyota *~ Thornhill Husky Thornhill Neighbourhood Pub Tim Horton’sUAP NAPA Video Stop Video Update. Wayside Grocery Dairy Queen® Frozen Cakes and Logs At participating Dalry Queen* Stores. baby iyraee Forthe “4 month of ™ ‘ December °*&% ANONYMOUS ’ Olrademark of AMerkcan Dalty Queen Comp.. Distributed by 100 Canada Inc, Plinted tn Camacta, DAM DO, Corp.{1005 @Mteg. US. Pat. OFF, AMD.Q. Corp. ANGELS " TERRACE LOCATION. 4643 Park Avenue: Dairy Queen’ stares are proud spontort of the Chikten’s Miracle Network Telethon, which ber efits local Hospitala fot chikiren,