Medical education comes at a high price. The annual tuition is almost $17,000, plus an average of $4,000 in other university-related expenses and at least $11,000 in living expenses. The total expenses of an Aboriginal medical student are approximately $130,000 during the four-year MD undergraduate program.

It’s a common misconception that the expenses of Aboriginal medical students are covered by the federal government or band/Métis sponsorship. In fact, of the 31 Aboriginal students enrolled in the MD undergraduate program in 2012-13, only six received band or Métis sponsorship of varying amounts. Aboriginal medical students must borrow money through government loans or lines of credit to finance their medical education—an obstacle that makes it challenging for some students to finish medical school and deters other outstanding students from even considering a career in medicine.

We encourage you to consider supporting Aboriginal medical students at UBC to improve the health of Aboriginal peoples and create educational opportunities for promising young Aboriginals with a passion for health and their community.