Erin Charman (left) and Julia Hassler, medical students, discuss the benefits of the new medical school space at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

image credit: lisa vandervelde/morning star

New facilities at Vernon Jubilee Hospital could alleviate the North Okanagans doctor shortage.

Renovated medical school space was unveiled on the fifth floor of the Polson Tower Friday.

We hope they will stay and practise and call this region home, said Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, of the students in the University of B.C.s southern medical program.

And that is certainly something Julia Hassler is considering.

I love Vernon, Im sold, said the third-year medical student who is from Saskatchewan.

Staying here could become more likely if Hassler ultimately becomes a family doctor, but she may have to move elsewhere if she specializes in obstetrics.

The new academic space features centralized education areas, a clinical skills room and two video conferencing rooms.

Its nice to have a place to study, said Erin Charman, a third-year medical student from Castlegar.

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VJH opens doors for medical students