Medical education has a long history in the Cowichan Valley, which has been hosting rural practice students since the 1970s. Today, Cowichan is home to two formal training programs with opportunities for preceptors to help educate future generations.
The Integrated Community Clerkship Program is run out of Cowichan District Hospital and provides med students and residents with hands-on learning, the chance to form relationships with experienced physicians and to become a member of the community.
Starting in 2024, Cowichan became home to a new UBC Family Practice Residency Site which aims to provide residents a supportive and expansive learning experience that produces curious, community-engaged, and compassionate family physicians.
Teaching
The Cowichan ICC was established in 2010. Since the beginning, the medical community has been very engaged with the ICC program, and teams work together to provide a high level of clinical experience and a supportive environment for the ICC students.
The mission of the Quw’utzun (Cowichan) Family Practice residency site has been built on the strong tradition of collegiality and cohesiveness for which the Cowichan medical community is well known.
Launched in 2024, this site offers a learner-focused, comprehensive interdisciplinary and collaborative educational experience incorporating multiple medical specialties, allied health professionals, and community members in a supportive and respectful learning environment.
The Quw’utzun site partners with local Indigenous communities and Elders to build a traumainformed and culturally sensitive curriculum that honours the expanded tenets of equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Graduates will be highly skilled, confident, community-minded physicians who have a deep sense of compassion for patients and themselves.