With a payment of $100,000, Rio Tinto completed its $500,000 pledge to UNBC's Northern Medical Programs Trust on Thursday.
"Six years ago, I participated in announcing this pledge and it's amazing to see how much has changed with respect to medical education in Northern B.C. since then," said Colleen Nyce, manager of corporate affairs and community relations for Rio Tinto Alcan in Northern B.C.
Recent medical school graduate, Justin Frey of Vanderhoof, was one of the students who benefited from the trust.
"It can be expensive to travel to multiple communities and the trust provides valuable financial support," said Frey. He is currently completing his residency in Vanderhoof and plans to continue practicing medicine in the North.
The partnership aims to improve the education and the retention of health professionals in Northern B.C.
Thirty surrounding communities have gotten involved and have cumulatively raised approximately $6.5 million and the endowment fund has provided more than $400,000 in support for students in the Northern Medical Program and the Nurse Practitioner program who travel to northern and rural communities to participate in clinical placements as part of their education.
The original fundraising goal was based on the populations of communities throughout Northern B.C.
