Local couple donates $1 million to help train doctors in South Okanagan, Similkameen

Medical students in the South Okanagan and Similkameen will be getting a helping hand paying for school after a local couple made a $1 million donation.

The Trish and Phil Medical Bursary Fund will be giving out funds for undergraduate students and medical school students for up to eight years, according to a press release from the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen.

“As someone who grew up in Penticton and now has the privilege of practicing family medicine in my hometown, this bursary means so much,” Dr. Jennifer Begin, Board Chair of the South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice, said in the release. “I knew back when I was at Pen Hi that I wanted to become a doctor, but coming from a family with limited resources made that path challenging.”

The undergraduate bursary will cover 50 per cent of tuition, but for medical school it will cover the entire cost of tuition.

“I know how hard that road can be, which is why I think this bursary is so amazing. It will open doors for local students and send a powerful message to physicians the Division is recruiting—this is a community that truly supports its healthcare providers,” Begin said.

The donors have withheld their full names for anonymity, according to the foundation.

The foundation said that 9,000 people are looking for a doctor in the South Okanagan and Similkameen and this bursary is meant to help address the shortage.

Applications will be accepted from June 11 to 15 and there is a virtual information session on June 10.

Students who graduated from secondary schools within the last five years in Penticton, Oliver, and Osoyoos are eligible for the bursary as long as they are committed to practicing medicine in the region.

“We are deeply grateful for this incredible generosity and also the donors’ vision for this gift. This bursary is not just a financial aid – it’s an inspiring investment in the future of healthcare in our community. By supporting the next generation of doctors, we are fostering a brighter, healthier future for everyone in the South Okanagan Similkameen,” CEO of the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen Aaron McRann said in the release.