CBMC Progress Updates

The CBMC team and partners continue to reach milestones across key areas such as staffing, programming and infrastructure.  Check out the latest updates below.

Be sure to sign up for the CBMC newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest news and updates as we prepare to welcome the first class in August 2025!

Students

Admissions to the Cape Breton Medical Campus, through the Rural Applicant Pathway prioritizes qualified Nova Scotia applicants with lived experience in rural Nova Scotia Communities.  

Following interviews in early 2025, successful applicants received offer letters at the end of March, and up to 30 students will register for classes in August. Learners will attend classes at CBMC for the first two years of their medical education journey, after which they will progress to years 3 and 4, which will be comprised of clerkship placements located primarily in Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia.

To learn more about the program and admissions process, please visit www.cbu.ca/medicine  

Staffing

The CBMC leadership and staff have seen wonderful expansion, with appointments of physician faculty and key roles such as Simulated Patient Coordinator, Faculty Development Manager and Director of Skilled Clinician Program. 

In addition to ongoing program development, orientation for CBMC faculty is set to take place at the end of May, with supplementary development sessions being offered to support effective tutoring and the use of programming tools and software.  

Programming

Working closely with counterparts at Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine, the team has been developing the CBMC program to align with its vision of providing medical education focusing on family and rural medicine pertinent to communities across Cape Breton and rural Nova Scotia.

A key component of modern medical education, the simulation-based curriculum will provide students with a safe environment to study clinical skills in various formats, including the Simulated Patient Program. Along with faculty tutors, opportunities for local physicians to contribute to student learning include serving as Elective Preceptors, Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Evaluators and Research in Medicine (RIM) Mentors, as well as participating in the Rural Medicine Week, Shadow a Doctor and Family Medicine Experience programs.  

Infrastructure

With support from the Province of Nova Scotia and partners such as the Cape Breton Building & Construction Trades Council, the infrastructure of the campus will be conducive to the innovative and interactive approach to medical education at CBMC. With two major building projects, prioritization of key areas will ensure the readiness of the campus to provide exceptional education when students arrive this summer.

Medical Sciences Centre

The state-of-the-art building will house classrooms, tutorial rooms, a medical library and an anatomy lab as well as collaborative work and student spaces. Its design focuses on creating a home for students to receive exceptional medical education in a net-zero carbon structure. 

Some of the completed work includes: 

• Awarding all building tenders 

• Acquiring CBRM approval of permits 

• Installation of all underground electrical and mechanical work 

• Installation of exterior steel framing 

• Design of audio-video system and awarding contract for installation 

• Designing of furniture and ordering for production 

Construction over the next few months will transform the current interior views of steel framing and structural components with the addition of drywall, doors and hardware, masonry, glazing and window installation and millwork. With the recent installation of a roof draining system, crews are also preparing for the completion of electrical/mechanical work throughout the building. Exterior finishes and roofing will also be completed during this time. 

Former NSCC Marconi Building

Visible from University Boulevard, the main artery of the CBU campus, the medical sciences centre will connect via pedway to the former NSCC Marconi Campus building. Construction within the Marconi building will result in additional classrooms, student services and office spaces. The renovations have reached their own milestones including the completion of CBMC administrative offices in March.

CBMC continues to work with Nova Scotia Health on the development of the 10,000-patient collaborative clinic which will also be located within the building. The health authority will maintain operational oversight of the clinic which is expected to open this summer.