The provincial government has added five new seats for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians at MUN’s medical school. However, there currently isn’t a requirement in place for graduates to practice in this province, nor is there an incentive program.

Premier Andrew Furey says an obligation for students to stay has been tried in the past, but he notes that it is difficult to put that kind of policy in place because “life happens” and people can change during their degree.

Furey says there are different models that can work, especially as people come closer to their residencies, but, that early on in medical school, he believes it would be an “unfair proposition” to try to entice people with that kind of deal.

NLMA President Susan MacDonald agrees with the premier, stating that it’s very hard for someone to make that kind of a decision so far out.

MacDonald says if such a policy were in place, people like her would never have come here.

She hopes that the province encourages people to stay.

Interim opposition leader David Brazil says he would support having an obligation in place for people to stay for a period because then the physicians form an attachment to the area, and even if the situation isn’t what they wanted, they’ll stay longer.