Military, RCMP families included in MUN’s residency policy as government expands the definition

Anyone applying in the 2027 admission cycle can avail of the new definition

Lt.-Col. Anthony (Tony) McDonald said it's a good feeling to know his daughter Rebecca now has a "fair shot" at attending medical school at Memorial University.

Rebecca faced an unexpected setback in her admission last fall due to her military upbringing that caused her to move around Canada for most of her childhood. Even though she was born in N.L., Rebecca was not recognized as a resident under the Memorial University Act.

It was after Rebecca and her father spoke out against the policy that the provincial government committed to reviewing and updating it — and the changes have now come into effect.

Education Minister Paul Dinn announced through a news release on June 26 that the expanded definition includes "individuals with strong ongoing ties to the province" — specifically Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP officers and their immediate families.

N.L. family fights admissions process to MUN’s medical school, says it discriminates against military members

“When we found out last fall that she didn’t meet the Newfoundland residency requirements, it was a shock,” said Tony. “So the fact that it’s been resolved is good. I wish it had been done sooner but I am happy it is done.”

New MUN definition for N.L. residents will consider military families

When Rebecca applied for the faculty’s 2026-27 school year, the university act defined a resident as a person who has lived in the province for an extended period of time, has a permanent address and intends to remain in the province.

Provincial legislation around the act defined a resident as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who completed four years of school between Grade 7 and 12 in the province, no more than 12 years before applying to the university.

Because Rebecca completed high school in New Brunswick, this meant that she had to compete for one of six Canadian seats instead of competing for one of 75 seats designated for N.L. residents.

Tony felt that it was unfair that his daughter's chances of becoming a physician were lessened because of his service — something she had no control over, which is when he started advocating to see the policy changed.

Now, students applying for admission to MUN’s faculty of medicine for the 2027-28 academic year will be able to avail of the updated definition.

And for Rebecca, this means her chance of studying at home is back on the table as she will be applying for the upcoming cycle.

“I’m excited to try again in a more fair way,” said Rebecca. “I definitely feel a weight has been lifted… last year I applied but knew that my chances were slim to none just because of how many students apply for those six [Canadian] seats.”

Rebecca said ultimately, the decision on whether she gets into the faculty comes down to the admissions committee but she’s hopeful to secure one of the 75 seats available.

"There are no guarantees but I am definitely a lot more confident in my chances now,” said Rebecca.

Memorial University declined to comment, deferring to the Department of Education's news release.

The university has already started making the necessary changes to its admissions materials to reflect the updated definition, according to the news release.

Though the release says that Memorial has always prioritized local students due to the fact they are more likely to stay and work in N.L., the updates better reflect meeting that priority.

The change, the release added, also demonstrates the government's commitment to increase the number of locally trained doctors.

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Cameron Kilfoy (he/him) is a journalist working with CBC News based in St. John's.