LETTER

Preparing doctors for Ontario

 

Rick Henderson, in his November 23 letter to the Bulletin, seems obsessed with J-P Perreault’s use of exclamation marks in a previous letter denouncing the choice of McGill to run the satellite medical program in Outaouais. It seems to me that forcing Francophone students to master the comprehension of technical instruction in their second language so they can get through the first three semesters dispensed in English, in a region where Francophones are overwhelmingly the majority, in a province where the official language is French -- I think that easily rates a few exclamation marks, and far more question marks. The basics, the theory lectures, are to be given in English through video-conferencing, putting Francophones at a disadvantage in their relations with their professors and in their comprehension of the subject matter.

Why is this? McGill had to have a piece of the pie and somebody had to get stuck with its anglicizing influence, in spite of the fragility of French in this corner of the province? Or does the government figure the future doctors will all end up in Ontario anyway and they just want to help the process along?

Mr Henderson says McGill’s satellite faculty in Outaouais means “economic growth, improved education and health care”. We are to understand that none of that would result if the training were given in French?
 
David Ostrosser
Gatineau (Aylmer)